Yalta Conference - February 4-11, 1945
From February 4th through February 11th, 1945, the three leaders of the world powers met together to discuss what would happen after the war. From the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin came, from the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill came, and from the United States of America, Franklin D Roosevelt. Roosevelt came into the conference worrying about Stalin. He said, “I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of man … and I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask for nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won’t try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace” (Roosevelt 1943). Trying this strategy at the conference, Roosevelt got Stalin to agree to join the UN. Stalin did make his own demands, however. He thought that the Soviet Union should keep the parts of Poland that they annexed. Churchill and Roosevelt also got him to agree to set up a government of free elections in Poland, but Stalin didn’t comply, having set up a government there of his own making a few months ago. Another agreement made by Stalin was that 3 months after the war in Germany was over, they would help the US in the Pacific. A few more agreements are
- Germany would be divided into three sections, one for each power.
- After the war, Germany would be demilitarized and denazificated.
- All original governments would be restored to invaded countries.