Aftermath of World War II from the USSR and West: immediate effects

 

The number of Soviet deaths in the Great Patriotic War was one of crucial historical numbers. In March 1989 arrived at a figure for Soviet losses of 26-27 million war deaths. This figure is basically an estimate of the excess deaths of the population of the USSR between 22 June 1941 and 31 December 1945. It includes people who were part of the Soviet population in June 1941 but had left the USSR by the end of 1945. It is an estimate of excess deaths during the war, rather than of deaths directly caused by the war, and hence naturally also includes victims of Soviet repression. Similarly, it also includes Soviet citizens who died in German service fighting partisans or the Soviet armed forces. Military losses give figure of 8.7 million people only includes the regular armed forces and the frontier troops and internal troops. The total number of medical losses was 18.3 million. Of these 15.2 million were injured, 3.0 million ill and 0.1 million frost-bitten. The 19 million non-combat deaths had a variety of causes: starvation in the siege of Leningrad; conditions in German prisons and concentration camps; mass shootings of civilians; harsh labor in German industry; famine and disease; conditions in Soviet camps; and service in German or German-controlled military units fighting the Soviet Union. [8]

Although the Soviet Union was victorious in World War II, its economy had been devastated in the struggle. Roughly a quarter of the country's capital resources had been destroyed, and industrial and agricultural output in 1945 fell far short of prewar levels. To help rebuild the country, the Soviet government obtained limited credits from Britain and Sweden but refused assistance proposed by the United States under the economic aid program known as the Marshall Plan. Instead, the Soviet Union compelled Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe to supply machinery and raw materials. Germany and former Nazi satellites (including Finland) made reparations to the Soviet Union. The Soviet people bore much of the cost of rebuilding because the reconstruction program emphasized heavy industry while neglecting agriculture and consumer goods. By the time of Stalin's death in 1953, steel production was twice its 1940 level, but the production of many consumer goods and foodstuffs was lower than it had been in the late 1920s. [9]

At the end of the war, millions of people were homeless, the European economy had collapsed, and much of the European industrial infrastructure had been destroyed. The Soviet Union, too, had been heavily affected. In response, in 1947, U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall devised the "European Recovery Program", which became known as the Marshall Plan. Under the plan, during 1948-1952 the United States government allocated US$13 billion for the reconstruction of Western Europe.

Europe's economies were recovering slowly, as unemployment and food shortages led to strikes and unrest in several nations. In 1947 the European economies were still well below their pre-war levels and were showing few signs of growth. Agricultural production was 83% of 1938 levels, industrial production was 88%, and exports only 59%. [10] In Germany in 1945–46 housing and food conditions were bad, as the disruption of transport, markets and finances slowed a return to normality. In the West, bombing had destroyed 5,000,000 houses and apartments, and 12,000,000 refugees from the east had crowded in. Food production was only two-thirds of the pre-war level in 1946–48, while normal grain and meat shipments no longer arrived from the East. Furthermore, the large shipments of food stolen from occupied nations during the war no longer reached Germany. Industrial production fell more than half and reached pre-war levels only at the end of 1949. [11]

While Germany struggled to recover from the destruction of the War, the recovery effort began in June 1948, moving on from emergency relief. The currency reform in 1948 was headed by the military government and helped Germany to restore stability by encouraging production. The reform revalued old currency and deposits and introduced new currency. Taxes were also reduced and Germany prepared to remove economic roadblocks.

During the first three years of occupation of Germany the UK and US vigorously pursued a military disarmament program in Germany, partly by removal of equipment but mainly through an import embargo on raw materials, part of the Morgenthau Plan approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. [12]

In the view of the State Department under President Harry S. Truman, the United States needed to adopt a definite position on the world scene or fear losing credibility. The emerging doctrine of containment (as opposed to rollback) argued that the United States needed to substantially aid non-communist countries to stop the spread of Soviet influence. There was also some hope that the Eastern Bloc nations would join the plan, and thus be pulled out of the emerging Soviet bloc, but that did not happen.

 

Сonclusion

 

The defeat of Nazi Germany and its allies in Europe and Asia, was achieved as a result of joint actions of the Soviet Union and its Western allies and the forces of the anti-fascist resistance. Paying tribute to all the fighters against fascism, we should recognize that the main contribution in the defeat of Hitler's Germany belongs to the Soviet Union. The historical and global significance of the Soviet victory in World War II is not only in the liberation of its territory, but also in the liberation of the peoples of Europe from fascist enslavement. It was under the blows of the Soviet forces that the defensive strategy of the Wehrmacht and the block the fascist states collapsed. By its scale Soviet-German front during the war was the chief one. It is here that the Wehrmacht had lost more than 73% of staff, up to 75% of tanks and artillery pieces, over 75% aviation.

The victory immeasurably increased the international prestige of the USSR, which has become a world power, without, which no longer could decide any important question could be decided.

After defeating the main forces of the fascist bloc, the Soviet people not only defended their freedom and sovereignty of the state, but also brought the release of hundreds of millions of people in Europe and Asia. Victory in the war not only contributed to the growth of sympathy among the peoples of the liberated countries and objectively contributed to the strengthening of the Stalinist political regime. The declared "victory of Stalin's genius," in real life, had a very different basis - unprecedented courage and heroism of the Soviet people. Patriotism is manifested in the creation of the People's Militia, volunteer battalions, regiments and divisions, a powerful guerrilla movement in the mass heroism at the front and selfless work in the rear.

Through the efforts of all anti-fascist forces the threat of enslavement by fascist powers was eliminated. The defeat of the German war machine was a complete disarmament, the elimination of monopolies and the military industry, banning Nazi parties and organizations. Germany and Berlin were divided temporarily into zones of occupation, East Prussia with the city of Konigsberg (Kaliningrad) transferred to the Soviet Union, defined the new western and eastern borders of Poland. The Western Allies were forced to accept the inclusion of the countries of Central and Southern Europe (except Austria), liberated by Soviet troops in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union. Soviet sphere of influence spread to China and North Korea. The Soviet leadership viewed the outcome of the war as a "victory of socialism", its economic and political system and seek to export this model to countries in Europe and Asia. As a result of these changes significantly improved the situation in most of the borders of the USSR. Since that time, the country was surrounded by mostly friendly state.

One of the main results of the war was a new geopolitical situation. This new situation is characterized by growing confrontation between the leading powers of the capitalist world (of which confirmed the primacy of the US) and the Soviet Union, extend the influence of a number of countries in Europe and Asia. The war, which had used the most sophisticated weapons, including atomic, caused the rise of pacifist sentiment and the struggle for peace. Victory in the war foiled danger of the spread of fascism, but caused a new confrontation between the two former allies, will soon put the world on the brink of a new war, the now nuclear. The main lesson of the World War II has not been learned by the heads of the leading world powers.

The World War II left a mark on the whole history of not only Russia but also the world. It was defeated by fascism, fascist aggressors surrendered, fascist parties were banned, fascist ideology - condemned.

For the second time in the XX century, Russia was in a state of full-scale war with Germany. Once again, such a turn of events has brought suffering to the people. The price paid for the victory of the peoples of the Soviet Union was extremely high.

The Western democracies, as if recognizing the communist totalitarian regime was an internal affair of the country went into an alliance, on the one hand, to use the vast resources of the Soviet Union to fight Hitler, on the other hand - to neutralize Stalin's future political arena. One of the main results of the war has become a new geopolitical situation. It is characterized by the increase of confrontation between the powers of the capitalist world and the Soviet Union, when extended its influence on a number of European and Asian countries where the government came to power oriented towards Moscow. The world is becoming for many years "bipolar", focusing around the two superpowers - the USA and the USSR.

 

Glossary

 

A

 

1. Abandon оставлять

2. Administer назначать

3. Admittedly по общему согласию

4. Aggressors агрессоры

5. Agenda повестка дня

6. Agreement соглашение

7. Aid помощь

8. Airmen летчики

9. Allies союзники

10. Allocated выделено

11. Annexed присоединены

12. Apparent явный

13. Arc дуга

14. Assault штурм

15. Atrocities зверства

 

B

 

16. Banning запрещение

17. Battleship боевой корабль

18. Bay бухта

19. Bipolar двухполюсной

20. Bombers бомбардировщики

21. Boundaries границы

 

C

 

22. Campaign кампания

23. Chief основной

24. Clearly очевидно

25. Coastal береговой

26. Collaborationist коллаборационистский

27. Commander командующий

28. Commitment обязательство

29. Commonwealth содружество

30. Compelled вынужден

31. Condemned осуждено

32. Conditions условия

33. Confrontation противостояние

34. Conjunction соединение

35. Consumer потребительский

36. Contribution вклад

37. Convened проходила

38. Courage отвага

39. Credibility достоверность

40. Crowded заполнили

41. Сulprit преступник

 

D

 

42. Deck палуба

43. Declaration декларация

44. Defeat поражение

45. Defense защита

46. Defined определены

47. Demand требование

48. Deportations депортации

49. Deprivation лишение

50. Decision решение

51. Desperate отчаянный

52. Detachments отряды

53. Disarmament разоружение

54. Disruption разрушение

55. Doctrine доктрина

56. Dominion владычество

 

E

 

57. Economies экономики

58. Eliminated устранены

59. Embargo эмбарго

60. Emerging возникновение

61. Emphasized акцентированный

62. Empire империя

63. Enslavement порабощение

64. Equipment оснащение

65. Establishment установление

 

F

 

66. Famine голод

67. Fascist фашистский

68. Fighters сражающиеся

69. Firebombed зажигательные бомбы

70. Flank фланг

71. Foodstuffs продовольствие

72. Forces вооруженные силы

73. Formalized оформил

74. Frontier рубеж

75. frost-bitten обмороженный

 

G

 

76. gains выгоды

77. Geopolitical геополитический

78. Goals цели

79. Government правительство

80. government-in-exile правительство в изгнании

81. Guerrilla партизанский

 

H

 

82. Harsh тяжелый

83. Hastily спешно

84. Hostilities военные действия

 

I

 

85. Immeasurably несоизмеримый

86. Incendiary зажигательный

87. Independence независимость

88. Influence влияние

89. Intelligence разведка

90. International международный

91. Internal внутренний

92. Invading вторжение

 

J

 

93. Join присоединиться

 

K

 

L

 

94. Leadership руководство

95. Liberated освобожденный

96. Losses потери

M

 

97. Major главный

98. Manifested выражался

99. Membership членство

100. Military военный

101. Мopping up зачистка

102. Mutually обоюдно

 

N

 

103. Nazi нацистский

104. Necessity необходимость

105. Neglecting пренебрегающий

106. Nuclear ядерный

 

O

 

107. Occupation оккупация

108. Оffensive наступление

 

P

 

109. Peace мир

110. Penetrate проходить

111. Peninsula полуостров

112. post–war послевоенный

113. pre-war довоенный

114. primacy первенство

115. principal ведущий

116. Provisional временное

117. Punishment наказание

118. Puppet state марионеточное государство

 

Q

119. Question вопрос

 

R

 

120. Rear тыл

121. Recovery восстановление

122. Regarded рассматривалось

123. Regiment полк

124. Refugees беженцы

125. Release освобождение

126. Remnants остатки

127. Reparations репарации

128. Repatriated репатриированный

129. Repression репрессии

130. Reshuffled переставлены

131. Resistance сопротивление

132. Revalued переоценены

133. Rollback отмена

 

S

 

134. Sacrificing жертвуя

135. Satellites сателлиты

136. Security Council Совет Безопасности

137. Seizing захват

138. Selfless самоотверженный

139. Sentiment настроение

140. Service служба

141. Shipments отправки

142. Shootings расстрелы

143. Shortages нехватка

144. Signed подписаны

145. Significance значение

146. Siege блокада

147. Soil территория

148. Sophisticated сложный

149. Southwestward юго-западное направление

150. Sovereignty суверенитет

151. Starvation голодание

152. Strengthening укрепление

153. Struck поражать

154. Struggle борьба

155. Suffering страдания

156. Surrender капитуляция

 

T

 

157. Taxes налоги

158. Totalitarian тоталитарный

159. Transferred переданы

160. Troop отряд

 

U

 

161. Unconditionally безоговорочно

162. Unemployment безработица

163. Unit подразделение

164. Unprecedented беспрецедентный

 

V

 

165. Victims жертвы

166. Volunteer добровольческий

 

W

 

167. Weapon вооружение

168. Wehrmacht вооруженные силы нацистской Германии

169. Whitewash скрыть недостатки

170. Wholesale массовая

171. Wartime период войны

 

Z

 

172. Zones зоны

 

 

List of sources used

 

1. The Soviet-German War 1941-1945: Myths and Realities: A Survey Essay by David M. Glantz. [Electronic resource] / Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs Clemson University October 11, 2001. – P. 85-94. – Mode of access: http://sti.clemson.edu/publications-mainmenu-38/publications-library/cat_view/33-strom-thurmond-institute/153-sti-publications-by-subject-area/158-history. - Date of access: 14.11.2015.

2. Berthon, Simon; Potts, Joanna. Warlords: An Extraordinary Re-creation of World War II Through the Eyes and Minds of Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin / Berthon, Simon; Potts, Joanna. Da Capo Press, 2007. - 384 pages

3. Telegram, President Roosevelt to the British Prime Minister, Washington, 11 March 1945, in United States Department of State, Foreign Relations of the United States [Electronic resource] / Diplomatic Papers: 1945 Volume V, Europe (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1967), pp. 509-510. – Mode of access:http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgibin/FRUS/FRUSidx?type=turn&entity=FRUS.FRUS1945v05.p0007&id=FRUS.FRUS1945v05&isize=text. - Date of access: 14.11.2015.

4. Black, Cyril E.; English, Robert D.; Helmreich, Jonathan E.; McAdams, James A. Rebirth: A Political History of Europe since World War II / Black, Cyril E.; Robert D.; Helmreich, Jonathan E.; McAdams, James A. Westview Press, 1999. - 720 pages.

5. Miscamble, Wilson D. From Roosevelt to Truman: Potsdam, Hiroshima, and the Cold War. / Wilson D. Miscamble, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2008. - 416 pages.

6. David M. Glantz. August Storm: The Soviet 1945 Strategic Offensive in Manchuria / David M. Glantz, Leavenworth Papers No. 7, Combat Studies Institute, 1983, Kansas, Fort Leavenworth. – 308 pages.

7. Beevor, Antony. The Second World War / A.Beevor. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2012. – 863 pages.

8. Michael Ellman & S. Maksudov. Soviet Deaths in the Great Patriotic War: A Note / Michael Ellman & S. Maksudov // Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 46, No. 4, 1994. - p. 671-680

9. Glenn E. Curtis, ed. Russia: A Country Study, Washington: Library of Congress, 1996 [Electronic resource] / Washington: Library of Congress. – Mode of access: http://countrystudies.us/russia/12.htm. - Date of access: 14.11.2015.

10. Hogan, Michael J. The Marshall Plan: America, Britain, and the Reconstruction of Western Europe, 1947–1952. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. - 500 pages.

11. Alan S. Milward, The Reconstruction of Western Europe: 1945–51 / Alan S. Milward, University of California Press, 1984. - 528 pages

12. Price, Harry Bayard. The Marshall Plan and Its Meaning [Electronic resource] / Price, Harry Bayard, Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1955. - Р. 264. – Mode of access: http://marshallfoundation.org/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2014/05/The_marshall_Plan_and_its_Meaning.pdf - Date of access: 14.11.2015.