Printed Page 938-0(cont.)
A History of Western Society: Printed Page 938
MAPPING THE PAST
Map 28.1 The Aftermath of World War II in Europe, ca. 1945–1950
By 1945 millions of people displaced by war and territorial changes were on the move. The Soviet Union and Poland took land from Germany, which the Allies partitioned into occupation zones. Those zones subsequently formed the basis of the East and West German states. Austria was detached from Germany and similarly divided, but the Soviets subsequently permitted Austria to reunify as a neutral state.
Question
ANALYZING THE MAP Which groups fled west? Who went east? How would you characterize the general direction of most of these movements?
Question
CONNECTIONS What does the widespread movement of people at the end of the war suggest about the war? What does it suggest about the ensuing political climate?