The German military in Ardennes was beaten after heavy fighting called the Battle of the Bulge. Even though Hitler was faced with defeat, he insisted that every German city, every village, and "every square meter" be defended or left behind as "scorched earth." On April 30, Hitler committed suicide in a Berlin bunker. Berlin fell to the Soviet forces on May 2. About 8 million Germans were dead.
Jordin Dickerson To what extent did ideology serve as the primary catalyst to the Cold War? During WWII, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were definitely strained. They had to join together because they had one common enemy, Nazi Germany; but after that, they began to turn on each other. The Soviets seeing the United States as a capitalist nation that turns its back on its allies where as the United States sees the Soviets as “Communist Russians” that are spreading the awful idea of communism. That one, simple word caused perhaps one of the biggest controversies and rivalries in history.
Tony Judt argues that Stalin ruled with ‘uncompromising rigidity and confrontational tactics’, this is somewhat supported by source 8 as it highlights that the ‘personality of Stalin’ was a significant internal factor in the USSR. Stalin’s persistent drive to achieve security by creating a buffer zone meant that agreements between the two powers were difficult. However, his policy on Poland, 1945, and the Stalinisation of Eastern Europe, 1945-48, reflected a genuine desire to protect the USSR from any future Western attack. Stalin was also ‘uncompromising’ over the reparations for Germany, he was determined to strip the Soviet zone of raw materials, and this worsened relations with the West at
All buildings that contained defenders refusing to surrender were reduced to rubble by artillery bombardment. Following the fall of Berlin, the Soviet Union began a program of information suppression. Most Field commanders of Soviet, American and British Armies had an unofficial relationship with each other enabling movement and limiting cross allied fratricide. This relationship was almost immediately ended with the fall of Berlin. Casualty counts for both the Soviet and German forces are estimated due to this suppression of
Through these lies, Stalin lost all credibility with the Allies. He demonstrated beyond doubt his ruthless ambition to brutally punish Germany and control those eastern European nations along or near the Soviet border. Part of the USSR’s motivation to risk alienation of the United States was subsequently connected to Stalin’s desperate need to gain control over the German nuclear research center, the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin.7 The USSR’s own nuclear program, Operation Borodino, was significantly behind that of the United States.7 Thus, the Cold War with escalating political hostility and military tensions was well underway. Work Cited "Battle for Berlin: April – May 1945." Military History Encyclopedia on the Web.
The Lend Lease Act was passed, which gave the president the right to sell or lend was materials to countries fighting against the Axis Powers. Germany attacks the Soviet Union and quite quickly the Germans were several hundred lies into Soviet territory. The Germans were simply over
It was a hostile meeting to say the least. Potsdam confirmed much of what was agreed at Yalta including the 4 zones, Russian reparations would mainly come from the Soviet zone of Germany and each zone was run the way that each ally saw fit. At Potsdam, Stalin was informed that America was developing a powerful new weapon but didn’t tell him that it was nuclear and so when Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened, Stalin was
The Truman Doctrine’s Influence on the Cold War Harry Truman was the 33rd President of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. The U.S. and Russia were allies during World War II. They had undividedly diverse government systems, the authority- craving Stalin (Russia’s leader) and the anti- isolationist Truman, which caused hostility between Russian and the United States. The disparity in patriotic concepts revealed by Stalin and the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill would instigate the route to the Cold War. The tactics exercised by the U.S. and Great Britain were created to impede the Soviet Union’s endeavor to explicate pushover communist governments over subverted nations, with this approach Truman exposed his doctrine which pursued a responsibility in determining U.S. relevance’s.
He describes the government as disorganized. There were many ideological principles that contributed to the Russian Revolution. These ideas were based on the theories of Karl Marx. These ideas were also based on socialism, as mentioned in Document 1. In Document 7, Lenin’s laws also show ideological principles that contributed to the Russian Revolution.
The Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler played a main role in the start and fight of World War II. Germany, led by the Nazis invaded many countries but after Poland was invaded, a World War broke out. The War was lost by the Germans in May of 1945; East Europe was occupied by Soviets. Soviets hated the Germans so many people were expelled from their places and fled. This included the Nazis.