Soviet troops → now controlled → most of Eastern Europe.
Red army → liberated countries of Eastern Europe from Germans
- but instead of withdrawing his troops → Stalin → left them there
By July 1945 → Stalin’s troops → effectively controlled → Baltic states, Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania
In particular → Poland → remained source of tension → among allies.
- Stalin → set up a communist govt in Poland → ignoring wishes of majority of Poles.
- also encouraged communists → in other states → to take power.
- Britain + US protested → as they saw Stalin’s actions → to be breaking agreements made during Yalta Conference Yalta Conference, Feb 1945 → which was to allow for free elections in Poland.
British → concerned → about USSR’s actions → in Poland:
- they had gone to war over the country in 1939
- However → Stalin → driven by his desire for security as Russia/USSR → had been invaded by Germany → twice in 30 years through Poland
- he insisted that his control of Eastern Europe → was a defensive measure → against possible future attacks