The Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference was one of the most important events in history, let alone, this century. It took place from February 4 to February 11, 1945, at Yalta, Crimea, a port/resort. The three main individuals at this meeting were Churchill of Great Britain, Roosevelt of the United States and Stalin of the U.S.S.R, known back then, and now known as Russia. Roosevelt had two primary goals at Yalta, and he secured them both, during the negotiations. One these key objectives was to involve Stalin in the war against Japan. The Americans had lost too many people since the battles fought with Australia against Japan were bloody ones. And, since it was not clear how to defeat the Japanese since they were so devoted to their country (recall the Kamakasi), Roosevelt wanted Russian involvement in the war. His other major objective at the Crimea conference was to ensure the creation of the UN along the lines proposed by the Americans. "FDR believed that the UN was the only device that could keep the United States from slipping back into isolationism after WWII"(1). After detailed explanations of the UN proposal, by Secretary of State, Edward R. Stettinius, Stalin and Churchill agreed to the guidelines proposed. Because Churchill strongly wanted to have certain countries in the British commonwealth accepted into the UN, Roosevelt was unable to deny Stalin the admission of Soviet Ukrainian and Belorussian republics in the UN.Another very important matter on the table of discussions at Yalta was Poland. Since Poland was a very large country and situated between Germany and Russia. It was also a very will strategically placed country. So, at the Yalta conference it was discussed whether Poland would be allowed to have free elections. Stalin was greatly opposed to having supervised (by the Americans, British and Soviets) election in Poland and so. Another matter of great importance and Crimea was the reparations to be received from Germany.
