The Yalta Pact
The Yalta Conference, also known as the Crimea Conference and the Argonaut Conference, was held in the Livadia Palace near Yalta, in the Crimea, on February 4-11, 1945. It was a meeting held between the government leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and General Secretary Joseph Stalin, respectively, and was held for the purpose of discussing Europe's post-war reorganization. The primary concern of the meeting was the re-establishment of the nations of war-torn Europe.
Key Points/Significances of the Yalta Pact
After WW2, Germany and Berlin would be split into four occupied zones, as part of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, an agreed-upon priority of the Big Three
Stalin agreed that a fourth occupation zone in Germany, comprised of American and British zones, would be given to France
Germany would undergo demilitarization and denazification
German reparations for damage done to victims would be paid partly in forced labor
Creation of a reparation council which would be located in the Soviet Union
The communist Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland, installed by Stalin, would be reorganized on a "broader democratic basis"
The Poland eastern border would follow the Curzan Line, and Poland would receive territorial compensation in the west in Germany
Churchill pushed for free elections in Poland, which Stalin agreed to permit, but never did
Citizens of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia were to be handed over to their respective countries, regardless of consent
Roosevelt obtained a commitment by Stalin to participate in the U.N.
Stalin requested that all of the 16 soviet socialist republics would be granted U.N. membership, of which 14 were denied
Stalin agreed to enter the fight against the Empire of Japan within 90 days after the defeat of Germany
Nazi war criminals were to be hunted down and brought to justice
A "Committee on Dismemberment of Germany" was to be set up, for the purpose of deciding whether or not Germany would be divided into 6 nations
Post-Yalta Poland Borders
Additional Information
In the following links, you can discover additional information via more extensive online websites:
http://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/YaltaConf - Office of the Historian - This link provides less-condensed information the Yalta Conference
http://www.history.com/topics/yalta-conference - The History Channel - This link provides summarized information on the Yalta Conference as well as extra links on key terms presented in the article
Additional Information
In the following links, you can discover additional information via more extensive online websites:
http://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/YaltaConf - Office of the Historian - This link provides less-condensed information the Yalta Conference
http://www.history.com/topics/yalta-conference - The History Channel - This link provides summarized information on the Yalta Conference as well as extra links on key terms presented in the article