Major Conferences: Obviously the Most Interesting Aspect of War

Casablanca (Jan. 1943)

Meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt

Occurred after a successful campaign in N. Africa

Preceded the Invasion of Italy

Set the goal of unconditional surrender

- may have made the war last longer (why?)

Tehran (Nov. 1943)

Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin meet for the first time

Planned a coordinated war effort

- British and Americans promised to invade France

- Russia promised to declare war on Japan (after German surrender)

Avoided many important post-war issues

- Ex. What happens to Poland?

Yalta (Feb. 1945)

Last wartime meeting of the three leaders

Agreed to create a United Nations

- Debate over how much control the Soviets would have

Soviets again promised to declare war on Japan

Zones of occupation created in Germany

Debate over influence in Eastern Europe

Soviets wanted to demand reparations from Germany

Potsdam (Jul.-Aug. 1945)

Issues included:

- Punishments for Germany

- The New Balance of Power

- Recovering from the war

Churchill is voted out of office halfway through

Leads to the Potsdam Agreement

Potsdam AgreementVietnam is partitioned

- Northern half surrenders to China, southern to Britain

- Guess how that ultimately ends

Germany is shrunk and weakened industrially

Germany and Austria divided into four occupation zones

Sets borders for Poland

- Becomes part of a Soviet Controlled “Eastern Block”

Potsdam Declaration- terms for Japanese surrender