U.S. allied with the Soviet Union during the war, but the way the war was fought continued to build distrust.

· Soviet Union felt they had been the major force in conquering the Nazis and should have a great role in determining the nature of the post-war world.

· Soviet Union suffered 60x U.S. losses: 70,000 villages lost, 20 million soldiers died and 8 million civilians-- (U.S.: 400,000 died);

· Soviets fought the European front alone until 1944. They had called for earlier U.S. deployment of troops to a second front in Europe, but U.S. and Britain had held back--this meant that the Soviet Union had suffered more losses, and until 1944 with the major front against the powerful German army. Stalin believed that this was intentional, and that the U.S. and Britain had hoped that the Nazis would overrun the U.S.S.R.

· Those who win the war think they should have control over the nature of the settlement. Because the Soviet Union felt that they had sacrificed the most to save Europe from fascism, they wanted certain guarantees in the Postwar

“SPHERE OF INFLUENCE”

· Based on this, from 1943-1945, FDR recognized Soviet role in defeat of fascism, and agreed in talks during the war that Soviet Union could have influence in certain areas where they had conquered fascism. Agreed to a “sphere of influence” concept between big powers- Great Britain, S.U. , U.S. That meant that in eastern Europe, the Soviet Union would be able to oversee elections, whereas in Greece, Italy and other fronts that the British and the U.S. contributed most to winning victory over fascism, Britain and the U.S. would oversea elections and reestablishment of government.

· Meanwhile, because most of the horrors of war for U.S. troops had taken place in Japan in 1944, the U.S. and Britain counted on pledge by Stalin to invade Japan. The Soviets due to invade Japan on August 8, 1945. The U.S. planned to invade on November 1, 1945. The U.S. estimate for U.S. casualties was 40,000

· FDR did not brief Truman about any of this, nor about the bomb’s existence. Truman comes into office in April of 1945, and relies extensively on Secretary of State Byrnes’ advice. Thrust into major world decisions without any foreign policy background. Truman daughter, Margaret, wrote later that her “father’s overriding concern in these first weeks was our policy toward Russia.” Truman’s diary and memoirs reveal that he was thinking more about Russia than Japan. Truman was negotiating with the Soviets about what would happen in Poland in the postwar. Historically, Polan had been the “corridor” for aggressors to invade Russia. Stalin noted, “Twice in the last 30 years, our enemies, the Germans, have passed through this corridor,” The Soviets were occupying Poland, and determined to keep out any anti-Soviet influence from control of Poland in the post-war. James Byrnes was fiercely opposed to this. Thus, even while the Soviet Union was an ally, some in U.S. were seeing new battlelines drawn, and Poland was the key.

JAPAN at the end of the war

· Japan was seeking a way to negotiate a conditional surrender after its defeat in Okinawa in June. On June 29 the U.S. Joint Chiefs of staff were already discussing plans for the occupation of Japan. They suggested that the entry of the Soviet Union would bring defeat. Peace advocates had gained 2 key positions in government. These were already asking the Soviet Union to help negotiate a peace treaty. The only concern was whether or not surrender would require the abolition of the emperor system. The U.S. had popularized the war aim of ‘unconditional surrender”, which was a war slogan, not a policy. While insiders like Churchill and Roosevelt had been present at previous meetings like Yalta, and understood that it was mainly a rallying cry rather than a policy, Truman took the term literally.

· Anti-asian prejudice was intense in American society. Was there previously (recall exclusion from citizenship). After Pearl Harbor, intensified. In Europe, the enemy was identified as Hitler and the Nazis, not the German people. IN the Pacific, American anger was aimed at the “Japs”, and Japanese were depicted as demons, monkey race, savages, beasts.

II. Bomb was means of “Atomic Diplomacy”.

· Bomb as new weapon means U.S. has leverage to construct the postwar according to its plans rather than having to make deals with the Soviet Union as co-victors in the war. Bomb usually considered to be aimed at ending war with Japan, but much evidence against this, evidence that existed already in 1947

· New evidence suggests that reason for dropping was as lever against Soviet Union. Bomb was the ultimate weapon of larger campaign whose strategy was “bomb and burn them until they quit.” FDR ignored scientists who feared that by not sharing knowledge with Soviets, it would ignite arms race. Truman, who did not know of the weapon before becoming President after FDR’s death, quickly sees the bomb as leverage against Soviet Union claims in the postwar. Believed that once the immense power of the bomb was demonstrated the Soviets would “fall like jelly” and agree to the U.S.’ post-war territorial terms of power suggested in liberated Europe. Now, Truman and key aides became anxious to drop the bomb on Japan before the Russians invaded as agreed earlier. Truman sees atomic bomb as a critical lever of influence in all postwar relations. Secretary of State Byrnes believed it “would put us in a position to dictate our own terms.”