YALTA AND POTSDAM
The Allies at Yalta, February 1945:
The allies at Potsdam, July 1945:
The first thing to point out are the changes in leadership at both conferences. Josef Stalin was the only leader to attend both Yalta and Potsdam (he is seated on the right in both photos). Winston Churchill (UK) and Franklin Roosevelt (USA) attended Yalta. However, Roosevelt died after Yalta and was replaced by Harry Truman, his vice-president, at Potsdam. Churchill was voted out of office midway through the Potsdam conference and was replaced by Clement Atlee.
This is a key difference to point out between both conferences and one that we shall return to later.
Yalta
By February 1945, it was clear that World War II was ending and that the Axis powers would soon be defeated. The three main Allied Powers, the USA, UK and USSR met at Yalta (in the Crimea, then part of the USSR) to discuss post-war Europe. It was agreed that:
Points 1-6 were easy agreements to make. However, points 7 and 8 were far more controversial.
Stalin wanted a buffer in Poland from future German aggression. Russia (later the USSR) had been invade twice in the first half of the 20th century and he did not want a repeat of this. Churchill and Roosevelt were very reluctant to agree to points 7 and 8 but ultimately, they had no choice as the Red Army had already liberated and occupied Poland. They did however, reach a compromise with Stalin. They promised to recognize that Poland would be within the Soviet sphere of influence in return for Greece being included in the Western sphere. Stalin agreed to this.
Potsdam
By July 1945, Roosevelt had died and been succeeded by Truman. Truman was inexperienced, underprepared (although this was not really his fault) and under pressure to act tough against Stalin. Churchill, who had been acting as a useful advisor to Truman, particularly on how to deal with Stalin, was replaced by Atlee during the conference. It is still not clear if Truman had acted aggressively or whether Stalin was attempting to take advantage of the absence of Roosevelt and Churchill- that is matter of personal opinion. However, this is what happened at Potsdam:
It was clear at Potsdam that the wartime alliance had broken down. Within 100 days, of the end of World War II in Europe, the Cold War had started. Many historians argue that the first 'shots' of the Cold War were the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This is a key difference to point out between both conferences and one that we shall return to later.
Yalta
By February 1945, it was clear that World War II was ending and that the Axis powers would soon be defeated. The three main Allied Powers, the USA, UK and USSR met at Yalta (in the Crimea, then part of the USSR) to discuss post-war Europe. It was agreed that:
- The Allied Powers would seek the unconditional surrender of the Nazi Germany. Germany would also be divided into 4 zones: British, French, American and Soviet. The German capital Berlin would also be divided into 4 Zones.
- Nazi war criminals would be tried and punished.
- Germany would pay reparations.
- The Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan in the Pacific once Nazi Germany was defeated and the war in Europe was won.
- A United Nations Organization would be formed, to replace the League of Nations.
- Free elections would take place in all liberated European countries.
- The Soviet-backed communist government in Poland would be recognized by the UK and USA.
- The Soviet border with Poland would be moved westwards into Poland- at a place called the Curzon line. Poland would be compensated with German territory.
Points 1-6 were easy agreements to make. However, points 7 and 8 were far more controversial.
Stalin wanted a buffer in Poland from future German aggression. Russia (later the USSR) had been invade twice in the first half of the 20th century and he did not want a repeat of this. Churchill and Roosevelt were very reluctant to agree to points 7 and 8 but ultimately, they had no choice as the Red Army had already liberated and occupied Poland. They did however, reach a compromise with Stalin. They promised to recognize that Poland would be within the Soviet sphere of influence in return for Greece being included in the Western sphere. Stalin agreed to this.
Potsdam
By July 1945, Roosevelt had died and been succeeded by Truman. Truman was inexperienced, underprepared (although this was not really his fault) and under pressure to act tough against Stalin. Churchill, who had been acting as a useful advisor to Truman, particularly on how to deal with Stalin, was replaced by Atlee during the conference. It is still not clear if Truman had acted aggressively or whether Stalin was attempting to take advantage of the absence of Roosevelt and Churchill- that is matter of personal opinion. However, this is what happened at Potsdam:
- Both sides disagreed over Poland. Truman was not happy with Soviet actions in setting up a satellite government and the moving of borders. He felt Stalin was trying to create an unhealthy influence that was undemocratic in Eastern Europe. Stalin felt Truman was backtracking on agreements made at Yalta.
- Both sides disagreed over Germany. Remembering the Treaty of Versailles, Truman felt it was important not to try to crush Germany again. Stalin argued that the USSR, as they had lost the most soldiers of all the Allied Powers in World War II (in fact the USSR had suffered more deaths than the rest of countries involved in the war combined- although some of these were on the orders of Stalin), they were entitled to $10 billion in reparations. He also felt that the Western Allies were trying to resurrect Germany in order to find the Soviet Union in the future.
- Truman announced to Stalin that the USA had successfully test an atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert.
It was clear at Potsdam that the wartime alliance had broken down. Within 100 days, of the end of World War II in Europe, the Cold War had started. Many historians argue that the first 'shots' of the Cold War were the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The USA argued that the bombings of Hiroshima (6th of August 1945) and Nagasaki (9th of August 1945) were necessary to bring about the surrender of Japan in World War II. The Soviet Union, who invaded Manchuria (keeping an agreement made at Yalta) on same day as the Nagasaki bombing, saw the use of atomic weapons as a tactic of intimidation by the USA. Therefore, it could be argued that the last acts of World War II were also the first acts of the Cold War.