The Yalta Conference

• Who were the Big Three leaders at the Yalta Conference in 1945?

  Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin
• What was the main aim of the Yalta Conference?

  To decide what to do with Germany after its defeat
• How did the Yalta Conference set the scene for the Cold War in Europe?

  It established the division of Germany into four occupation zones
• Which countries controlled the four zones of occupation in Germany after the Yalta Conference?

  USSR, Britain, France, and the USA
• Why was France included in the Yalta Conference discussions?

  Due to pressure from General de Gaulle and Britain's desire for a European ally
• What was the significance of Berlin's location in relation to the Soviet zone?

  Berlin was about 100 miles inside the Soviet zone
• What was guaranteed to countries freed from Nazi control at the Yalta Conference?

  The right to hold free, democratic elections
• What was the official joint statement released at the Yalta Conference called?

  The Declaration on Liberated Europe
• What sphere of influence was Stalin offered at the Yalta Conference?

  A sphere of influence in Eastern Europe dominated by communist ideals
• What commitment did Stalin make regarding Japan at the Yalta Conference?

  To join the war against Japan after Germany's defeat
• Why was Stalin's commitment to join the war against Japan important to the Americans?

  Because the Americans were suffering heavy losses in the Pacific
• What did the Allied leaders agree to do with suspected Nazi war criminals?

  To pursue and put them on trial
• What organization was agreed upon at the Yalta Conference?

  The United Nations
• What was the purpose of the United Nations as established in 1945?

  To promote international cooperation and prevent war
• What were the key events related to Berlin during the Cold War?

  • Decisions about Berlin at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences
  • The Berlin Crisis and the Berlin Blockade (1948-49)
  • The construction of the Berlin Wall (1961)
• What was the Cold War's critical phase that began in the early 1960s?

  The world was pushed to the brink of nuclear war
• What was the significance of the Potsdam Conference in relation to the Yalta Conference?

  It further defined the post-war order established at Yalta
• What was the time period of Nazi Germany's control?

  1933 to 1945
• What was the role of General de Gaulle at the Yalta Conference?

  He pressured for France's inclusion in the discussions
• How did the Yalta Conference influence the future of Eastern Europe?

  It allowed Stalin to establish a communist sphere of influence