The Yalta and Potsdam conferences

What was the Yalta Conference?

The second conference between the USA, Britain, and the Soviet Union, held in February 1945.

What was the Declaration of Liberated Europe?

An agreement designed to aid the people liberated from Nazi control by the Grand Alliance.

What was agreed about German reparations at Yalta?

Stalin wanted Germany to pay $20bn in reparations, but it was agreed that no monetary reparations would be paid; instead, the Alliance would each run parts of Germany.

What was agreed about Germany’s army at Yalta?

Germany’s army would be banned, known as demilitarisation.

What was agreed regarding Nazi war criminals at Yalta?

Nazi war criminals would be tried in courts of law.

What did Britain and America push for in Eastern Europe at Yalta?

They pushed for free and democratic elections in Eastern Europe.

How did the Soviet Union respond to free elections in Eastern Europe?

The Soviet Union was less keen, and it was agreed that Poland could exist in a 'Soviet sphere of influence'.

What was the significance of the Soviet sphere of influence?

It would cause problems for decades to come in the Cold War.

What international organisation was set up at Yalta?

The United Nations.

When was the Potsdam Conference held?

July–August 1945, after Germany’s defeat in May and before Japan’s defeat in August.

Who were the leaders at the Potsdam Conference?

Harry S. Truman (replacing Roosevelt) and Clement Attlee (replacing Churchill) attended with Stalin.

How did Truman differ from Roosevelt regarding the USSR?

Truman was more reluctant to compromise with the USSR.

What was agreed about Nazi Germany at Potsdam?

The Nazi Party was banned, and war criminals would be prosecuted in court.

What was the purpose of the Council of Foreign Ministers?

To accelerate the recovery of Europe and settle peace treaties with Nazi allies like Italy, Bulgaria, and Finland.

How was Berlin and Germany divided after the war?

Berlin and Germany were divided between the Grand Alliance powers; the Soviets would receive 1/4 of all output from the British, American, and French zones as compensation for not getting reparations.

What did Truman want for Eastern Europe after the war?

Free, democratic elections in countries ‘liberated’ by the Soviet Union.

How did Stalin respond to Truman’s demand for elections in Eastern Europe?

Stalin was not keen, and the installation of a pro-communist government in Poland was considered a violation of the Yalta agreement.

Which Polish Communists were influential and supported by the Soviet Union?

Gomułka and Bierut.