What Factors Were Responsible For The Division Of Post-war Europe Into Two Hostile Camps: East And West?

As mentioned above, already before the Second World War there were confrontations between the West and the East, during the Russian civil war, where the allies (West) sent armed troops as well arms to support the Whites in their battle against the Reds (Bolsheviks). This was significant to a certain extent in creating suspicion between the Soviets (Bolsheviks which were to take control in Russia) since the Soviets believed the West was hostile and aimed to destroy communism. Furthermore, just before the outbreak of World War II the Nazi-Soviet Pact took place (August 1939), where the unexpected (by the west) happened and the Nazis turned towards the Soviets to sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop terms. This pact consisted of two p

Another important event was Potsdam (July 1945) and the death of Roosevelt in April (1945). This had a significance because Truman was to replace Roosevelt and Truman was not very well informed of the happenings between Stalin and Roosevelt, in addition Truman was way more inexperienced and anti communistic than Roosevelt (which was to influence the foreign policy which the US was to adopt). In Potsdam various areas of tension were tackled. In Germany, not only denazification took place but it was agreed that Germany was to be governed by a Control Council (of the four Allied commander-in-chief) and was to be treated as a single economic unit. The Atomic bomb was another great factor of Potsdam since the conference was deliberately delayed by Truman until the Atomic bomb had successfully been exploded (in Los Alamos) so that Truman could inform Stalin that the US possessed a new weapon of unprecedented power. The significance of all this was that it had an impact on Truman in classifying Stalin like Hitler as being a hostile expansionist thus, Truman was convinced that appeasement (which was used on Hitler) should not be used with Stalin (factor to future hostile behaviour). Truman also used the Atomic bomb to intimidate Stalin (which Stalin was aware of since there are theories that Stalin was informed about the Atomic bomb beforehand), as a result Stalin tightened the control over Eastern Europe and did not give way to US demands as Truman believed he would.

Another important factor to the division of Europe was the Yalta Agreement which took place in February 1945. With the reassigned borders of Poland and Stalin promising to hold free elections in Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe (based on Atlantic Charter). In addition, Germany and Berlin was divided into four zones (in Berlin these parts were called sectors) where the British, Soviets, Americans and French each possessed one, the same was agreed upon Austria and Vienna. The significance of this was that the division of Berlin and Germany into sectors and zones was already shaping the division of Europe into two hostile sides, this also was to lead to the hostilities of the Berlin blockade.

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