NOTES OUTLINE

DIRECTIONS:

Use the chart below to assist you in organizing your thoughts as you proceed through this
week’s readings. Be sure to complete notes for each of the sources shared with you. You’ll
notice there are “extra” rows included. Feel free to add any additional sources if you find
something that interests you. The extras are NOT required.
Guiding Questions:
 What agreements were made as a result of the end of the war? What lasting effects do
these agreements have?
 What were the Nuremberg Trials? What were its lasting effects?
 What is the United Nations? How is it structured and why was it created?

Source (What were Key Points (What ideas did the
you reading or author emphasize? What takeaways
watching?) do you have after reading or
watching?)
 Yalta conference: feb 1945,
End of WWII and FDR, Churchill, Stalin meet to
Division of Europe discuss reorganization of
Europe after WWII
 FDR wanted Soviets to join
UN, immediate support
against Japan
 Churchill wanted free
elections or democratic
regimes in central/eastern
Europe
 Stalin wanted Soviet influence
in Eastern Europe: conflicting
interests.
 Eventually decided: division
and punishment of Germany,
Stalin gains power over
Poland, USSR participates in
UN, enters war against Japan
 Stalin failed to hold his word
for free election in poland
 Potsdam agreement: taking
away Nazi power from
Germany w/ harsh conditions,
Reactions and Reflections
(What original thoughts and
insights do have after
reading/watching? Do you
agree or disagree with the
author? Can you expand on
any of the ideas presented?
Do you have questions? Any
connections, analogies,…)
How did the three leaders
come to an agreement
despite their conflicting
interests? Did the geographic
separation of Germany into
four regions feed tensions
between Allies and USSR?
How much did Stalin really
value his relations with the
Allies (i.e. he didn’t stick to
his word, nuclear arms race,
etc)?
 NOTES OUTLINE

prosecuting Nazis, reducing

size of Germany, etc
 US Bombings was also a
warning to Russia: started
nuclear arms race

Nuremberg trials  13 trials to prosecute Nazi war I saw an article that the
criminals Nuremberg Trails could
 Common charges = crimes possibly have been a
against peace, humanity, war reference to the story of the
crimes ten sons of Haman (ten Nazi
 Milestone toward permanent officials hung). Since the
international court, solid laws Nazis were known for making
on similar instances of twisted references to Jewish
genocide holidays, it’s interesting for
 Nazi genocide of Jewish this paper to theorize the
people = war crimes/crimes Allies doing the same.
against humanity
 Laws and procedures were
established ex post facto
(retroactively) which was a
very common defense for
Nazis in court
 Of course, the judges were
biased
 Also question of superior
order: should the punishment
be as harsh for people just
following orders?
The United Nations.  Created for international What made the UN stronger
peacekeeping, replacement for than the League of Nations?
League of Nations, founded in How did it stay together
1945 despite the Cold War?
 US, UK, USSR, China meet in
Washington dc to negotiate
UN
 US involvement in creation
marks rise of US to global
leadership
 UN bodies: secretariat =
administration/research,
General assembly = delegates
from countries/voting
assemblies, security
council=peaceful resolution,
 NOTES OUTLINE

economic social council,

international court of justice.
 Cold war interfered with UN
peacekeeping mission because
of USSR and US tensions,
stalled negotiations.
 Dozens of developing
countries in Africa, asia,
middle east joined UN so UN
started to help with
establishing independence as
well.