The Yalta Conference, also known as the Crimea Conference, was a meeting held in February 1945 between the leaders of the Allied powers during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Premier Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union gathered to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe and Asia.
One of the key agreements made at the Yalta Conference was the division of Germany into four occupation zones, to be administered by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. The three leaders also agreed to create the United Nations, an international organization designed to prevent future wars through diplomacy and cooperation.
Another important agreement made at Yalta was the division of Korea into two zones of occupation, with the Soviet Union occupying the northern half and the United States occupying the southern half. This agreement set the stage for the Korean War in 1950, which pitted North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, against South Korea, backed by a United Nations coalition led by the United States.
Despite the agreements made at Yalta, the conference has been controversial in the decades since it took place. Some critics argue that Roosevelt and Churchill were too accommodating towards Stalin, who would go on to become a brutal dictator responsible for the deaths of millions of people in the Soviet Union. Others point out that the agreements made at Yalta were necessary to bring an end to the war and establish a foundation for peace in the post-war world.
In any case, the agreements made at Yalta remain an important moment in the history of the 20th century, and continue to shape the global political landscape to this day. Whether viewed as a triumph of diplomacy or a cautionary tale of the dangers of appeasement, the Yalta Conference remains a powerful example of the complex and often fraught negotiations required to create a more peaceful and just world.