Superpower Relations and the Cold War
FLASHPOINT REVISION
Event: Tehran, Yalta Potsdam
Date: Nov 1943, Feb 1943, July/August 1943
People: Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill, Attlee, Truman
Cause:

1941- Grand Alliance formed between USA and USSR and GB to defeat Germany. USA and GB suspicious of
Stalin
Leaders of Grand Alliance met three times a year during war

Narrative:
The Grand Alliance first met in Tehran to plan a winning strategy to end the war. The following agreements were
made

The main agreements were that: Britain and the USA agreed to open a second front by invading France; the
USSR agreed to wage war against Japan once Germany was defeated; a United Nations was to be set up and
eastern Poland would become part of the USSR.
Two years later the big three held a second meeting to discuss winning the war and the government of post war
Europe. Stalin was determined to keep the territory he had won. The following agreements were made:

At Yalta it was agreed: the USSR would enter the war against Japan; Germany (and Berlin) would be divided
into four zones (US, British, French and Soviet); free elections for countries liberated from Germany; the
right to join the United Nations and that Eastern Europe would be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’.
Between Yalta and Potsdam a lot had changed. For example, Soviet troops had liberated Eastern Europe but had not
removed their presence; a communist government had been set up in Poland by Stalin; the Red Army was the biggest
in the world and the USA had secretly tested a nuclear bomb in the USA. When Truman told Stalin about this he was
furious. The meeting was between Attlee, Truman and Stalin. At Potsdam it was agreed:

Germany would be divided into four zones as previously agreed; Germany would be demilitarised;
democracy was to be re-established in Germany; Germany had to pay reparations and the USSR would be
given a quarter of goods made in the Western zone of Germany; the Nazi party was banned; full
participation in the League of Nations and Poland's frontier to be moved to the Oder and Neisse rivers.
Consequence:





Poland in Soviet Sphere of influence
Establishment of United Nations
Germany divided into four zones
Berlin divided into zones of occupation
Lead to increased tension between USA and Soviet Union
Importance:

While Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union were able to work together to defeat Germany, tension was
increasing between the wartime alliances. Differences were beginning to emerge over the future of
Germany and Eastern Europe. Roosevelt’s death had led to Truman becoming president and he was much
more distrustful of the Soviet Union increasing tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union
Exemplar answer: 8 marks
Write a narrative account of the Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam conferences
The first key event between 1943-45 was the Tehran meeting. This was a meeting between Roosevelt, Stalin
and Churchill at Tehran in Iran in November 1943. Roosevelt tended to side with Stalin rather than Churchill
and the meeting was seen as a success for Stalin. The main agreements were that: Britain and the USA agreed
to open a second front by invading France; the USSR agreed to wage war against Japan once Germany was
defeated; a United Nations was to be set up and eastern Poland would become part of the USSR.
The second key event was at Yalta. This was the last meeting between the big three. Churchill apparently felt
alienated by how well Roosevelt and Stalin got on. Stalin wanted Germany to pay huge reparations but
Roosevelt and Churchill disagreed and did not want Germany punished too harshly. At Yalta it was agreed: that
he USSR would enter the war against Japan and this was similar to what was agreed at Tehran. What was
different to Tehran was that it was decided that Germany (and Berlin) would be divided into four zones (US,
British, French and Soviet) and that there would be free elections for countries liberated from Germany and
the right to join the United Nations and that Eastern Europe would be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’.
The last key event of the peace conferences was at Potsdam. Between Yalta and Potsdam a lot had changed.
For example, Soviet troops had liberated Eastern Europe but had not removed their presence; a communist
government had been set up in Poland by Stalin; the Red Army was the biggest in the world and the USA had
secretly tested a nuclear bomb in the USA. When Truman told Stalin about this he was furious. The meeting
was between Attlee, Truman and Stalin. At Potsdam it was agreed: Germany would be divided into four zones
as previously agreed; Germany would be demilitarised; democracy was to be re-established in Germany;
Germany had to pay reparations and the USSR would be given a quarter of goods made in the Western zone of
Germany; the Nazi party was banned; full participation in the League of Nations and Poland's frontier to be
moved to the Oder and Neisse rivers.
Between 1943-45 there were three main peace conferences. The most events that occurred were probably the
creation of the United Nations at Tehran because this became a key institution when trying to resolve world
conflicts. Another key event was the dividing of Germany into four zones at Yalta because this became an area
of mutual distrust that led into the Cold War.