"... No previous meeting has shown so clearly the results which can be achieved when the three heads of government meet together with the full intention to face difficulties and solve them..." -Winston Churchill thanking Stalin for his "hospitality" during the Yalta conference.
The Yalta Conference took place during World War II from February 4 to February 11, 1945. The leaders during this time, also know as The Big Three, were U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. These three made the important decisions regarding the end of the war.
The Allied leaders came to Yalta knowing that the Pacific War was not coming to an end anytime soon. Roosevelt and Churchill discussed with Stalin the conditions under which the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan. They all agreed that if the Soviet participated in the Pacific theater, they would be granted a sphere of influence in Manchuria following Japan's surrender.
The Big Three also discussed the future of Germany, Eastern Europe, and the United Nations. They agreed to not only include France in the postwar governing of Germany, but also that Germany should assume some responsibility for reparations following the war. The Americans and British agreed that future governments of Eastern Europe should be "friendly" to the Soviet government and the Soviet agreed to allow free elections in all territories freed from Nazi Germany, even though the USSR broke this agreement. In the discussions regarding the future of the United Nations, all parties agreed to an American plan concerning voting procedures in the Security Council, which had been expanded to five permanent members following the inclusion of France. Each of these permanent members was to hold a veto on decisions before the Security Council.
The initial reaction to the Yalta agreements was celebratory. Roosevelt and many others viewed it as proof that the U.S and Soviet wartime cooperation would carry over even after the war. This, however, was short-lived. With the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945, Harry S. Truman became the thirty-third president of the United States. By the end of April, the new administration did not agree with the Soviets over their influence in Eastern Europe, and over the United Nations. Alarmed at the lack of cooperation on the part of the Soviets, many Americans began to criticize Roosevelt’s handling of the Yalta negotiations. Even today, many of Roosevelt’s critics accuse him of “handing over” Eastern Europe and Northeast Asia to the Soviet Union at Yalta despite the fact that the Soviets did make many substantial concessions.
The Allied leaders came to Yalta knowing that the Pacific War was not coming to an end anytime soon. Roosevelt and Churchill discussed with Stalin the conditions under which the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan. They all agreed that if the Soviet participated in the Pacific theater, they would be granted a sphere of influence in Manchuria following Japan's surrender.
The Big Three also discussed the future of Germany, Eastern Europe, and the United Nations. They agreed to not only include France in the postwar governing of Germany, but also that Germany should assume some responsibility for reparations following the war. The Americans and British agreed that future governments of Eastern Europe should be "friendly" to the Soviet government and the Soviet agreed to allow free elections in all territories freed from Nazi Germany, even though the USSR broke this agreement. In the discussions regarding the future of the United Nations, all parties agreed to an American plan concerning voting procedures in the Security Council, which had been expanded to five permanent members following the inclusion of France. Each of these permanent members was to hold a veto on decisions before the Security Council.
The initial reaction to the Yalta agreements was celebratory. Roosevelt and many others viewed it as proof that the U.S and Soviet wartime cooperation would carry over even after the war. This, however, was short-lived. With the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945, Harry S. Truman became the thirty-third president of the United States. By the end of April, the new administration did not agree with the Soviets over their influence in Eastern Europe, and over the United Nations. Alarmed at the lack of cooperation on the part of the Soviets, many Americans began to criticize Roosevelt’s handling of the Yalta negotiations. Even today, many of Roosevelt’s critics accuse him of “handing over” Eastern Europe and Northeast Asia to the Soviet Union at Yalta despite the fact that the Soviets did make many substantial concessions.