Wartime Conferences and Postwar Problems
Winning the war only brought new problems for the Allied leaders. These problems started when decisions were made during the war.
In November and December of 1943, the "Big Three" Allied leaders-- Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin-- met at Tehran. The decision at this meeting was to make plans to try and defeat Germany by carrying on the war on two fronts. The Allied forces in the West would attack Germany in the west, while Soviet forces would attack from the east.
In November and December of 1943, the "Big Three" Allied leaders-- Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin-- met at Tehran. The decision at this meeting was to make plans to try and defeat Germany by carrying on the war on two fronts. The Allied forces in the West would attack Germany in the west, while Soviet forces would attack from the east.
In February 1945, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met at the Black Sea resort town of Yalta. They all knew that victory would be on their side so the three of them agreed to divide Austria and Germany into zones of military occupation. Armies from each of the Allied nations would be responsible for the territories they liberated from the Nazi control. Berlin would lie in the Soviet zone, but it would be divided in four parts. The Soviets would take control of East Berlin, and the Western Allies would create their own zones in West Berlin.
The Allies seemed to reach agreement on Poland and territories that the Soviets had already taken in Eastern Europe. Churchill and Roosevelt believed these countries should determine their own futures. Stalin gave a promise that he would allow free elections and the establishment of democratic governments. In return, they agreed with Stalin that governments in these eastern countries must be friendly to the Soviet Union. When they left Yalta, each one of them belied its viewpoint had won.
For Stalin, friendly governments meant governments under Soviet control. He also believed that free elections could take place after eastern Europeans had learned socialist principles. As a result, Stalin's promise of free elections was meaningless from a Western point of view.
The three leaders also talked about how to prevent another war, disagreeing throughout the process. Churchill and Stalin wanted the Allies to divide the world into spheres of influence. Roosevelt called for an internationalist approach similar to that used for the League of Nations after World War I. He proposed a United Nations organization that would keep the peace through collective security arrangements. The initial plans for such an organization had already been worked out at a 1944 conference. At Yalta, the three leaders discussed the proposed charter for the organization and agreed on voting procedures to be followed.
The Allies seemed to reach agreement on Poland and territories that the Soviets had already taken in Eastern Europe. Churchill and Roosevelt believed these countries should determine their own futures. Stalin gave a promise that he would allow free elections and the establishment of democratic governments. In return, they agreed with Stalin that governments in these eastern countries must be friendly to the Soviet Union. When they left Yalta, each one of them belied its viewpoint had won.
For Stalin, friendly governments meant governments under Soviet control. He also believed that free elections could take place after eastern Europeans had learned socialist principles. As a result, Stalin's promise of free elections was meaningless from a Western point of view.
The three leaders also talked about how to prevent another war, disagreeing throughout the process. Churchill and Stalin wanted the Allies to divide the world into spheres of influence. Roosevelt called for an internationalist approach similar to that used for the League of Nations after World War I. He proposed a United Nations organization that would keep the peace through collective security arrangements. The initial plans for such an organization had already been worked out at a 1944 conference. At Yalta, the three leaders discussed the proposed charter for the organization and agreed on voting procedures to be followed.