Wartime Conferences 1943-45

Question 1

Cause 1 - The ‘Grand Alliance’ met because they were allies against Nazi Germany

Answer 1

The ‘Big Three’ were in the Grand Alliance to mastermind the defeat of Germany and Japan in WWI:

This alliance was formed when the Nazis launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union with 4m men in June 1941.

Question 2

Cause 2 - The Big Three’s early two conferences at Tehran and Yalta were quite amicable.

Answer 2

By 1943, the Soviets were pushing the German army back out of the Soviet Union and a German defeat was certain:

So the Big Three met at Tehran in November-December 1943 to plan their winning strategy, including how they would open a ‘second front’ against the Germans and how Stalin would help the USA defeat Japan - once war in Europe was over.

Question 3

Event 1 - Potsdam had a damaging effect on the Grand Alliance

Answer 3

In 1945, two of the Big Three changed: Roosevelt had died and was replaced by Truman for the USA and Churchill lost an election and was replaced by Clement Atlee.

Truman was a hawk and adopted a ‘get tough’ policy with Stalin. This caused early tension between the superpowers.

Question 4

Event 2 - Stalin was furious when he found out about the Atomic Bomb

Answer 4

Stalin found out about a successful Atomic test by the USA at the Potsdam conference. He was furious that he had not been informed and that the USA had such a huge military advantage over all other countries.

Question 5

Consequence 1 - Most of the main agreements happened after Nazi Germany surrendered

Answer 5

After the Nazis surrendered in May 1945, most agreements made and repeated at the three wartime conferences happened: Germany was divided into 4 zones, as was Berlin, for example. This showed the superpowers had been able to work towards a common aim as allies.

Question 6

Consequence 2 - Breakdown of trust

Answer 6

Stalin disliked the way Truman had tried to push him around at Potsdam, and Truman didn’t trust Stalin after he found out that Stalin had lied over promises made about Poland in the previous two conferences. Britain was economically exhausted by the war and so became an ally of the USA against the Soviet Union. This set the stage for the Cold War to proceed.