The Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference took place between February the 4th, 1945 and February the 11th, 1945 to discuss and come to an agreement of what would happen after the allies; Britain, the USA and the USSR, had won the war.
Who attended the meeting and what were their aims (and beliefs)?
US President, Franklin Roosevelt
- All European Countries occupied by the allies should have free and democratic elections after the war.
- Maintain good relations with the USSR
- Replace the League of Nations with a new United Nations.
British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
- Free and democratic elections, especially in Poland as many Polish soldiers had fought for Britain in the war.
- He believed Stalin wanted to take over Eastern Europe and spread communism.
General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin
- He was concerned about the Soviet Union's safety, so he wanted to make sure that the countries on it's borders were friendly to the USSR. This would mean suppressing free elections in these Eastern European countries.
- He wanted to keep the parts of Poland that the USSR had taken over as part of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
What agreements were made?
The unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany would be the main priority in the coming months.
The Division of Germany: The leaders agreed to divide Germany into four zones of occupation, each to be controlled by the Allied powers: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France.
Denazification: Germany would undergo demilitarisation and denazification and war criminals would be tried.
Reparations: German war reparations would partly be in the form of forced labour and a reparations council would be set up in the Soviet Union
Poland: Despite disagreements, the leaders agreed to allow Poland to hold free elections after the war and to recognize the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, which included both communist and non-communist members.
War against Japan: The Soviet Union pledged to enter the war against Japan within three months of Germany's surrender, which would eventually happen in August 1945.
United Nations: The concept of the United Nations (UN) was discussed and the aim was to create an international organization to maintain peace and security after World War II. Stalin committed to joining the UN.
Eastern Europe: The Soviet sphere of influence and control over Eastern Europe was recognized, leading to concerns about the spread of Soviet influence in the region.