The Cold War 1944-45 Yalta Conference

Question 1

Who were the ‘big three’ and for what reason did they meet at Yalta in February 1945?

Answer 1

The leader of Britain - Winston Churchhill, The USA -
Franklin D. Roosevelt and the USSR - Stalin known as the ‘big three’ met at Yalta in the Ukraine. Although the war was not yet over it was clear that the allies were going to win and so the aim of the meeting and so the aim of the meeting was to reach agreement on what would happen in post war Europe.

Question 2

What were the individual aims of each of the leaders?

Answer 2

Each leader was trying to achieve something different from the meeting.

Churchill;
Wanted to ensure the survival of the British empire, however he also saw the USSR as a danger to the West that had to be stopped. This was because as the red army was pushing the Germans back into Western Europe it was gaining control of countries such as Poland and Hungary.

Roosevelt;
Was not so keen on the revival of the British empire. He sought the creation of a free world that would be protected by the united nation (UN), a new peace keeping body. He wanted the USSR to join the UN and was prepared to work with Stalin to ensure this would happen.

Stalin;
Sought the creation of a ‘buffer’ zone between Western Europe and Russia as a way of protecting the soviet union from attack. To ensure that the countries that the countries making up this zone would be friendly towards the USSR, Stalin wanted them to be controlled by communist governments.

Question 3

What was agreed at Yalta?

Answer 3

• An agreement that Eastern Europe would come under the influence of the USSR. However, it was also agreed that there would be democratic elections held in these countries to allow the people of Eastern Europe to choose their own government.
• Germany and Berlin would be split into 4 zones occupied by the armies of Britain, France, the USA and the USSR.
• Germany would pay reperations
• The UN would be established
• The USSR would declare war on Japan in August, 3 months after Germanies surrender.
• Agreement over new borders in Poland (although no agreement was reached on the typer of government Poland would have)