The Yalta Conference marked America’s acquiescence to Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. The wartime allies held the meeting to discuss the postwar European political situation and reorganization. American President Franklin Roosevelt hoped to convince Soviet leader Josef Stalin to attack Japan in order to shorten the Pacific War. As a result, he willingly surrendered the Eastern European sovereignty to the communists in exchange for Soviet military assistance against the Japanese Empire.
In 1943, the “Big Three” Allied war leaders, Roosevelt, Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, met in Tehran to discuss war strategy. It was the first time the three men met together and allowed them the opportunity to discuss war strategy unfiltered. The main issue was the opening of a second front against Hitler in Europe to relieve pressure on the Soviets.
The second front opened in 1944 and German defeat seemed imminent by February 1945. As a result, the Big Three decided to meet again at Yalta to discuss the postwar order. Roosevelt had just won a stunning fourth term as president and had about two months to live. His appearance shocked Churchill. It was evident that Roosevelt’s health was rapidly deteriorating.
Stalin dominated the meeting. Roosevelt seemed unwilling or unable to clash with the Soviet dictator. Privately, Stalin charmed the American president into believing the Soviet government would never directly annex any territory. In the meantime, Stalin rejected demands to restore the legitimate Polish government and promised free elections under the direction of a Soviet provisional government. Churchill protested realizing that Stalin did not intend to allow free elections. Roosevelt sided with Stalin requesting the elections at least look fair.
President Roosevelt surrendered the rest of Eastern Europe to Stalin as well. His logic was two-fold. First, the Soviet Red Army already held vast swaths of territory and might be immovable if Stalin refused to surrender territory. This seemed highly likely. Stalin wanted to spread communism and establish a buffer zone between Moscow and Western Europe. Napoleon and the Germans had invaded Russia. He did not want a third war on Russian soil. Second, Roosevelt wanted Stalin’s help against Japan. The Japanese military fought more fanatically the closer the U.S. moved toward the home island. If the atomic bomb failed to persuade Japan to surrender, then the casualties in an invasion of Japan would be catastrophic. Roosevelt hoped Soviet entry into the war would relieve pressure on the American military and speed up Japan’s surrender.
Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan as soon as Germany surrendered. The conference settled many other issues. To begin with, the Allies demanded Germany’s unconditional surrender. At war’s end, the three agreed to split Germany and Berlin into occupation zones. On top of this, Germany would be denazified and demilitarized. Next, Poland would be placed under Soviet auspices pending “free” elections. Moreover, the Soviets were allowed to enslave Germans to repair war damage. Seventh, Nazi war criminals would be hunted down and tried for crimes against humanity. Lastly, The Soviet Union agreed to join the United Nations.
Churchill objected to many of the Soviet demands and stood up for the Eastern Europeans. Many have argued that FDR’s health allowed him to be hoodwinked by Stalin. However, Roosevelt was more concerned with ending the war with Japan. Plus, he knew he could not move the Red Army from Eastern Europe. Stalin held all the cards. Roosevelt hoped that the U.N. could rectify the inequities agreed to at Yalta. In the end, Roosevelt died in April, the U.N. proved helpless, and the Soviets remained in Eastern Europe for 44 years. Consequently, millions died and Eastern Europe fell behind the west technologically. However, Soviet entry into the war hastened Japan's surrender.
The Big Three met at Yalta to discuss the postwar order. The Soviet Union exited the conference the victor. The Soviets added Eastern Europe to their empire and agreed to go to war with Japan. In the end, the U.S. and Britain abandoned Eastern Europe to a genocidal tyrant. In return, many American lives were saved.
Comments