Yalta and Potsdam Conferences: Post-WWII Europe

Posted on Jan 24, 2025 in History

The Yalta Conference (February 1945)

It was clear that Germany was losing the European war, so the Allied leaders met at Yalta to plan what would happen to Europe after Germany’s defeat. Despite their differences, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill agreed on some matters:

  • Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan once Germany had surrendered (because the USSR couldn’t be in two fronts).
  • They agreed that Germany would be divided into four zones: American, French, British, and Soviet. Berlin was also divided.
  • They agreed to hunt down and punish war criminals responsible for the genocide.
  • Liberated countries would be allowed to hold free elections.
  • The Big Three would join the new United Nations organization to keep peace after the war.
  • They agreed that Eastern Europe should be seen as “a Soviet sphere of influence.”
  • The only disagreement was what to do about Poland. Stalin wanted the border of the USSR to move westwards into Poland, which Churchill did not approve.

The Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945)

A second conference of the Allied leaders was arranged for July 1945 in the Berlin suburb of Potsdam. In the five months since Yalta, a number of changes had taken place which would affect relationships between the leaders:

  1. Stalin’s armies were occupying most of Eastern Europe. Stalin’s troops controlled the Baltic States, Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania, and refugees were fleeing these countries, fearing a communist takeover. Stalin had set up a communist government in Poland. Britain and the USA were against this. Stalin insisted it was a defensive measure against possible future attacks.
  2. America had a new president. In April 1945, Roosevelt died. His vice-president, Truman, replaced him. Truman was much more anti-communist and was very suspicious of Stalin.
  3. The Allies tested an atomic bomb. In July 1945, America tested an atomic bomb at a desert site in the USA. Truman informed Stalin about it.

Main Disagreements

  1. They disagreed over what to do with Germany. Stalin wanted to cripple Germany to protect the USSR. Truman did not want to repeat the same mistake as the Treaty of Versailles.
  2. They disagreed over reparations. The Soviet Union was devastated, so Stalin wanted compensation from Germany. Truman did not agree.
  3. They disagreed over Soviet policy in Eastern Europe. Truman became very unhappy about Russian intentions and soon adopted a “get tough” attitude towards Stalin.

Iron Curtain

Metaphor that describes the border between Soviet-controlled countries and Western Europe. The Potsdam conference ended without complete agreement on these issues. By 1946, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania had communist governments and were loyal to Stalin. Churchill described the border between Soviet-controlled countries and the West as an iron curtain.

Stalin Tightens His Control

  • The presence of the Red Army
  • The secret police imprisoned anyone who opposed communist rule.
  • In 1947, Stalin set up the Communist Information Bureau, or Cominform, to coordinate the work of the Communist parties of Eastern Europe by interviewing the leaders of Communist parties by Stalin.

The Cold War

  • By 1946, the wartime friendship between the Allies had broken down. An atmosphere of suspicion, accusation, and tension began.
  • The distrust between the USA and the USSR was soon so great that leaders were talking in public about the threat of war between the two countries.
  • Both increased their stock of weapons.
  • Both sides took every opportunity to denounce the policies or the plans of the other.
  • A propaganda war developed. In this atmosphere of tension and recrimination, people began to talk about a cold war.