Wartime Tensions in the Grand Alliance
- Created by: Lizz2002
- Created on: 14-01-21 06:38
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- Wartime Tensions in the Grand Alliance
- The Grand Alliance
- Britain, USA, and Russia
- Britain had been fighting Germany alone from 1940-41 (with some monetary assistance from USA)
- USSR switched sides when they were invaded by Germany in June 1941
- The USA joined the war in December 1941, following the bombing of Pearl Habour
- The Second Front
- The USSR suffered losses in the millions when Germany invaded. They were taking heavy hits defending Moscow, Leningrad, and Stalingrad
- They wanted Britain and the USA to open a second front in Northern France to divide the Germans and relieve some pressure
- Britain thought this was too risky, especially after the failure of the 1942 raid on Dieppe
- They concentrated their efforts on North Africa, and Churchill wanted to attack via Italy
- A second front wasn't opened until 1944 D-day landings. Stalin was suspicious that the West wanted to greatly weaken the USSR so they wouldn't be involved in post-war discussions
- The USSR suffered losses in the millions when Germany invaded. They were taking heavy hits defending Moscow, Leningrad, and Stalingrad
- The Russian Advance, 1943-45
- The Germans failed at Stalingrad in Feb. 1943
- Russians went on the offensive and opened up the possibility of expansion into Europe
- In 1944, the USSR delayed their invasion of Warsaw, allowing the Germans to destroy the resistance
- It seemed like Stalin wanted the Polish patriots out of the way so Poland would be easier to control
- This followed the revelation that Soviet troops massacred Polish officers in Katyn Forest in 1940
- The Germans failed at Stalingrad in Feb. 1943
- Military Cooperation
- While supplies were shared with Russia, the USSR was still very separate from the West
- Relations between all members were strained:
- USA didn't like supporting the British Empire (they wanted free trade)
- Churchill feared Russian expansion and felt that the USA wasn't taking it seriously
- Stalin felt the West did not understand that Russian borne the brunt of the war and lost the most
- The Grand Alliance
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