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6.

Liberated Europe

In even greater degree the same rule applied to the remainder of Eastern Europe, where the upper classes had generally collaborated with the Nazis, even to the extent of sending millions of their peasants into Russia as a part of Hitler's armies.

But at Yalta the conflicting expectations of East and West were merged into an agreement by the Big Three to assist all liberated countries in Europe `` to create democratic institutions of their own choice ''.

In any case `` here in their judgment conditions require '' ( italics added ) they would `` form interim governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishment through free elections of governments responsive to the will of the people ''.

Other similar affirmations in the Declaration on Liberated Europe seemed to assure democratic institutions on the Western model.

Later it developed that the Soviets had a very different interpretation of democracy, which will be discussed later, and their judgment never told them that the Big Three should unite in establishing democratic conditions, as we understand them, within their zone of influence.