Potsdam conference

I was actually wrong about the Potsdam Conference and the view of Stalin during it. It is an opinion that he didn't trust the USA already because of the atomic bomb that they only told him on the spot but had been developing for years. He knew about it from his spies but he didn't betray anything... Got this from the Manhattan project website:

"Truman approached Stalin without an interpreter and, as casually as he could, told him that the United States had a "new weapon of unusual destructive force." Stalin showed little interest, replying only that he hoped the United States would make "good use of it against the Japanese." The reason for Stalin's composure became clear later: Soviet intelligence had been receiving information about the atomic bomb program since fall 1941. "

The Manhattan Project is the name they gave to the research and development of the atomic bomb. This website is worth to check out: http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/potsdam_decision.htm

It has detailed stuff about what was happening just before the dropping of the bombs. Cool sources too!

Many people have pointed to Potsdam as the start of the Cold War. Yalta in 1945 was where they set the tone for the future of Europe and Russia agreed to war against Japan but it was at Potsdam when these discussions continued that fissures emerged. Truman was more suspicious then Roosevelt and things they clashed with Russia was the future of Poland and the eastern European states as well as how to treat Germany. Russia wen on to instill communist leaders in Russia hence gaining distrust over their true intentions.

I think that Russia did want to spread their influence but also did so to ensure a buffer and allies in the face of America aggressively recruiting allies through the Marshall Plan, Nato and other schemes. The way America acted, it seemed they openly distrusted Russia and was building might against them. Russia acted like wise. Hence : The Cold War.

Oh and there's an interesting and great comic out there called The WatchMen. Must read if you can get your hands on it.