Potsdam Conference
1945
“The United States never lost a war
or won a conference.”
- Will Rogers
Contents
Historical Background…..…….…..…..…..…..…..………. 1
Main Topic……………………………………………..…………. 3
Austria………..………..………..………..……………...………..………….. 3
Sudetenland………..………..………..………..…………..…..…………… 4
Alsace-Lorraine and the Saar…………………………………………… 5
Poland………..………..………..……..………..………..…………………… 6
Dutch Claims………..………..………..……………...…………………….. 6
Questions to Consider………..………..………..……….……..………… 7
Subtopic A: Denazification…………………….……………. 7
Questions to Consider………..……….……..………..……….…………. 7
Subtopic B: Japan..………..………..………..……..………… 7
Questions to Consider………..……….……..………..……….…………. 7
Delegate Positions………..…….………..……..…………….. 8
Bibliography…….…….…….…….…….…….………….…….. 15
Historical Background
For the first time in over a hundred and fifty years, Germany and France
are no longer major players in Europe. Also unique to this era is the willingness
of the United States, a traditionally isolationist power, to permanently commit
itself to the peace and security of Europe. Today, Europe is dominated by the
three powers represented in the upcoming conference in Potsdam: the United
Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States.
The key to understanding the consequences of this Second World War lie
in the historical examples of the 19th Century. The Congress of Vienna established
an order in Europe that eventually led to the rise of Prussia, a German Kingdom,
as a powerful state.
1
Alsace-Lorraine
Image Credit: Bronx
Community College
Image Credit: Truman
Library
The seeds for
the last two great
wars of our century
were sown in the
circumstances
surrounding the
unification of
Germany. Prussia,
by far the most
powerful German
state, sought to
amalgamate the
German people into
a union. 2 The two
greatest obstacles
to Prussian
ambition were the
state of Austria,
which
encompassed much
of South Central Europe, and the French, who held the territory of AlsaceLorraine 3. The Prussians first waged the Austro-Prussian War to secure power
over the South German states and subsequently defeated the French to obtain
control of the historically and ethnically German territory of Alsace-Lorraine. 4
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Congress of Vienna", accessed February 01, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/628086/Congress-of-Vienna.
2 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Franco-German War", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/216971/Franco-German-War.
3 Ibid
4 Ibid
1
1
The fate of Alsace-Lorraine remained in the French minds for decades,
fueling the need for revenge. 5 Similarly, on the Prussian side, the newly formed
Germany resented the fact that their victory was not as absolute as they had
wished. The ethnically German territories in Austria and the Sudetenland
remained outside the Kaiser of Germany’s control.
The seeds sown during the Franco-Prussian War took root during the Great War
(1914-1918) roughly thirty years ago. With the victory of the Allied powers,
territorial modifications in Europe took effect. France retook Alsace-Lorraine and
the Treaty of Versailles created the state of Poland out of Germany’s eastern
territories. 6
The war also saw the collapse
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after
the Treaties of Trianon and Saint
Germain, which created the
independent state of Austria. 7
In the East, the Bolshevik
Revolution took hold in the volatile
post-war climate of Russia. The Russia
weakened by civil war signed a
separate peace treaty with Imperial
Germany in 1918, the Treaty of BrestLitovsk. The treaty forced the Soviet
Union to free the Baltic republics of
Interbellum
Poland
Image Credit: David.
Aeschliman
Collapsed
Austria-Hungary
Image Credit:
AlphaCentauri
Ibid
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "World War I", accessed February 02, 2013, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/648646/World-War-I
7 Ibid
5
6
2
Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. The Soviet Union has sense reclaimed these
territories. Throughout this war, the Russians have been a crucial part of the war
effort to remove Hitler from power. 8
Main Topic:
Territorial Changes in Germany
Germany annexed or invaded numerous territories before and during the
war, and now it will fall to the Potsdam delegates to decide these territories’ fate.
Austria
Hitler’s first territorial acquisition was the Anschluss (Annexation) of Austria in
1938. The allies, before the war, recognized this Anschluss as a legal annexation
but the fate of this territory after the war is questionable. 9
Austria is currently under military occupation by the Allied powers.
Towards the end of the War, the Soviet Union established a regime under the
leadership of native Austrian Karl Renner. Renner is a veteran politician who was
the Chancellor of Austria soon after the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. 10 Austria is still technically and legally a part of Germany but the Renner
government is determined to establish its independence from any organized
German government. 11
Austria
in 1936
Image Credit: United
States Holocaust
Memorial Museum
Ibid
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Anschluss", accessed February 01, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/
26730/Anschluss.
10 Ibid
11 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Karl Renner", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/498156/Karl-Renner.
8
9
3
The Renner government is currently in control of parts of Eastern Austria.
The West is under the control of the militaries of the United Kingdom, France,
and the United States.
Sudetenland
Similar to Austria, the Sudetenland was a German acquisition before the war. The
Sudetenland is a territory in what was formerly Czechoslovakia that has
historically contained German residents. Germany, led by Hitler, claimed this
land as it predominantly contained Germans. This land was awarded to Germany
in the Treaty of Munich to which France and Britain were signatories. Despite
this settlement, Germany divvied up what remained of Czechoslovakia between
itself, Hungary, and a puppet regime in Slovakia. 12
The advancing Soviet armies and their allies in Hungary have already
arranged for the return of Slovak lands to Czechoslovakia. 13
Today, there are over 400,000 Germans in the Sudetenland with an
uncertain fate. The local Czech and Slovak population severely resents the
Germans and many significant incidents of violence have broken out in the last
few weeks. 14To complicate matters further, the Czechoslovak Government-inExile has reclaimed the lands lost to Germany and has encouraged agitation
against the German population.
The delegates at Potsdam will need to consider the fate of these Germans,
the controller of these lands, and in what manner any changes will take place.
Pre-Munich
Sudetenland
Image Credit: United
States Holocaust
Memorial Museum
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Sudetenland", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/571568/Sudetenland.
12
13
14
Ibid.
Ibid.
4
Alsace-Lorraine
and the Saar
After the Germans occupied France in 1940, Alsace-Lorraine, a perennial
problem in Franco-German relations, was informally annexed to Germany.
While the French have already reestablished control over Alsace-Lorraine,
they are calling for more territory for themselves. The French are calling for a
French-ruled protectorate in the German Saar region to prevent any future
German aggression. The Saar region is the region west of the Rhine within
Germany, not including Alsace-Lorraine. France states they will eventually return
the territory after Germany has been rehabilitated but factions within the French
government talk of permanently annexing the region in order to cripple Germany
and ensure France remains relevant on the world stage. 15
The Saar Region
Image Credit:
Wikimedia.org
The German allies the Western Allies intend to lead a post-war Germany
includes individuals such as Konrad Adenauer. These Germans generally object
to this proposition. The Saar is part of Germany’s most vital industrial base, the
Rhine valley. Economists also predict that for Germany to have a recovery,
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Alsace-Lorraine", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/17404/Alsace-Lorraine.
15
5
industry in regions such as the Saar must be brought back to operational
capacity. Industrialization might also reduce the possibility of dissent in
Germany. 16
Poland
Dutch Claims
Plans for
Dutch Claims
Image Credit:
Tubantia
Poland was given independence after the Great War, carved out of German and
Russian territory. The region has also been an integral part of the war just fought;
the western allies declared war when Hitler invaded Poland. Between 1939 and
1941, Eastern Poland was annexed by the Soviet Union while parts of Western
Poland were annexed by Germany. 17 The Soviet Union, in its drive towards
Berlin, has created a Polish government to administer the Polish areas. The
previous conference at Yalta has already given the Soviet Union the authority to
create a Polish government with communist leanings but this came with the
promise of elections once the war is over. 18
The Soviet Union has also claimed significant areas in Eastern Germany
for Poland. These territories are inhabited by millions of Germans who will be
forcibly expelled west.
Poland today does not look like it has a democratic future despite Soviet
assurances to the contrary. The Soviet Army is still stationed in this state and
Communist influences are slowly entrenching in Poland. The promises made at
Yalta are important factors to consider when discussing what happens over the
next few weeks at Potsdam.
The Netherlands, under the Bakker Schut plan, intends on annexing German
territory that borders the Dutch nation. The allies have stated they are open to
suggestion but have taken no action to enforce Dutch claims.
While these territories are German and have been German for centuries,
the Dutch leadership claims they are required in order to compensate the
Netherlands for damages caused during the war and to provide more security for
the Dutch people.
The debate within
the Netherlands
primarily concerns
three levels of
annexation
detailed in the map
below. Of the three
plans, A is the most
ambitious. B and C
are currently
discussed as
compromises that
might be more
amenable to the
international
community.
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Alsace-Lorraine", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/17404/Alsace-Lorraine.
17 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Poland", accessed February 01, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/
466681/Poland/28215/World-War-II.
18 Ibid.
16
6
Questions to Consider:
In what way will German annexations in Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, and
Poland be dealt with?
• Will the Dutch, French, and Poles be accommodated in their calls for German
territory?
• What will Poland’s post-war borders be and who will lead Poland?
• Will Germany be partitioned? And if so, what will the new borders be? To what
extent will the major powers influence a post-war Germany?
•
Subtopic A: Denazification
While the German government has surrendered unconditionally and
Germany is under military occupation, local governments are still largely German
run. The last decade of Nazi rule has replaced virtually all-local administration
with loyal members of the Nazi party. The German public is very much
dissatisfied with Nazi rule and is in the process of forcing them out of office.
Nevertheless, many prominent Nazis accused of war crimes are still in Germany
in hiding.
There are also a significant number of leaders of Germany in custody
including Hermann Göring, the leader of the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe),
who is accused of war crimes in the bombing of civilian targets. Other important
Germans in custody include Karl Donitz, the leader of Germany after Hitler’s
death, and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the most senior surviving leader of the
Schutzstaffel (SS) and Gestapo.
Questions to Consider:
•
•
To what extent will Germany be rid of Nazi influences?
Will German war criminals be tried? And if so, in what kind of courts?
Subtopic B: Japan
At Yalta, the Soviet Union promised to join the war against Japan after the fall of
Germany. A state of war between Japan and the Soviet Union doesn’t currently
exist much to the chagrin of the United States and the United Kingdom. Many
within the ruling elite of the United States and the United Kingdom point to this
lack of Soviet participation as Soviet apathy at best and malice at worst. President
Truman and Prime Minister Churchill have instructed delegates of the Untied
States and the United Kingdom to secure Soviet help in the Pacific as quickly as
possible.
Question to Consider:
•
Will the Soviet Union open a new front against Japan in the East? If so, under
what timeframe will this take place?
7
Delegate Positions
The United
Kingdom
The British Cabinet is in a precarious state; the wartime alliance between the
Conservative and Labour parties has come undone. Prime Minister Winston
Churchill leads the government but elections are underway. During the course of
this conference, the results of the election will potentially change the composition
of the delegation or the role of each delegate. The actions of American, Russian,
and especially British delegates will influence potentially the outcome of the
election.
Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
First Sea Lord and Admiral of the Fleets
Andrew Cunningham is the Admiral of the Fleets of the Royal Navy and the First
Sea Lord. Known within the service by his nickname, ABC, Andrew Cunningham
is currently tasked with securing the oceans and helping supply allied armies in
Europe. ABC is also involved in preparations for the war in the Pacific that
continues today. 19 He is also currently responsible for returning the Empire’s
armies home in preparation for the coming peace. 20
The Right Honourable, Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon
His Brittanic Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Anthony Eden began his term in the current government as the Secretary of State
for Dominion Affairs but was made Secretary of State for War in 1940 during the
invasion of France. 21 Eden transitioned to the Foreign Office and was a key
decision maker in the political aspect of the war. Eden is a critic of the British
reliance on American aid and has a close relationship with Charles de Gaulle, defacto leader of France. Eden is also strongly against any attempts by the west to
deindustrialize a post-war Germany through the use of the Morgenthau Plan. 22
Ernest Bevin
His Brittanic Majesty’s Minister of Labour and National Services
As the Minister of Labour and National Services, Ernest Bevin has led Britain’s
armament effort during the war. 23 He is a member of the Labour Party and
currently holds his position due to the coalition government formed by the
Conservative and Labour Parties. 24 Bevin draws most of his power due to his
close relationship with the leader of the Labour Party, Clement Attlee. Recently,
Bevin’s agenda has included applying his industrial expertise to determine how
(or if) Germany should be rebuilt and to what degree an international coalition
should be involved in this endeavor 25.
Encyclopædia Britannica’s Guide to Normandy 1994, Andrew Browne Cunningham, http://www.britannica.com/dday/
article-9344612
20 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Andrew Browne Cunningham", accessed February 02, 2013, http://
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1058752/Andrew-Browne-Cunningham/236151/Additional-Reading.
21 BBC History Online, Anthony Eden, accessed February 01, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/
eden_anthony.shtml
22 Ibid.
23 BBC History Online, Ernest Bevin, accessed February 01, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/
bevin_ernest.shtml
24 Ibid.
25 Ibid.
19
8
Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Commander in Chief of the British Army of the Rhine
Bernard Law Montgomery is perhaps most popular for his victories in North
Africa against the German general Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, the Desert
Fox. Montgomery, known amongst his troops as “Monty” and the “Spartan
General” commanded the bulk of the British Army during the invasion of
Continental Europe in the latter days of the war. 26 Montgomery’s influence has
waned in the last few months after the failure of Operation Market Garden, a
significant offensive that relied on parachuting troops. Nevertheless, the Spartan
General has significant influence in Britain’s forces in the region. 27
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee
His Brittanic Majesty’s Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Lord President of the Council
Clement Attlee is the leader of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom and is the
Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the Council. 28 He has been an ally
of Churchill and continuing the war effort despite the cost to Britain. But despite
this, disputes between the Conservative Party and the Labour Party over the last
few weeks have weakened Attlee’s position within his government. 29 For the
purposes of this conference, he will serve as the Deputy Prime Minister, awaiting
the results of the election. 30
Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth
His Brittanic Majesty’s Home Secretary
A member of the Labour Party, Herbert Morrison is one of the architects of the
Labour election campaign. 31 As Home Secretary, he is also responsible for
domestic affairs of the United Kingdom such as the return to a peacetime
economy. The Home Secretary is also tasked with matters of counter-intelligence.
During his tenure as a leader of domestic affairs in the United Kingdom,
Morrison was particularly opposed to socialist and communist groups operating
within the British Empire. 32
Charles Frederick Algernon Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Charles Portal was appointed Chief of the Air Staff in the final days of Britain. In
the aftermath of this bombing raid, he led modernization efforts of the Royal Air
Force and began the British strategic bombing campaign in earnest. 33 Charles
Portal has a very good relationship with the United States and was tasked with
coordinating the bombing raids of both the British and American air forces. 34 The
Marshal was a strong advocate of the carpet-bombing of German cities as
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery", accessed February 02,
2013, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/390952/Bernard-Law-Montgomery-1st-Viscount-Montgomery.
27 Ibid.
28 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Clement Attlee", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/42288/Clement-Attlee.
29 Ibid.
30 Ibid.
31 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison", accessed February 02, 2013, http://
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/393015/Herbert-Stanley-Morrison-Baron-Morrison.
32 Ibid.
33 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Charles Frederick Algernon Portal, 1st Viscount Portal", accessed February 02,
2013, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/471031/Charles-Frederick-Algernon-Portal-1st-Viscount-Portal.
34 Ibid.
26
9
opposed to specific military targets with the goal of reducing German morale and
industrial capacity. 35
The Right Honourable, Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of
Halifax
His Brittanic Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States
More commonly known as Lord Halifax, Ambassador Edward Wood has a long
and distinguished career. 36 After his early days in the military, he was named
Viceroy of India. Returning to Europe in 1935, Edward Wood took part in the
pre-war negotiations surrounding Hitler’s rise. Wood has been criticized for
being too lenient on Hitler as one of the architects of appeasement but was
appointed Foreign Secretary in 1938 nonetheless. 37 After an internal battle within
the Conservative Party against Winston Churchill, Wood was sent to the United
States in 1941 as His Majesty’s Ambassador. During his tenure as Ambassador,
his duties included securing supplies and aid from the United States and
organizing the American invasion of continental Europe. 38
Archibald Clark Kerr, 1st Baron Inverchapel
His Brittanic Majesty’s Ambassador to the Soviet Union
Archibald Kerr has spent most of the war in Moscow coordinating joint Allied
foreign policy towards the Axis powers and the aid the UK delivered to the Soviet
Union. With a pervasive view into the inner workings of Stalin’s machinery,
Ambassador Kerr has become a critic of Stalin’s expansionist ambitions. He has
lobbied for a UK-US policy to confront Russia and worries about the creation of
satellite states by the Soviet Union within central and Eastern Europe.
The Union of
Soviet
Republics
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union
First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union
Born in 1890, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov joined the Communist
movement at the early age of 15 in 1905. Molotov has been a part of the ruling
Soviet elite since the early days of the regime and is a close confidant of Stalin. 39
He is a ruthless figure, fully supporting (and surviving) Stalin’s purges. He is
perhaps most famous for the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression pact
between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Hitler’s reneging of the Pact lost
Molotov significant approval with the Soviet elite but the support of Stalin has
kept him in power. During the Tehran and Yalta conference, Molotov has
developed a reputation amongst the Western powers of being hard to work
with. 40
Ibid.
The Lord Halifax, Spartacus Educational, 2013, http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWhalifaxL.htm
37 Ibid
38 Ibid
39 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov", accessed February 02, 2013, http://
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/388488/Vyacheslav-Mikhaylovich-Molotov.
40 Ibid.
35
36
10
Nikolai Alekseevich Voznesensky
Chairman of the State Planning Committee of the Soviet Union
Nikolai Voznesenky has led the industrial development of the Soviet Union since
1938 during his tenure at the State Planning Committee of the Soviet Union 41.
Despite being a frank and dependable ally, a close friend of Stalin, he has made
enemies within the Soviet leadership. These enemies include Georgy Malenkov
and Lavrenty Beria. A primary concern of Voznesensky is the rebuilding of the
Soviet Union after a half-decade of war by any means necessary including the
cannibalization of German industry. 42
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commander of the Soviet Occupation Zone in Germany
Georgy Zhukov is perhaps the most capable military mind in the Soviet Union.
When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa in
1941, Georgy Zhukov, as the Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Union,
organized the defense of the Soviet Union. Marshal Zhukov led the forces that
captured Berlin and was present during German surrender. He commands
significant respect amongst the Soviet Army and, behind closed doors, is
discussed as a potential successor (or replacement) to Stalin.
Konstantin Rokossovsky
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commander of the 2nd Belyorussian Front
Konstantin Rokossovsky is a Soviet officer of Polish origin. He currently
commands the 2nd Belyorussian Front and holds a rivalry with Marshal Zhukov.
Rokossovsky’s armies are currently situated in Northern Germany across the
border from the British Field Marshal Montgomery’s forces. Since Rokossovsky is
of Polish origin, many postulate he will one day take a leadership role in a postwar Poland.
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Full Member of the Politburo
Popularly known as Kalinych within the Soviet Union, Mikhail Kalinin is
technically the head of state of the Soviet Union but is not nearly as powerful as
its true leader, Stalin. Mikhail Kalinin is an intellectual communist, truly
believing in the benefits of socialism, but is aware of the dangers of being a leader
in the modern Soviet Union 43. He has a rivalry with Lavrenty Beria, the director
of the NKVD, due in part to Beria’s arrest and internment of Kalinin’s wife in a
labor camp 44.
Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria
Minister of Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union
Lavrenty Beria controls the NKVD, the leading Soviet intelligence organization.
Through the NKVD, Beria was Stalin’s arm in committing the purges of the
41Voznesensky,
Nikolai A. University of Warwick, accessed February 02 2013, http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/
staff/academic/harrison/public/voznesensky2003.pdf
42 Ibid.
43 Prominent Russians, Russiapedia, accessed February 02, 2013, http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/leaders/
mikhail-kalinin/
44 Prominent Russians, Russiapedia, accessed February 02, 2013, http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/military/
konstantin-rokossovsky/
11
1930s. 45 Beria also controls the Gulag system from which he draws tens of
thousands of forced laborers to rebuild a Soviet Union devastated by war. This
position of power has also allowed Beria to convert his police forces into a
military organization. 46
Fedor Tarasovich Gusev
Ambassador to Great Britain
Fedor Gusev has spent the last ten years in the diplomatic corps and is intimately
familiar with the difficulties facing the most powerful Communist country in the
world. Between 1942 and 1943, he served as the Soviet Ambassador to Canada.
Since 1943, he has fulfilled the role of Soviet Ambassador to the Great Britain
with the goal of securing wartime supplies and preparing for post-war diplomatic
maneuvering. Ambassador Gusev has developed a reputation of being ruthless,
advancing the interests of the Soviet Union at all costs.
Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko
Ambassador to the United States
Andrei Gromyko, one of Stalin’s closest confidants, is perhaps the youngest
attendee at Potsdam. 47 At the tender age of 36, he has already served terms as
the Ambassador to Cuba and the United States. Like much of the Soviet elite, his
power is largely determined by his relationship to Stalin wherein lies his
advantage. 48With Stalin’s ear and his considerable expertise in foreign affairs,
Andrei Gromyko is a key figure in the Soviet Union’s foreign policy apparatus. 49
The United
States
Dwight David Eisenhower
Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces
Governor of the American Zone of Occupied Germany
Dwight D. Eisenhower is probably the most famous military commander in active
service. In 1943, Eisenhower was named Supreme Commander of the Allied
Forces in Western Europe 50, beating George Marshall who also coveted the
position. 51 After leading Operation Overlord (the invasion of Normandy), General
Eisenhower led the liberation of France and pushed into Germany. He is
currently serving as the Military Governor of the American Zone of Occupied
Germany. 52
James F. Byrnes
Secretary of State of the United States, Former Justice of the Supreme Court,
Former Senator from South Carolina
James F. Byrnes is the de-facto Secretary of State in the United States. Already
very influential in foreign policy during his Senate days, Byrnes led the Office of
War Mobilization during the war, which saw the armament of the United States
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/61899/Lavrenty-Pavlovich-Beria.
46 Ibid.
47 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko", accessed February 01, 2013, http://
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/246506/Andrey-Andreyevich-Gromyko.
48 Ibid.
49 Ibid.
50Dwight D. Eisenhower, History.com, last accessed February 02, 2013, http://www.history.com/topics/dwight-d-eisenhower
51 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Dwight D. Eisenhower", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/181476/Dwight-D-Eisenhower.
52 Biography, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, last accessed February 02, 2013, http://
www.dwightdeisenhower.com/biodde.html
45
12
in aid of the war effort. 53 During this period, Byrnes was a close confidant of
President Roosevelt, influential in matters of foreign policy. Since the
unfortunate demise of President Roosevelt, President Truman has appointed
Byrnes Secretary of State and is awaiting confirmation 54.
William Averell Harriman
United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union
William A. Harriman is a veteran of wartime conferences, having attended
Tehran and Yalta. At these conferences, Ambassador Harriman has shown a
tough stance towards the Soviet Union, a result of his experiences in Moscow 55.
When in Moscow, he coordinated the lend-lease aid that helped sustain the
Soviet war effort against the Germans. More recently, he has served as the liaison
between the American and Soviet delegation to Potsdam, wary of Soviet attempts
to strip Germany of its industry. He is also a very strong critic of allowing the
Soviet Union any power over Poland. 56
John Gilbert Winant
United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James
John G. Winant’s career as Ambassador began in order to facilitate American
lend-lease aid to the United Kingdom. 57 As Ambassador, he attempted to support
the United States’ isolationist attitudes but was forced to action by the bombing
of Pearl Harbor. 58 John Winant has a close personal relationship with Winston
Churchill and recognizes the limits of British power.
George Catlett Marshall Jr.
United States Army Chief of Staff
George Marshall, in his capacity as Army Chief of Staff, has been instrumental in
allied victory. He planned the invasion of Italy and narrowly lost the competition
between himself and Eisenhower to be appointed the Supreme Commander of
Allied Forces in Western Europe. 59 Working alongside Eisenhower, Marshall
coordinates American action within the Occupation Zone, especially in the
industrial sector. Understanding the threat of Communism to American interests,
George Marshall has indicated that a devastated Germany may fall to Communist
rebels unless rebuilt 60.
William Daniel Leahy
Fleet Admiral and Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief
Former US Ambassador to the State of France
Admiral Leahy represents the interest of the United States Navy at the Potsdam
Conference. Admiral Leahy has, in the past, served as Ambassador to State of
James F. Byrnes, Spartacus Education, last accessed February 02, 2013, http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/
USAbyrnesJ.htm
54 Ibid.
55 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "W. Averell Harriman", accessed February 01, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/255870/W-Averell-Harriman.
56 Ibid.
57 John G. Winant, New York Times 1993, accessed February 02, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/02/obituaries/johng-winant-jr-71-prisoner-of-germans-during-world-war-ii.html
58 Ibid.
59 General George C. Marshall, the American Experience, accessed February 02, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/
macarthur/peopleevents/pandeAMEX105.html
60 The Nobel Peace Prize 1953, Nobelprize.org, accessed February 02, 2013, http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/
laureates/1953/marshall-bio.html
53
13
France (Vichy France). 61 During this tenure, he kept the France collaborators
from fully siding with the Germans. The United States Navy is currently fighting
the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific Ocean and has a vested interest in
forcing the Soviet Union to declare war on Japan now that Germany lies
defeated 62.
Dean Acheson
Undersecretary of the United States Department of State
Dean Acheson’s tenure at the Department of State has almost entirely concerned
economic matters in recent years. 63 He first negotiated the Lend-Lease program
that helped re-arm Britain. Then he represented the United States at the Bretton
Woods Conference, which created the economic structure of the post-war
world. 64 More recently, Dean Acheson has vehemently opposed Soviet
domination of Eastern Europe and also advocates an American-led effort to
rebuild all of Europe 65.
Henry L. Stimson
United States Secretary of War
Despite being Republican, Henry L. Stimson has repeatedly found himself in the
cabinet of President Roosevelt and now, Truman. 66 As Secretary of War, Henry L.
Stimson oversaw much of America’s militarization and also has taken control
over certain secret weapons programs. Secretary Stimson is generally against
territorial gains made during wartime and favors a strong Germany capable of
keeping down any communist sympathies amongst its population 67.
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "William Daniel Leahy", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/333870/William-Daniel-Leahy.
61
William Daniel Leahy, Arlington Cemetary, accessed February 02, 2013, http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/wdleahy.htm
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Dean Acheson", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/3527/Dean-Acheson.
64 Ibid.
65 Biographies of the Secretaries of State, Department of State, accessed February 02, 2013, http://history.state.gov/
departmenthistory/people/acheson-dean-gooderham
66 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Henry L. Stimson", accessed February 02, 2013,http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/566387/Henry-L-Stimson.
67Ibid.
62
63
14
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