jul 17, 1945 - Potsdam Conference-
Churchill, Stalin, and Truman convene to
discuss agreements on German economy
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Description:
6 Important Facts:
1.) Close to Berlin, the Potsdam Conference was the last WW2 meetings held by Stalin, Truman, and Winston Churchill.
2.) Established a Council of Foreign Ministers (members included the Big Three plus France and China) and a central Allied Control Council for administration of Germany.
3.) The "Big Three" heads of state issued a declaration demanding the "unconditional surrender" from Japan. (Even though Japan was allowed to retain its emperor.)
4.) Stalin asked for reparations that Truman and Churchill said were economically impossible.
5.) Before the conference, Truman was informed of the success of the atomic bomb in New Mexico. Truman continued to solicit Stain's assistance against Japan, but knew Russian aid would not be needed if the bomb succeeded. The bomb would give the United States unprecedented power in the postwar world.
6.) The leaders arrived at various agreements on German economy, emphasizing the development of agriculture and nonmilitary industry. The institutions that were controlled by the Nazis were decentralized, but all of Germany would be treated as a single economic unit. War criminals would be brought to trial. Reparations were based on an exchange of capital equipment from the Western zone for raw materials from the East.
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