Why didn't the West agree to the Stalin Note?

>>3390575
>relax guy, take a load off, let the Germans "decide" their "own" economic policies and have "fair" elections. Come on buddy, just look at Eastern "Germany" and how they "freely" elected their leaders

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Czechoslovak_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
>don't worry, just let them have free elections

>>3390575
>guarantees for "the rights of man and basic freedoms, including freedom of speech, press, religious persuasion, political conviction, and assembly" and free activity of democratic parties and organizations
sure

>>3390575
1. People didn't think it was genuine
2. They didn't actually want a Neutral Germany, they wanted a pro-NATO germany.

>All occupation forces were to be withdrawn within one year following the date on which treaty came into effect.
Seems legit, Joseph, lets do that.

>>3390575
He wanted to keep his troops in eastern Germany so go figure.

>>3390617
>>3390624
>>3390629
>>3390631
>>3390639
>>3390641
Well obviously Stalin didn't give a crap about freedom or self-determination, but what I don't understand is why the West would have any fear that an independent Germany would fall under Soviet sway. Didn't the Germans largely fear the Soviets a lot more than they feared the West?

>>3390657
>but what I don't understand is why the West would have any fear that an independent Germany would fall under Soviet sway.

They didn't want a neutral Germany. Neutral Germany is what Stalin wanted because that means NATO is less on his fucking doorstep. I'd say not on his doorstep but they still were, but it's not like he's worried about them coming over the fucking caucuses.

>>3390657
Stalin rolling the tanks in was the main concern.

File: cold_war_map.jpg (192KB, 800x381px) Image search: [Google]

192KB, 800x381px

>>3390657
It means NATO is giving up 3 times as much land as the USSR in Central Europe.

>>3390575
Well for Germans it meant that they are definetely going to lose Saarland and Eastern Prussia, and they still hoped that they would get those territories back eventually (like they got back Saarland in 1955).
Also, nobody trusted Stalin, he might just want to prepare a total takeover of Germany or something.

The West had like zero incentive to do that. NATO controlled like 75% of germany, so why would they give that advantage within germany up?
Also, would Germany have been neutral, the SU and Germany would trade with each other, which also means technology transfer from Germany to SU, which was a big no-go.

>>3390668
What was the name of the French and British equivalents of "Checkpoint Charlie"?

well if the soviets still have their border up to germany they would be better off just on a map

>>3390575

It should be fucking obvious why. Whats a mystery is why you choose to make a thread about it.

Even if I was Stalin and the allies proposed that plan to me I would have been highly suspect.

>>3390575
because when Harry Truman read the note, he literally said "why did he mean by this?"

>>3390575
In soviet speak netural means suck soviet dick all the time. Just look at Finland as an example, any sign of them moving too close to the west and the soviet diplomats keeps asking them do they need help with the capitalist problem.
Basically how the interpet that note was just Stalin asking the allies to leave germany so they could have another puppet state for themselves.