Potsdam Conference Totally Explained

Everything about The Potsdam Conference totally explained

The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, Germany, from July 17, 1945 to August 2, 1945. The participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The three nations were represented by Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and later Clement Attlee, and President Harry S Truman. The French were not invited to participate. Although Poland made the fourth-largest troop contribution to the Allied war effort, after the Soviets, the British and the Americans, Polish leaders were not invited to participate in the conference even though earlier they'd been promised entry.
Stalin, Churchill, and Truman—as well as Attlee, who replaced Churchill as Prime Minister after the Labour Party's victory over the Conservatives in the 1945 general election—had gathered to decide how to administer the defeated Nazi Germany, which had agreed to unconditional surrender nine weeks earlier, on May 8 (V-E Day). The goals of the conference also included the establishment of post-war order, peace treaties issues, and countering the effects of war.

Participants

Soviet Union, represented by Joseph Stalin. Stalin arrived at the conference a day late, citing "official business" that required his attention, but in fact may have suffered a minor heart attack.
United Kingdom, represented by British Prime Minister, Clement Attlee. The results of the British election became known during the conference. As a result of the Labour Party victory over the Conservative Party the leadership changed hands.
United States, represented by the new President Harry S Truman. It was here where Truman first alluded to Stalin that the Americans had developed the atomic bomb and may use it against Japan, which they later did on August 6th and August 9th. Joseph Stalin suggested that Truman preside over the conference as the only head of state attending, a recommendation accepted by Churchill.

Results

Potsdam Agreement

ť Main article the Potsdam Agreement

At the end of the conference, the Three Heads of Government agreed on the following actions:

Germany:

::See also Expulsion of Germans after World War II, The industrial plans for Germany and Oder-Neisse line
Issuance of a statement of aims of the occupation of Germany by the Allies: demilitarization, denazification, democratization, decentralization and decartelization.
Division of Germany and Austria respectively into four occupation zones (earlier agreed in principle at Yalta), and the similar division of each's capital, Berlin and Vienna, into four zones.
Agreement on the prosecution of Nazi war criminals.
Reversion of all German annexations in Europe, including Sudetenland, Alsace-Lorraine, Austria and the westernmost parts of Poland
Germany's eastern border was to be shifted westwards to the Oder-Neisse line, effectively reducing Germany in size by approximately 25% compared to her 1937 borders. The territories east of the new border comprised East Prussia, Silesia, West Prussia, and two thirds of Pomerania. These areas were mainly agricultural, with the exception of Upper Silesia which was the second largest centre of German heavy industry.
Expulsion of the German populations remaining beyond the new eastern borders of Germany.
Agreement on war reparations to the Soviet Union from their zone of occupation in Germany. It was also agreed that 10% of the industrial capacity of the western zones unnecessary for the German peace economy should be transferred to the Soviet Union within 2 years. Stalin proposed and it was accepted that Poland was to be excluded from division of German compensation to be later granted 15% of compensation given to Soviet Union (this has never happened).
Ensuring that German standards of living didn't exceed the European average. The types and amounts of industry to dismantle to achieve this was to be determined later. (see The industrial plans for Germany)
Destruction of German industrial war-potential through the destruction or control of all industry with military potential. To this end, all civilian shipyards and aircraft factories were to be dismantled or otherwise destroyed. All production capacity associated with war-potential, such as metals, chemical, machinery etc were to be reduced to a minimum level which was later determined by the Allied Control Commission. Manufacturing capacity thus made "surplus" was to be dismantled as reparations or otherwise destroyed. All research and international trade was to be controlled. The economy was to be decentralized (decartelization). The economy was also to be reorganized with primary emphasis on agriculture and peaceful domestic industries. In early 1946 agreement was reached on the details of the latter: Germany was to be converted into an agricultural and light industry economy. German exports were to be coal, beer, toys, textiles, etc — to take the place of the heavy industrial products which formed most of Germany's pre-war exports.

Poland:

::See also Western betrayal and Territorial changes of Poland after World War II
A Provisional Government of National Unity recognized by all three powers should be created (known as the Lublin Poles). Recognition of the Soviet controlled government by the Western Powers effectively meant end of recognition for the existing Polish government in Exile (known as the London Poles).
Poles who were serving in the British Army should be free to return to Poland, with no security upon their return to the communist country guaranteed.
The provisional western border should be the Oder-Neisse line, defined by the Oder and Neisse rivers. Parts of East Prussia and the former Free City of Danzig should be under Polish administration. However the final delimitation of the western frontier of Poland should await the peace settlement (which would take place at the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany in 1998)
The Soviet Union declared it'll settle the reparation claims of Poland from its own share of reparations (it never did)

All other issues were to be answered by the final peace conference to be called as soon as possible.
Potsdam Declaration
ť Main article the Potsdam Declaration

In addition to the Potsdam Agreement, on July 26 Churchill, Truman and Chiang Kai-shek (the Soviet Union wasn't at war with Japan during the Conference) issued the Potsdam Declaration which outlined the terms of surrender for Japan during WWII in Asia.
Other issues
The western allies, and especially Churchill, were suspicious of the motives of Stalin, who had already installed communist governments in the central European countries under his influence; the Potsdam conference turned out to be the last conference among the allied leaders.
During the conference, Truman mentioned an unspecified "powerful new weapon" to Stalin; Stalin, who had known of its existence long before Truman ever knew, through espionage, encouraged the usage of any weapon that would hasten the end of the war. Towards the end of the conference, Japan was given an ultimatum (threatening "prompt and utter destruction", without mentioning the new bomb), and after rejecting Japan's conditional surrender, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945 respectively.
Previous Conferences

the Yalta Conference, February 4 to February 11, 1945

the Second Quebec Conference, September 12 to September 16, 1944

the Tehran Conference, November 28 to December 1, 1943

the Cairo Conference, November 22 to November 26, 1943

the Casablanca Conference, January 14 to January 24, 1943Further Information
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