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Yalta Conference

By: History.com Editors

Updated: November 1, 2022 | Original: October 29, 2009

The Yalta Conference was a meeting of three World War II allies: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt , British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin . The trio met in February 1945 in the resort city of Yalta, located along the Black Sea coast of the Crimean Peninsula. The “Big Three” Allied leaders discussed the post-war fate of defeated Germany and the rest of Europe, the terms of Soviet entry into the ongoing war in the Pacific against Japan and the formation and operation of the new United Nations.

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Tehran Conference

Prior to the Yalta Conference, the three leaders met in November 1943 in Tehran, Iran, where they coordinated the next phase of war against the Axis Powers in Europe and the Pacific.

At the Tehran Conference , the United States and Britain had committed to launching an invasion of northern France in mid-1944, opening another front of the war against Nazi Germany . Stalin, meanwhile, had agreed in principle to join the war against Japan in the Pacific after Germany was defeated.

By February 1945, as Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin gathered again at Yalta, an Allied victory in Europe was on the horizon. Having liberated France and Belgium from Nazi occupation, the Allies now threatened the German border; to the east, Soviet Union troops had driven back the Germans in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania and gotten within 40 miles of Berlin.

This put Stalin at a distinct advantage during the meeting at the Black Sea resort, a location he himself had proposed after insisting his doctors had barred him from traveling long distances.

Pacific War

While the war in Europe was winding down, Roosevelt knew the United States still faced a protracted struggle against Japan in the Pacific War, and wanted to confirm Soviet support in an effort to limit the length of and casualties sustained in that conflict. At Yalta, Stalin agreed that Soviet forces would join the Allies in the war against Japan within "two or three months" after Germany’s surrender.

In return for its support in the Pacific War, the other Allies agreed, the Soviet Union would gain control of Japanese territory it had lost in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, including southern Sakhalin (Karafuto) and the Kuril Islands.

Stalin also demanded that the United States grant diplomatic recognition of Mongolia’s independence from China: the Mongolian People’s Republic, founded in 1924, was a Soviet satellite.

WATCH VIDEO: FDR: The War Years

Division of Germany

At Yalta, the Big Three agreed that after Germany’s unconditional surrender, it would be divided into four post-war occupation zones, controlled by U.S., British, French and Soviet military forces. The city of Berlin would also be divided into similar occupation zones.

France’s leader, Charles de Gaulle , was not invited to the Yalta Conference, and Stalin agreed to include France in the post-war governing of Germany only if France’s zone of occupation was taken from the US and British zones.

The Allied leaders also determined that Germany should be completely demilitarized and “denazified,” and that it would assume some responsibility for post-war reparations, but not sole responsibility.

Poland and Eastern Europe

Stalin took a hard line on the question of Poland, pointing out that within three decades, Germany had twice used the nation as a corridor through which to invade Russia. He declared that the Soviet Union would not return the territory in Poland that it had annexed in 1939, and would not meet the demands of the Polish government-in-exile based in London.

Stalin did agree to allow representatives from other Polish political parties into the communist-dominated provisional government installed in Poland, and to sanction free elections there—one of Churchill’s key objectives.

In addition, the Soviets promised to allow free elections in all territories in Eastern Europe liberated from Nazi occupation, including Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

In return, the United States and Britain agreed that future governments in Eastern European nations bordering Soviet Union should be “friendly” to the Soviet regime, satisfying Stalin’s desire for a zone of influence to provide a buffer against future conflicts in Europe.

United Nations

At Yalta, Stalin agreed to Soviet participation in the United Nations , the international peacekeeping organization that Roosevelt and Churchill had agreed to form in 1941 as part of the Atlantic Charter . He gave this commitment after all three leaders had agreed on a plan whereby all permanent members of the organization’s Security Council would hold veto power.

Having discussed these key issues, the Big Three agreed to meet again after Germany’s surrender, in order to finalize the borders of post-war Europe and other outstanding questions.

“There is no doubt that the tide of Anglo-Soviet-American friendship had reached a new high,” wrote James Byrnes, who accompanied Roosevelt to Yalta, in his memoirs. Though Roosevelt and Churchill also considered the Yalta Conference an indication that their wartime cooperation with the Soviets would continue in peacetime, such optimism would prove to be short-lived.

Impact of the Yalta Conference

By March 1945, it had become clear that Stalin had no intention of keeping his promises regarding political freedom in Poland. Instead, Soviet troops helped squash any opposition to the provisional government based in Lublin, Poland. When elections were finally held in 1947, they predictably solidified Poland as one of the first Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe.

Many Americans criticized Roosevelt—who was seriously ill during the Yalta Conference and died just two months later—for the concessions he made at Yalta regarding Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and Northeast Asia.

President Harry Truman , Roosevelt’s successor, would be far more suspicious of Stalin that July, when the leaders of the Allied powers met again at the Potsdam Conference in Germany to hash out the final terms for ending World War II in Europe.

But with his troops occupying much of Germany and Eastern Europe, Stalin was able to effectively ratify the concessions he won at Yalta, pressing his advantage over Truman and Churchill (who was replaced mid-conference by Prime Minister Clement Attlee ).

In March 1946, barely a year after the Yalta Conference, Churchill delivered his famous speech declaring that an “ iron curtain ” had fallen across Eastern Europe, signaling a definitive end to cooperation between the Soviet Union and its Western allies, and the beginning of the Cold War .

READ MORE:  How the 'Big Three' Teed Up the Cold War at the 1945 Yalta Conference

The Yalta Conference 1945. Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State . Terry Charman, “How Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin Planned to End the Second World War.” Imperial War Museums , January 12, 2018. The End of World War II and the Division of Europe. Center for European Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .

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The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences

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Presentation on theme: "The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences"— Presentation transcript:

Origins of the Cold War Chapter 26 Section 1.

Section 1: Origins of the Cold War The Cold War Begins,

The Origins of the Cold War

The Second World War ( , the exhaustion of the Axis and the overwhelming power of the Allies )  At the end of 1941 the coalition or “Great Alliance”

American History Chapter 15 Section 1

The Cold War Begins Origins of the Cold War

The end of WW2 and the beginnings of the Cold War.

The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences Contention and Cooperation amongst the Titans.

Chapter 26 Section 1 Origins of the Cold War A Critical Year Differences at Yalta Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill were the people at Yalta –Germany.

Latter Years of the War. Turning Points By the beginning of 1943, battle begins to turn against the Axis Powers Allies cross the Mediterranean and carry.

26.1- Origins of the Cold War

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE COLD WAR

Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam Conferences Xina Lopez, Elizabeth Love, Juan Luevano.

“Peace Conferences of WW2” Thurs. April 26 th. Take out your NOTEBOOK: Write the title: “Peace Conferences of WW2” Annotate both PRIMARY SOURCES on your.

1 The Cold War US vs. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Democracy vs. Communism Capitalism vs. Socialism.

AP World History POD #25 – American Supremacy Unconditional Surrender.

SWBAT: explain how hopes of post-war peace slowly slipped away and created a new conflict between the US and USSR. Homework: None Do Now: It’s after WWII.

Section 1-Origins of the Cold War The Cold War Start at 1:25 Play to 1:38.

22.1 Notes Aftermath of the War in Europe. Wartime Conferences and Postwar Problems Victory over the Axis powers brought on a whole new set of problems.

WORLD WAR II THE EASTERN FRONT THE WAR ENDS IN EUROPE.

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What happened at the Yalta Conference in 1945 and how did it lead to the Cold War?

by World History Edu · March 8, 2024

The Yalta Conference, held from February 4 to February 11, 1945, was a pivotal meeting of the “Big Three” Allied leaders during World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Premier Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union.

The conference took place in the Livadia Palace near Yalta in Crimea. Its primary purpose was to discuss the reorganization of post-war Europe and establish a framework for the post-war world order, laying the groundwork for the United Nations and addressing issues related to the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and the continuation of the war against Japan.

Brief History of World War II

Key Outcomes of the Yalta Conference

Allied leaders at Yalta discussed post-war Germany, Eastern Europe, and the UN’s future. They agreed France would help govern postwar Germany, which would partly pay for reparations.

They aimed for Eastern European governments to be Soviet-friendly but committed to free elections in liberated areas. A declaration on Poland allowed Communists in its government. For the UN, they agreed on a U.S. voting procedure plan, giving veto power to five permanent Security Council members, including France.

Below are some of the major agreements struck at the Yalta Conference:

• Division of Germany:  The leaders agreed that Germany would be divided into four occupation zones, to be administered by the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France. Berlin, the German capital, would also be divided into four sectors.
• Free Elections in Eastern Europe:  Stalin agreed to allow free elections in Eastern European countries liberated from Nazi occupation. However, the Soviet Union’s interpretation of “free elections” led to the establishment of pro-Soviet governments in the region, contributing to the start of the Cold War.
• Soviet Entry into the War against Japan:  Stalin agreed that the Soviet Union would declare war on Japan within three months of Germany’s surrender, in return for territorial concessions, including the southern part of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and a sphere of influence in Manchuria.
• Founding of the United Nations:  The conference laid the groundwork for the United Nations, agreeing on the structure of the UN Security Council, which would include five permanent members (the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, and France) with veto power.
• Reparations and Post-War Reconstruction:  The leaders discussed but did not fully resolve the issue of reparations from Germany. The Soviet Union sought substantial reparations from Germany to help rebuild the Soviet economy, which had been devastated by the war.

The Yalta Conference was a crucial event in shaping the post-World War II order, with significant implications for the political landscape of Europe and Asia, the onset of the Cold War, and the establishment of the United Nations. Image: Soviet, American, and British diplomats during the Yalta Conference.

What was the public reaction to the Yalta agreements

The initial response to the Yalta agreements was one of celebration, with President Roosevelt and others in the United States optimistic that the wartime alliance with the Soviet Union would transition smoothly into the postwar era.

This optimism was fleeting, as Roosevelt’s passing in April 1945 led to Harry S. Truman taking office. Almost immediately, Truman’s administration encountered friction with the Soviets regarding their role in Eastern Europe and disagreements over the United Nations.

The growing U.S.-Soviet tension alarmed many Americans, who then criticized Roosevelt’s approach at Yalta, accusing him of conceding too much to the Soviet Union, particularly in Eastern Europe and Northeast Asia.

Controversies and Consequences

The agreement on free elections was seen by many as giving the Soviet Union free rein to establish Communist governments in Eastern Europe, leading to the division of Europe into Soviet and Western spheres of influence and laying the groundwork for the Cold War.

The Yalta agreements, once revealed in 1946, faced severe criticism in the United States due to Stalin’s failure to uphold his pledge for free elections in Eastern European countries like Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.

Instead, these nations saw the establishment of communist regimes and suppression of non-communist parties, betraying the democratic ideals Roosevelt and Churchill believed Stalin would honor. This breach of trust, coupled with the incorrect assumption that Soviet support was crucial for victory in the Pacific, led to a situation where the Western Allies had limited leverage.

As Eastern Europe was under Soviet military control at war’s end, enforcing Stalin’s promises proved impossible, highlighting a critical misjudgment of Soviet intentions and the geopolitical reality post-Yalta.

Finally, the territorial concessions made to the Soviet Union for its participation in the Pacific War altered the geopolitical landscape in East Asia, contributing to future conflicts in the region.

Cold War Timeline: When Did the Cold War Start and End?

Frequently Asked Questions

Some critics of the Yalta Agreements argued that Roosevelt effectively “handed over” these regions despite the Soviet Union’s significant concessions during the negotiations. This shift marked the beginning of strained relations that would evolve into the Cold War, challenging the initial hopes for a lasting peace and cooperation established at Yalta.

The following are 9 frequently asked questions about the Yalta Conference and its consequences:

When and where was the Yalta Conference held?

The Yalta Conference, held from 4-11 February 1945, was a meeting of the “Big Three” Allied leaders—U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin—in Yalta, Crimea, to discuss the reorganization of post-World War II Europe and the establishment of the United Nations.

What were the main agreements made at the Yalta Conference?

Key agreements included the division of Germany into occupation zones, free elections in liberated European countries, the Soviet Union’s entry into the war against Japan after Germany’s surrender, and the founding of the United Nations to maintain peace and security.

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Why is the Yalta Conference considered controversial?

The conference is controversial because critics argue it allowed for the expansion of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, leading to the establishment of Communist governments in the region. They contend it effectively conceded Eastern Europe to Soviet control, laying the groundwork for the Cold War.

Did the Yalta Conference lead directly to the Cold War?

While the Yalta Conference itself did not cause the Cold War, the agreements and the differing interpretations of those agreements exacerbated tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies, contributing to the mistrust and rivalry that characterized the Cold War.

At the Yalta Conference, Allied leaders, foreseeing a European victory but uncertain about the Pacific, negotiated Soviet entry into the war against Japan. Image: World Leaders at the negotiating table during the Yalta Conference.

How did the Yalta Conference affect the United Nations?

The Yalta Conference laid the groundwork for the establishment of the United Nations, with the leaders agreeing on a framework for a world organization aimed at preventing future global conflicts. This agreement was pivotal in the founding of the UN in October 1945.

The Yalta Conference has been subject to significant scrutiny and criticism, particularly regarding its outcomes for Eastern Europe. Image: A photo of several world leaders, including Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, at the conference.

Were there any disagreements at the Yalta Conference?

Yes, there were disagreements and contentious issues at the Yalta Conference, despite the overarching narrative of cooperation among the Allied leaders—Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union.

While the leaders worked towards common goals, their differing national interests and visions for the post-war world led to several areas of discord:

• Eastern Europe’s Future:  There was tension over the fate of Eastern European countries, particularly Poland. The Soviet Union wanted to establish governments friendly to Moscow in the liberated countries of Eastern Europe, effectively expanding its sphere of influence. The Western Allies, especially Churchill, were concerned about the imposition of Soviet control and the suppression of democratic freedoms in these nations. Although compromises were made, such as agreeing to free elections in Poland, the Soviet interpretation of these agreements led to the establishment of communist regimes, contrary to the Western Allies’ hopes for genuine democracy.
• Germany’s Post-War Treatment:  The Allies debated how to handle Germany after the war. There were differences in opinion on the severity of reparations, the level of industrial dismantlement, and the overall strategy to prevent Germany from becoming a military threat again. The British and Americans were wary of repeating the harsh Treaty of Versailles terms, fearing it could lead to future conflict, while the Soviet Union sought substantial reparations and security measures.
• United Nations and Security Council:  There were negotiations over the structure and powers of the proposed United Nations, particularly the veto power in the Security Council. The Soviet Union wanted all 16 of its republics to have UN membership, but settled for three (with only two eventually joining). The veto power for permanent members of the Security Council was a critical point of negotiation, ensuring that any of the five permanent members (later to include France and China alongside the USSR, the US, and the UK) could veto decisions, which was crucial for the Soviet Union.
• Soviet Participation in the Pacific War:  The conditions under which the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan were carefully negotiated. The Soviets agreed to join the Pacific War within three months after Germany’s defeat in exchange for territorial concessions in Asia. However, the specifics of these concessions, including control over territories such as Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands, and influence in Manchuria, were points of negotiation and some contention.

How was France impacted by the two World Wars?

What was the significance of the Soviet Union’s agreement to enter the war against Japan?

The Soviet Union’s commitment to enter the war against Japan was significant because it promised a powerful new ally against Japan and influenced the strategic planning for the end of the war in the Pacific. It also secured Soviet interests in Asia, as agreed upon in return for Soviet military support against Japan.

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How did the outcomes of the Yalta Conference shape post-war Europe?

The outcomes of the Yalta Conference significantly shaped post-war Europe by determining the administrative division of Germany, influencing the political landscape of Eastern Europe, and setting the stage for the geopolitical tensions between the Soviet bloc and the Western Allies, which led to the Cold War.

What happened to the agreements made at the Yalta Conference after the war ended?

Some agreements made at the Yalta Conference were implemented, such as the division of Germany and the establishment of the United Nations. However, the promise of free elections in Eastern Europe was not fully realized, as the Soviet Union established or supported Communist governments in the region, leading to disputes with the West.

Nazi-Soviet Pact: Alliance Shaping Early World War II Dynamics

Tags: Allied leaders Cold War Eastern Europe Germany division post-war Europe Soviet Union United Kingdom United Nations United States World War II Yalta Conference

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Yalta Conference summary

Yalta Conference , (Feb. 4–11, 1945) Conference of Allied leaders at Yalta to plan Germany’s defeat in World War II. Franklin Roosevelt , Winston Churchill , and Joseph Stalin discussed the postwar occupation of Germany, postwar assistance to the German people, German disarmament, war-crimes trials, the fate of the defeated or liberated states of eastern Europe, voting in the future United Nations Security Council , and German reparations. Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan after the German surrender. Roosevelt died two months later, and Stalin broke his promise to allow democratic elections in eastern Europe. See also Potsdam Conference; Tehrān Conference.

Blog History of government

https://history.blog.gov.uk/2015/02/04/whats-the-context-4-february-1945-the-yalta-conference-opens/

What’s the Context? 4 February 1945: the Yalta Conference opens

The yalta myth.

Between 4 and 11 February 1945, while the Second World War still raged both in Europe and in the Far East, the ‘Big Three’—Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill—met at the Black Sea resort of Yalta, supported by large delegations, to discuss the shape of the postwar world. The agreements reached there, including arrangements for an occupied and denazified Germany, for a ‘World Organisation’ to ensure peace (the UN), for bringing the war in Japan to a successful conclusion and for the future of Eastern Europe, have been instrumental in ensuring that of all wartime Allied conferences, Yalta has retained the most negative resonance.

The enduring Yalta Myth is that Europe was ‘carved up’ at the conference, to the advantage of the Soviet Union and at the expense of countries like Poland. Roosevelt and Churchill were ‘outwitted’ by Stalin, and condemned Eastern Europe to years of Soviet domination. The Big Three leaders played a game of power politics that rode roughshod over the rights of countries and individuals, including Prisoners of War for whom enforced repatriation could mean death. Promises were made that no one had any intention of fulfilling.

Like all myths, these allegations contain an element of truth and provide a useful propaganda weapon. But they distort the reality of the situation. The Cold War cannot be laid at Yalta’s door, except in the sense that the decisions reached continued a long-established direction of travel. Sir Frank Roberts, the veteran British diplomat who attended Yalta and was still giving fascinating talks about it up to his death in 1998, stressed that context was the key to understanding what happened at Yalta, in particular ‘place and timing’: the timing because the end of the war in Europe was then in sight and the place because it was so obviously under exclusively Soviet control and so far from Western eyes.

Holding the Conference at Yalta demonstrated Stalin’s power. Claiming his health would not permit air travel, the Soviet leader insisted on meeting at the Black Sea. So the ailing US President Roosevelt had to make an arduous journey of 6000 miles; Churchill, aged over 70, 4000 miles. After meeting in Malta on 2 February, Roosevelt and Churchill flew 1400 miles to the Crimea, followed by an eight-hour drive. In fact, Soviet organisation of the conference was good, but the choice of Yalta reflected, intentionally, a shift in the axis of world power.

Stalin took a train to Yalta from Moscow. He controlled the physical aspect of the Conference, which included bugging his foreign guests’ quarters. This meant he knew some of what they were thinking: it also meant their whims could be accommodated; after Churchill’s daughter Sarah mentioned in the Vorontsov Palace, where the British were staying, that lemon juice went well with caviar, a lemon tree laden with fruit appeared overnight in the orangery. The surveillance was hardly a surprise to his British and American guests: Churchill, for example, had been warned that he could not receive his ULTRA messages at Yalta. But he did get lemons with his caviar.

Why February 1945?

The war in Europe was almost won. 1944 had been a decisive year, with the Normandy landings in June and the huge Russian summer offensive in the east. Stalin, despite the terrible losses suffered by Soviet forces, was in a dominant military position. By the beginning of 1945 the Eastern Front ran from Memel on the Baltic through Poland and Czechoslovakia down to Yugoslavia. The Red Army was on the Oder, barely 40 miles from Berlin; the Western allies were closing in on the Rhine, but held up by the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes.

The defeat of Germany was close: that of Japan, much less so. Nevertheless, postwar planning was well under way. At the beginning of 1945 all the Big Three recognised the pressing need to reach agreement on how the war would end, in Europe and the Far East, and also on what peace would look like. They all wanted to continue the wartime practice of sorting out global issues between themselves. But their priorities were different, and did not necessarily coincide.

Stalin: A Bear who knows his own mind?

Anthony Eden observed that the British and Americans had no negotiating strategy for Yalta sufficient to combat ‘a Bear who would certainly know his own mind’. But Stalin’s plans should have been no surprise. His intentions had been clear since 1939: to recover or control the territories of the old Russian Empire. He had spelled it out to William Strang in the abortive negotiations before the Nazi-Soviet Pact; he spelled it out to Eden himself in Moscow in 1941. By early 1945, Germany, thought Stalin, was finished as a world power: the USSR was poised to become one, based on its outstanding military contribution; now was the time to press his advantage.

But it was not as simple as that. At Yalta, Stalin’s priorities were to protect the frontiers of the expanded Soviet state and to be accepted as a superpower. He was deeply suspicious of the territorial, political and commercial ambitions of his fellow Allies. Intelligence he received from Soviet spies in both American and British official circles increased that suspicion. The Soviet Union badly needed to replenish its resources, human and material, depleted by its superhuman efforts in the armed struggle. How a defeated Germany was organised mattered to Stalin as a source of reparations; dominance in Eastern Europe was about populations and trade, as well as politics. The Soviet Union had frontiers in the Far East, too, so the outcome of war with Japan mattered. Stalin did not want the postwar world arranged by the old imperialist power, Britain, or the new military and economic superpower, America. His was a defensive as well as offensive position.

Roosevelt: What price Uncle Joe?

Roosevelt was a sick man, and died two months after Yalta. His main priority was to secure the Soviet Union’s entry into the war against Japan. US military advisers warned that victory could take another 18 months, and at this stage it was by no means certain that the atom bomb would work, or that it would force Japan into submission. Roosevelt needed Soviet help in beating Japan, and was prepared to pay for it by conceding Stalin’s demands, whether to independent membership of the UN for the Soviet Republics of Ukraine and Byelorussia, to a veto system in the Security Council, or to the Kurile and Southern Sakhalin islands, regardless of other regional powers like China. Roosevelt wanted final victory over Germany, of course, but could afford to wait for it a while if necessary. Postwar, he envisaged only short-term American involvement in Europe, and was more interested in formulating principles than in the details that affected individual countries. Roosevelt’s other pet project, the United Nations, would, he was determined, ensure a peaceful environment that permitted US disengagement.

The Second World War had given the US global military and economic dominance. It was Roosevelt who was in the real position of power at Yalta. Though he valued the Anglo-American relationship, he was quite prepared to overlook British interests, ridiculing Churchill’s so-called ‘imperialist’ policies as outdated and irrelevant, playing up the importance of the Soviet Union. In reality, he was determined that US interests should prevail, and his two Allies had to find their own ways of dealing with that.

Churchill: the world at our feet?

Despite his more grandiloquent statements, Churchill was well aware of the dangers that Yalta posed to British interests, to the future peace of Europe and the wider world. Above all, he needed hostilities to end quickly: the burden of fighting a long war, alone from 1939 to 1941, had crippled Britain financially and forced it into what J.M. Keynes called ‘Starvation Corner’. US support for and aid to Britain, and a major American commitment to European defence, would be essential. At Yalta Churchill was frustrated by what he saw as Roosevelt’s lack of understanding of Britain’s global commitments, and of the threat perceived from Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe, but in the end his only weapon was persuasion. Though it was hard for Churchill to accept, Britain had little leverage at Yalta, and must concentrate on moderating, rather than dictating outcomes.

Churchill did score some successes at Yalta. One was the agreement that France should be invited to occupy a zone in Germany and participate in the Control Commission, an outcome crucial in view of Roosevelt’s determination to restrict the length of time American troops would stay in Europe. Less specific but nevertheless important was Churchill’s tough stance in defence of freedom and the rule of law, for example in the drafting of the Declaration on Liberated Europe that committed the three powers to establishing free elections and democratic governments. The fact that the Soviet Union failed to abide by its commitments does not diminish Churchill’s efforts to secure them. But he was playing a weak hand compared to that of Stalin and, even more, of Roosevelt.

What Yalta was−and was not

The Yalta Conference was significant, but that significance should not be inflated. Yalta was not a peace conference. It was just one, and not the most important in a series of Allied wartime meetings to address the issues that would face the post-war world. Many of the Yalta decisions, including those on the frontiers of Poland, enacted agreements already arrived at. Others (like reparations) were not to be worked out fully until the Potsdam conference in July-August 1945. Yalta was, in a sense, a transitional conference, marking the beginning of the end of the second global conflict within the memory of its participants. In assessing its proceedings, the effects on its participants−not just the Big Three, but the 700 delegates−of sheer exhaustion, of deprivation and loss, and of anxiety about the future, should not be underestimated. Yalta foreshadowed the emerging world, rather than determining it.

Suggestions for further reading:

John Erickson, The Road to Berlin: Stalin’s War with Germany (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983) Michael Charlton, The Eagle and the Small Birds (BBC, 1984) C.M. Andrew and Oleg Gordievsky, KGB: The Inside Story of its Foreign Operations from Lenin to Gorbachev (Hodder and Stoughton, 1990) Gill Bennett (ed), The End of the War in Europe (HMSO, 1996) David Reynolds, Summits (Allen Lane, 2007) Fraser Harbutt, Yalta 1945: Europe and America at the Crossroads (Cambridge University Press, 2014)

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Tags: Foreign Office Historians , Winston Churchill , Yalta

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Comment by Lucy Tatner posted on 04 February 2015

Is it right to say Britain had fought the war alone from 1939 to 1941? France was our ally from September 1939 until June 1940, it's only really between Dunkerque and Pearl Harbour that Britain was alone

Comment by Gill Bennett posted on 04 February 2015

Of course you are right that France was also in the war until June 1940; but I was referring in particular to Britain's bearing the financial burden. Debts incurred for the war effort between September 1939 and 1941 (when some help was received under Lend-Lease) played a significant part in Britain's dire financial situation by the time of Yalta.

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The Yalta Conference

The U.S. War Department produced this documentary on the final meeting of the “Big Three” - Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin , British Prime Mini… read more

The U.S. War Department produced this documentary on the final meeting of the “Big Three” - Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin , British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , and President Franklin Roosevelt , which took place at a Crimean resort in Ukraine. The film begins with a preliminary meeting on the Mediterranean island of Malta, and ends with FDR making his final address to a joint session of Congress on March 1, 1945. He died a little over a month later on April 12. close

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Home Lessons IBDP History IB History Paper 3: Key Lesson Topics and Classroom Resources History of Europe Diplomacy in Europe (1919-1945) The Yalta Conference

The Yalta Conference

The Yalta Conference was a significant event in World War II history and profoundly impacted the post-war world order. This lesson plan includes a PowerPoint presentation that covers the background, objectives, and outcomes of the conference.

The PowerPoint includes various student activities that make the lesson engaging and interactive. These activities include a source analysis of a photograph of the Big Three (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin), a political cartoon analysis, a map analysis, and a short film.

The source analysis of the photograph is an excellent way to encourage critical thinking skills in your students. They can analyse the leaders’ body language, facial expressions, and clothing to understand their attitudes and intentions during the Yalta conference. This activity helps students develop historical perspective and interpretive skills.

Similarly, the political cartoon analysis encourages students to analyse the cartoon’s symbolism, humour, and bias to understand the public perception of the conference. This activity helps students develop analytical skills and encourages them to think critically about propaganda.

The map source is also an effective way to help students visualise the political and geographic impact of the Yalta conference.

Finally, the short film in the lesson plan PowerPoint provides a visual and auditory component to the lesson, which can reinforce the key concepts and historical background.

Overall, this lesson plan for the Yalta Conference is a comprehensive and engaging way to help your students understand the conference’s historical significance. The various student activities, such as source analysis, political cartoon analysis, map analysis, and short film, encourage critical thinking, analytical skills, and historical perspective. Using this lesson plan can help your students develop a deeper understanding of this pivotal moment in world history.

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Yalta Conference, Feb 1945

• ❖ President Roosevelt of the USA.
• ❖ General Secretary Stalin of the USSR .
• ❖ Prime Minister Churchill of Great Britain.
• ❖ The superpowers agreed on the Declaration of Liberated Europe which guaranteed all countries freed from Nazi control the right to hold democratic and free elections.
• ❖ Nazi Germany and Berlin would be divided into four zones, to be controlled by the USA, Britain, France and the Soviet Union .
• ❖ Germany would be reduced in size.
• ❖ Germany would be demilitarised.
• ❖ Germany would be ordered to pay reparations.
• ❖ After the war was over, Nazi war criminals would be tried and the Nazi Party banned.
• ❖ Poland would fall under the Soviet sphere of influence.
• ❖ Poland would be run under a democratically elected government.
• ❖ Eastern Europe would have free elections.
• ❖ The USSR would declare war on Japan 3 months after Nazi Germany was defeated.
• ❖ The United Nations was created.
• ❖ The USSR wanted Germany to pay high reparations ; Britain and the USA disagreed.
• ❖ Britain and the USA wanted Germany to recover, whereas the USSR wanted to keep Germany weak.
• ❖ Stalin wanted the Polish-German border to be much further to the west and desired a 'friendly ' Polish government. Britain and the USA were worried this would mean Poland would be controlled by the USSR .

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Yalta and Potsdam Introduction Lesson

Download yalta and potsdam introduction lesson.

Click the button below to download this worksheet for use in the classroom or at home.

Lesson Plan Snapshot

• Yalta was the penultimate of the wartime allied conferences.
• It dealt mainly with the settlement of post-war Europe.
• Allegedly FD Roosevelt was too ill to withstand Stalin’s demands, and his successor, Harry S Truman, took a tougher line.
• By the time of the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, the West had the bomb and were anxious to restrict Russia.

Powerpoint Lesson Plan:

• Aimed at Students studying across UK Year 7,8 & 9 or equivalent
• Premium resource
• Use as you wish in the classroom or home environment
• Structured powerpoint presentation and challenging tasks.
• Complete lesson plan on the Yalta and Potsdam conference

Yalta Conference

Feb 20, 2013

160 likes | 282 Views

Yalta Conference. CRIMEA CONFERENCE, UKRAINE February 1945. Stalin. Churchill. FDR. AGREEMENT AT YALTA. DIVIDE GERMANY INTO FOUR (4) ZONES TO BE OCCUPIED AFTER THE WAR BY: BRITAIN FRANCE USA USSR. WHAT ELSE DID WE AGREE TO?. ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE

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Presentation Transcript

Yalta Conference CRIMEA CONFERENCE, UKRAINE February 1945

Stalin Churchill FDR

AGREEMENT AT YALTA • DIVIDE GERMANY INTO FOUR (4) ZONES TO BE OCCUPIED AFTER THE WAR BY: • BRITAIN • FRANCE • USA • USSR

WHAT ELSE DID WE AGREE TO? • ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE • GOVERNMENT OF POLAND WILL BE BOTH COMMUNIST & NON-COMMUNIST • SET UP THE UNITED NATIONS!!!!!

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? • STALIN NEVER HELD FREE ELECTIONS IN POLAND • FDR DIED ONLY TWO (2) MONTHS LATER • TRUMAN (NEXT PRESIDENT) WOULD ATTEND THE NEXT POST-WAR CONFERENCE • HITLER DIES APRIL 30 • GERMANY SURRENDERS MAY 2, 1945

“The SOVIET UNION HAS BEOME A DANGER TO THE FREE WORLD.” Churchill wrote this to Roosevelt after the Yalta Conference. The leaders of the three countries would meet one more time: Potsdam

Potsdam Conference: JULY 1945 • Truman replaces FDR • Churchill gets voted out of Office • Stalin remains • Intent on seeking reparations and as much as they can get from Germany. • Agreements: -Four zones of occupation in Germany -Bring Nazi War Criminals to trial.

DISAGREEMENTS • ALLIES DID NOT AGREE ON • HOW TO DIVIDE GERMANY • THE AMOUNT OF REPARATIONS GERMANY SHOULD PAY • SOVIET POLICY IN EASTERN EUROPE

COLD WAR BEGINS • During 1946-47, Stalin made sure that Communist governments came to power in all the countries of Eastern Europe. • CALLED: SALAMI TACTICS • The Communist description of this process was “slicing salami,” - gradually getting rid of all opposition.

WHAT DID RUSSIA TAKE? • A. Albania (1945)- • B. Bulgaria (1945)- • C. Poland (1947)- • D. Hungary (1947)- • E. Romania (1945-1947)- • F. Czechoslovakia (1945-1947)- • G. East Germany (1949)-

HOW DID THE REST OF THE ALLIES REACT? • 5 MARCH 1946, Winston Churchill • ‘a shadow had fallen on Eastern Europe, which was now cut off from the free world by ‘an iron curtain.’ Behind that line, he said, the people of Eastern Europe were ‘subject to Soviet influence…totalitarian control [and] police governments.’

EUROPE: END OF WWII 1945

SOVIET DOMINATION OF EASTER EUROPE: 1946

WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS?

ASSIGNMENT: PARAGRAPHS • QUESTION: 2 Paragraphs 5-7 sentences each. • Was the Yalta Conference a success or a failure in promoting future world peace? • INSTRUCTIONS: • Topic sentence • Take a Stand • Support your view with specific examples from your notes or text. • Give an opposing point of view • Conclude.

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Yalta Conference Activity

Students will fulfill the role of the political leaders at the Conference at Yalta and reenact the conference.  They will debate the issues discussed at the conference to determine if they come to the same ends as what actually happened in 1945.  Students will then predict the implications of the conference on the course of the Cold War and our world today.

Many historians agree that basis of the Cold War began at the Conference of Yalta in February 1945.  The leaders at the talks have been criticized for putting the world on the path that polarized the two super powers.  Through this role-play activity, students will become conscious of the motivated factors that led the delegates to come to their conclusions and realize the impact of these decisions.

The Conference at Yalta was the critical point that changed the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union from that of allies to rivals.  The positioning for dominance in the post-World War II world would continue throughout the Cold War and especially during the Truman presidency.  The decisions made during the Conference at Yalta and the Truman Administration still are affecting the world today.

Students will develop an understanding of how the implications of decisions made decades ago are still making an impact in the world today.

MO Standards: 

2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world

6. Relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions

7. The use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps, documents)

2aD-Describe and evaluate the evolution of the United States domestic and foreign policy including the Cold War.

2bG-Examine the wars of the 20th century, including:  causes, comparisons, consequences, and peace efforts.

3B-Compare and contrast governmental systems, current and historical, including those that are democratic and totalitarian.

7B-Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.

Kansas Standards

Benchmark 3: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, developments, and turning points in the era of the Cold War (1945-1990).

1. (K) explains why the United States emerged as a superpower as the result of World War II.

2.(A) analyzes the origins of the Cold War (e.g., establishment of the Soviet Bloc, Mao’s victory in China, Marshall Plan, Berlin Blockade, Iron Curtain).

3. (A) evaluates the foreign policies of Truman and Eisenhower during the Cold War (e.g., establishment of the United Nations, containment, NATO, Truman Doctrine, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Iron Curtain, U-2 incident).

Ferrell, Robert H.  Harry S. Truman:  A Life.  Columbia, MO:  University of Missouri Press, 1994.

The following is a list of suggested primary sources.

The Yalta Conference Agreement-

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/wwii/yalta.asp

The UN https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/online-collections/united-nations-1945-1953

Documents concerning Germany and the Berlin Airlift

Documents concerning Japan and the decision to drop the atomic bomb

Documents concerning the Cold War in the Truman Presidency

Primary and secondary sources may be acquired via the Internet

Students will be divided into groups to fulfill the roles of Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin at the Conference at Yalta.   Each group will be provided the role sheet for their respective country noted below.  Students will be under strict instruction to fulfill their roles as opposed to personal contemporary beliefs.  Students will familiarize themselves with their roles using the sheets and by conducting additional research using the sources noted above.  Students will then write a paragraph on each issue to prepare a statement of their beliefs and talking points to be pursued in the debate. 

            At a subsequent class, a debate will be held to discuss each issue and determine which option the delegates will agree to at the Conference of Yalta.  Following the debate, a class discussion will debrief the students to determine how closely they mirrored history and discuss the difficulties of the debate considering the factors influencing them.

            Finally, students will examine each of the issues discussed at the Conference of Yalta and trace their development through the Truman Presidency to the modern era.  They will fill out the Yalta Conference Lives On worksheet.  This can be done as a homework assignment or a class project with teacher guidance.

Conference at Yalta

Setting:  World War II is nearly over.  Even though Japan continues to fight on, Italy has been knocked out of the war, and Germany appears to be in the final weeks before it is forced to surrender.  The principle members of the Allies will meet once again to discuss the progress of the war.  However, unlike previous meetings which discussed war tactics, victory in Europe is a forgone conclusion.  The scope of this conference will focus on what to do in the time period following World War II.

Task:  As diplomats of the primary Allied countries, it will be your job to represent your country’s wishes at the Conference at Yalta.  Read the descriptor page describing your country’s desires on various issues concerning World War II and the post-war era.  Determine your country’s position on each of the topics to be discussed at the conference.  Be prepared to defend your country’s stand on the issues and willingness to negotiate a resolve with the other Allied leaders.

Principle Leaders:

            Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain

            Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States

            Joseph Stalin, Premier of the Soviet Union

Key Issues:

• World Organization
• Liberated Nations
• Post-War Germany
• Post-War Poland
• Continued War in Japan

Great Britain 

Leader:  Winston Churchill, Prime Minister

*Recognized British politician for over 60 years.

*Veteran of the Boer War and World War I.

*Recognized the Treaty of Versailles had failed and in part led to World War II.

*Predicted the appeasement policy of Neville Chamberlain at the Munich Conference would fail.

*Agreed to the Atlantic Charter with Franklin Roosevelt, which supported self-determination and a new League of Nations.

*Led Great Britain through World War II.  Swore Great Britain would “Never give in” to Adolf Hitler and Germany.

Primary Concerns:

*Feared Great Britain was going to lose power and prestige to the “super powers” following World War II.  Fear of losing control of the British Empire

*Supported democratic nations in Europe and had even housed exile governments during World War II when Germany had invaded their countries (most notably, Lublin government of Poland).

*Had been destroyed by Germany.

United States

Leader:  Franklin Roosevelt, President

*Led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.

*Had recently been elected to and began serving his fourth term as President.

*Was in very poor health as those close to him saw he was very near to death.

*Agreed to the Atlantic Charter with Winston Churchill, which supported self-determination and a new League of Nations.

*Twice the United States had been pulled into World Wars.  Wanted to ensure calamities of this nature would never happen again.  United States had a policy of isolationism.

*As America was the “Experiment in Democracy,” there is the desire and belief in the spread of democracy to other countries.

*Greatest number of American deaths was in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  Although Joseph Stalin had asked for assistance in Europe and it was returned with the D-Day invasion and additional support was provided in the Lend-Lease Plan, the Soviet Union had yet to mount an attack against Japan.

Soviet Union

Leader:  Joseph Stalin, Premier

*Leader of the Soviet Union following the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924.

*In attempts of internal reforms, Stalin led the Soviet Union to economic calamity during collectivization attempts.

*Was very paranoid of threats to his control of the Soviet Union and threats of attacks from outside nations.  Within the country, purges were stages to eliminate any threats to his power.  Information from foreign nations were limited and censored while Soviet secrets were not released.

*The Soviet Union suffered the greatest number of deaths (by far) of any of the Allied nations at the conference.

*Germany had twice invaded the Soviet Union (officially Russia the first time) during the World Wars.  Both had led to great loss of territory and millions of lives.  Wants to ensure Germany will never be able to attack their country again.

*Soviet armies had defeated the German forces in Eastern Europe with little help from the other Allied nations.

Diplomacy Sheet

Yalta Conference Lives On

Students will be required to write a paragraph on each of the issues discussed at the debate.  They are expected to write a paragraph on which option they prefer and defend their support of that option.  They will bring this paper to the debate and use it as talking points in the course of the debate.

            Following the debate, students will be required to fill out the Yalta Conference Lives On sheet to relate the impact of the resolution on the course of history.