Yalta AgreementsIn February 1945 Winston Churchill, Franklin D.

« Yalta Agreements In February 1945 Winston Churchill, Franklin D.

Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin—respectively, the heads of state of the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Union ofSoviet Socialist Republics (USSR)—met at the Black Sea resort of Yalta to discuss the postwar division and occupation of Germany after World War II (1939-1945).

In theresulting Yalta agreements, the USSR agreed to help defeat Japan in exchange for several islands in the area, although this was kept secret until later.

Critics in the UnitedStates argued that too many concessions had been made to the USSR during the conference, making the Yalta agreements a focus of domestic disputes.

Herbert S.

Parmet Yalta Agreements PROTOCOL OF PROCEEDINGS OF CRIMEA CONFERENCE… II.

DECLARATION OF LIBERATED EUROPE The following declaration has been approved: The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States of America have consultedwith each other in the common interests of the people of their countries and those of liberated Europe.

They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert duringthe temporary period of instability in liberated Europe the policies of their three Governments in assisting the peoples liberated from the domination of Nazi Germanyand the peoples of the former Axis satellite states of Europe to solve by democratic means their pressing political and economic problems. The establishment of order in Europe and the rebuilding of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroythe last vestiges of nazism and fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice.

This is a principle of the Atlantic Charter—the right of all people tochoose the form of government under which they will live—the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprivedto them by the aggressor nations. To foster the conditions in which the liberated people may exercise these rights, the three governments will jointly assist the people in any European liberated state orformer Axis state in Europe where, in their judgment conditions require, (a) to establish conditions of internal peace; (b) to carry out emergency relief measures for the relief of distressed peoples—, (c) to form interim governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishmentthrough free elections of Governments responsive to the will of the people; and d) to facilitate where necessary the holding of such elections. The three Governments will consult the other United Nations and provisional authorities or other Governments in Europe when matters of direct interest to them areunder consideration. When, in the opinion of the three Governments, conditions in any European liberated state or former Axis satellite in Europe make such action necessary, they willimmediately consult together on the measure necessary to discharge the joint responsibilities set forth in this declaration. By this declaration we reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, our pledge in the Declaration by the United Nations and our determination to buildin cooperation with other peace-loving nations world order, under law, dedicated to peace, security, freedom and general well-being of all mankind. In issuing this declaration, the three powers express the hope that the Provisional Government of the French Republic may be associated with them in the proceduresuggested.… VII.

POLAND The following declaration on Poland was agreed by the conference: “A new situation has been created in Poland as a result of her complete liberation by the Red Army.

This calls for the establishment of a Polish ProvisionalGovernment which can be more broadly based than was possible before the recent liberation of the western part of Poland.

The Provisional Government which isnow functioning in Poland should therefore be reorganized on a broader democratic basis with the inclusion of democratic leaders from Poland itself and from Polesabroad.

This new Government should then be called the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity. “[Soviet Foreign Minister] M.

[Vyacheslav] Molotov, [U.S.

Ambassador W.

Averell] Harriman and [British Ambassador] Sir A.

Clark Kerr are authorized as acommission to consult in the first instance in Moscow with members of the present Provisional Government and with other Polish democratic leaders from withinPoland and from abroad, with a view to the reorganization of the present Government along the above lines.

This Polish Provisional Government of National Unityshall be pledged to the holding of free and unfettered elections as soon as possible on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot.

In these elections alldemocratic and anti-Nazi parties shall have the right to take part and to put forward candidates. “When a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity has been properly formed in conformity with the above, the Government of the U.S.S.R., which nowmaintains diplomatic relations with the present Provisional Government of Poland, and the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the UnitedStates of America will establish diplomatic relations with the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, and will exchange Ambassadors by whosereports the respective Governments will be kept informed about the situation in Poland. “The three heads of Government consider that the eastern frontier of Poland should follow the Curzon Line with digressions from it in some regions of five to eightkilometers in favor of Poland.

They recognize that Poland must receive substantial accessions in territory in the north and west.

They feel that the opinion of the newPolish Provisional Government of National Unity should be sought in due course of the extent of these accessions and that the final delimitation of the westernfrontier of Poland should thereafter await the peace conference.…” AGREEMENT REGARDING JAPAN The leaders of the three great powers—the Soviet Union, the United States of America and Great Britain—have agreed that in two or three months after Germany has. »