Conferences

November 1943

Present:

• Churchill
• Roosevelt
• Stalin

Agreements:

USA & Britain would open a 'second front' by attacking Germany in Western Europe. Stalin = pressure on Eastern front would ease, so Soviets would lose less men. Churchill = wanted to open the second front in the Balkans, not in the West.

Poland would recieve land of Germany but Russia could keep land taken from Poland in 1939. Stalin = ultimate aim was to secure his western border after the war.

General agreement that an international body should be set up to deal with conflicts through negotian rather than war.  Laid the foundation for the future formation of the United Nations.

Febuary 1945

Present:

• Churchill
• Roosevelt
• Stalin

Agreements:

• After the war, Germany would be split into four zones, each controlled by one of the four main victors. Germany would pay $ 20 billion in reperations. 1/2 going to Soviets. Nazi party banned and war criminals would be prosecuted
• United Nations would be set up. All nations could join, but USA and France did not agree that all 16 soviet republics got individual membership. Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were admitted.
• Stalin agreed to join war against Japan
• Stalin agreed that future governments of Eastern Europe would be decided in free elections. Roosevelt = with free electons
• Borders of Poland would be returned to their position in 1921 ( Soviet Untion given significant gain) and there would be free electons . Poland issue would be hard to solve in future discussions

July - August 1945

Present:                                     World events:

• Clement Atlee (UK)                    Germany surrendered in May 1945    
• Harry S Truman (USA)               USA had developed an atomic bomb (tested during conference)
• Joseph Stalin (USSR)                  United Nations had been created                                            

Agreements:

• Germany would be divided into four zones, but the Germany economy would be run as a  whole
• Berlin would also be divided into four zones, even though it was based well inside Soviet Control
• Soviet wanted Germany to pay heavy reperations, but Truman was worried this would make it harder for the German economy to recover. So each administering country could take reperations from its own zone.
• Agreement was NOT reached over Eastern Europe. Truman = didn't like the control Soviet Union had over the countries it freed from Nazi rule