The Grand Alliance

What was the purpose of the Grand Alliance?

The Grand Alliance was created in 1941 with the sole purpose of defeating Nazi Germany and the other Axis powers including Japan.

What type of partnership was the Grand Alliance described as?

It was a marriage of convenience (practical partnership) between three very different countries.

Which countries were part of the Grand Alliance?

Britain (a democracy, at war since 1939), the USA (a democracy, at war since December 1941), and the Soviet Union (a one-party communist state, at war since 1941).

What was the core aim shared by the countries in the Grand Alliance?

To defeat Nazi Germany and its allies.

When was the Tehran Conference held?

November-December 1943.

What was significant about the Tehran Conference?

It was the first meeting between the British, American, and Soviet leaders.

What agreement did the USA and Britain make regarding Germany at the Tehran Conference?

They agreed to invade Nazi-occupied France using Britain as a base for the invasion.

What agreement did the Soviet Union make regarding Germany at the Tehran Conference?

The Soviet Union agreed to invade Germany from the East (from the area that is now Russia).

What was the purpose of opening a ‘second front’ against the Nazis?

It was meant to fight Germany from both the West and the East, as fighting two wars at the same time is notoriously harder.

What agreement did the Soviet Union make regarding Japan?

The Soviet Union agreed with the Americans that it would declare war against Japan.

Why did the Soviet Union agree to fight Japan?

Because Japan had bombed the American navy at Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941.

What postwar agreement did the USA and Britain make regarding Poland?

The Polish border would be moved westward to fall along the Oder and Neisse rivers, giving the Soviet Union more Polish land after the war.

What international organisation idea came from the Tehran Conference?

A successor to the League of Nations would try to peacefully solve problems between countries; this laid the foundations for the United Nations.

How did Stalin view the Tehran Conference and why?

He viewed it as a success because he would gain Polish territory after the war.

How did Churchill view the Tehran Conference?

Churchill was less pleased with the outcomes.