Location: Potsdam, Germany
The Potsdam Conference was the third major meeting between the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union during World War II. The conference was held in the city of Potsdam, Germany, from July 17 to August 2, 1945. The participants in the conference were:
- President Harry S. Truman of the United States
- Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Clement Atlee of the United Kingdom
- General Secretary Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union
Decisions of the Potsdam Conference:
1. Territorial Changes:
- Germany was to be divided into four zones of occupation, each controlled by one of the Allied powers (US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union).
- The Oder-Neisse Line was established as the new eastern boundary of Germany, resulting in the transfer of German territories to Poland.
- The northern half of East Prussia was given to the Soviet Union, while the southern half became part of Poland.
- The city of Königsberg (renamed Kaliningrad) was also granted to the Soviet Union.
- The Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, previously annexed by Germany, was restored to Czechoslovakia.
2. War Reparations:
- Germany was required to pay reparations to the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other affected countries.
- The reparations were to be made in the form of goods and labor.
- Germany's industrial capacity was limited to prevent the country from rearming.
3. Denazification and Demilitarization of Germany:
- The Allies agreed to eliminate all traces of Nazism from Germany and to prevent the country from becoming a military threat again.
- Nazi officials were to be removed from positions of power, and Nazi propaganda and organizations were to be banned.
- The German military was to be completely dismantled, and the production of war materials was prohibited.
4. Treatment of German Civilians:
- The Potsdam Conference recognized the need for humanitarian treatment of the German civilian population, who were facing food shortages and economic hardships after the war.
- The Allies agreed to provide essential supplies and assistance to the German people.
5. Potsdam Declaration:
- The Potsdam Declaration was issued on July 26, demanding unconditional surrender from Japan. The declaration warned that if Japan did not surrender, it would face "prompt and utter destruction." Japan refused to surrender, leading to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Potsdam Conference laid the foundation for the post-war order in Europe and set the stage for the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.