As was his custom, Stalin refused to fly anywhere by plane. He left for the conference on November 22, 1943. His letter train No. 501 proceeded through Stalingrad and Baku. Stalin was traveling in an armored spring twelve-wheeler carriage.
In the memoirs of Air Marshal Golovanov there are references to the flight of Stalin and all the Russian representatives of this conference, prepared by him personally. Two planes were flying. Golovanov personally controlled the second. The first, piloted by Viktor Grachev, carried Stalin, Molotov and Voroshilov.
Conference goals
The conference was called upon to develop a final strategy for the fight against Germany and its allies. The conference became important stage in the development of international and inter-allied relations, a number of issues of war and peace were considered and resolved:
- an exact date was set for the Allies to open a second front in France (and the “Balkan strategy” proposed by Great Britain was rejected),
- discussed issues of granting independence to Iran (“Declaration on Iran”)
- the beginning of the solution to the Polish question was laid
- about the beginning of the USSR war with Japan after the defeat of Nazi Germany
- the contours of the post-war world order were outlined
- a unity of views has been achieved on issues of ensuring international security and lasting peace
Opening of the “second front”
The main issue was the opening of a second front in Western Europe.
After much debate, the Overlord issue was at a dead end. Then Stalin rose from his chair and, turning to Voroshilov and Molotov, said with irritation: “We have too much to do at home to waste time here. Nothing worthwhile, as I see it, is working out.” The critical moment has arrived. Churchill understood this and, fearing that the conference might be disrupted, made a compromise.
Polish question
W. Churchill's proposal was accepted that Poland's claims to the lands of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine would be satisfied at the expense of Germany, and the Curzon line should be the border in the east. On November 30, a gala reception was held at the British Embassy to mark Churchill's birthday.
Post-war world structure
- de facto, the right was assigned to the Soviet Union to annex part of East Prussia as an indemnity after the victory
- also, F. Roosevelt proposed dividing Germany into 5 states
Issues of ensuring security in the world after the war
US President Roosevelt outlined at the conference the American point of view regarding the creation in the future international organization security, what is he talking about? general outline already told the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR V.M. Molotov during his stay in Washington in the summer of 1942 and what was the subject of discussion between Roosevelt and the British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden in March 1943.
According to the scheme outlined by the president in a conversation with Stalin on November 29, 1943, after the end of the war it was proposed to create a world organization on the principles of the United Nations, and its activities did not include military issues, that is, it should not be similar to the League of Nations. The structure of the organization, according to Roosevelt, should have included three bodies:
- a general body consisting of all (35 or 50) members of the United Nations, which will only make recommendations and will meet in different places, where each country can express its opinion.
- executive committee consisting of the USSR, USA, Great Britain, China, two European countries, one Latin American country, one Middle Eastern country and one of the British Dominions; The committee will deal with non-military issues.
- a police committee consisting of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and China, which will monitor the preservation of peace in order to prevent new aggression from Germany and Japan.
Stalin called the scheme outlined by Roosevelt good, but expressed his fear that small European states might be dissatisfied with such an organization, and therefore expressed the opinion that it might be better to create two organizations (one for Europe, the other for the Far East or the world). Roosevelt pointed out that Stalin's point of view partially coincides with the opinion of Churchill, who proposes to create three organizations - European, Far Eastern and American. However, Roosevelt noted that the United States could not be a member of the European organization and that only a shock comparable to the current war could force the Americans to send their troops overseas.
Assassination attempt on the leaders of the Big Three
For security purposes in the Iranian capital, the US President did not stay at his own embassy, but at the Soviet one, which was located opposite the British one (the American embassy was located much further, on the outskirts of the city in a dubious area). A tarpaulin corridor was created between the embassies so that the movements of the leaders were not visible from the outside. The diplomatic complex thus created was surrounded by three rings of infantry and tanks. For three days of the conference, the city was completely blocked by troops and special services. In Tehran, all media activities were suspended, telephone, telegraph and radio communications were turned off. Even the families of Soviet diplomats were temporarily “evacuated” from the area of the upcoming negotiations.
On the Soviet side, a group of professional intelligence officers took part in uncovering the assassination attempt on the leaders of the Big Three. Information about the impending terrorist attack was reported to Moscow from the Volyn forests by intelligence officer Nikolai Kuznetsov, and in the spring of 1943, a radiogram came from the center saying that the Germans were planning to carry out sabotage in Tehran during a conference with the participation of the leaders of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, with the aim of sabotage is the physical removal of conference participants. All members of the group of Soviet intelligence officers led by Gevork Vartanyan were mobilized to prevent a terrorist attack.
At the end of the summer of 1943, the Germans dropped a team of six radio operators into the area of Lake Qom near the city of Qom (70 km from Tehran). After 10 days they were already near Tehran, where they boarded a truck and reached the city. From a villa prepared specially for this by local agents, a group of radio operators established radio contact with Berlin in order to prepare a springboard for the landing of saboteurs led by Otto Skorzeny. However, these ambitious plans were not destined to come true - Vartanyan’s agents, together with the British from MI6, took direction finding and deciphered all their messages. Soon, after a long search for the radio transmitter, the entire group was captured and forced to work with Berlin “under the hood”. At the same time, in order to prevent the landing of the second group, during the interception of which losses on both sides could not be avoided, they were given the opportunity to convey that they had been exposed. Upon learning of the failure, Berlin abandoned its plans.
A few days before the conference, arrests were made in Tehran, resulting in the arrest of more than 400 German agents. The last to be taken was Franz Mayer, who had gone deep underground: he was found in an Armenian cemetery, where he, having dyed and grown his beard, worked as a gravedigger. Of the large number of agents discovered, some were arrested, and the majority were converted. Some were handed over to the British, others were deported to the Soviet Union.
Memory of the conference
- "Tehran-43" - a 1980 feature television film about the prevention of the Tehran terrorist attack
Notes
Literature
- Tehran Conference of the Leaders of the Three Allied Powers - USSR, USA and Great Britain / Gromyko A. - M.: Publishing House of Political Literature, 1974. - T. 2. - 175 p. - (The Soviet Union at international conferences during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945). - 100,000 copies.
- Karpov V. Generalissimo. Book 2. - M.: Veche, 2011. - 496 p. - 2000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-9533-5891-0
- Berezhkov V. Tehran 1943. - M.: Publishing House of the News Press Agency, 1968. - 128 p. - 150,000 copies.
- Churchill, Winston Spencer Closing the Ring. - Boston: Mariner Books, 1986. - Vol. 5. - 704 p. - (The Second World War). - ISBN 978-0395410592
Links
- "Three Power Declaration" and "Three Power Declaration on Iran"
- Shvanits V. G. 4-2010 Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill in Iran ( Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill in Iran, Webversion (German) )
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See what the “Tehran Conference” is in other dictionaries:
TEHRAN CONFERENCE- 1943 conference of the leaders of the three allied powers in World War II: the USSR (J.V. Stalin), the USA (F. Roosevelt) and Great Britain (W. Churchill); took place on November 28-December 1 in Tehran (Iran). The Declaration on Joint Actions in War was adopted... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
TEHRAN CONFERENCE- 1943, conference of the leaders of the three allied powers in World War II: the USSR (J.V. Stalin), the USA (F. Roosevelt) and Great Britain (W. Churchill); took place on November 28-December 1 in Tehran (Iran). The Declaration on Joint Actions in War was adopted... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Tehran Conference- (Teheran Conference) (28 Nov. 1 Dec. 1943), meeting of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin in the capital of Iran. During the meeting, Stalin, invited for the first time to an inter-allied conference, was informed about the upcoming opening of the Second Front on 3.... ... The World History
TEHRAN CONFERENCE- - a conference of the leaders of the three allied powers - the USSR, the USA and England, which took place in Tehran on November 28 - December 1, 1943. The conference adopted a Declaration on joint actions in the war against Germany and on post-war cooperation of the three powers ... Soviet legal dictionary
Tehran Conference- Tehran Conference (1943) ... Russian spelling dictionary
Tehran Conference 1943- On November 28, December 1, 1943, a conference of the leaders of the three allied states of the anti-Hitler coalition was held in Tehran (Iran): Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Joseph Stalin, US President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
Tehran Conference 1943- Tehran Conference 1943, a conference of the leaders of the three powers allied in World War II: the USSR (I.V. Stalin), the USA (F. Roosevelt) and Great Britain (W. Churchill). Took place on November 28 – December 1 in Tehran (Iran). Declarations on... ... Historical Dictionary
TEHRAN CONFERENCE 1943- TEHRAN CONFERENCE 1943, a conference of the leaders of the three allied powers in World War II, participants in the anti-Hitler coalition: the USSR (J.V. Stalin), the USA (F. Roosevelt) and Great Britain (W. Churchill); took place on November 28, December 1 in... ... Russian history
Tehran Conference 1943- conference of the leaders of the three powers allied in World War II: the USSR (J.V. Stalin), the USA (F. Roosevelt) and Great Britain (W. Churchill); took place on November 28-December 1 in Tehran (Iran). Declarations on joint actions in the war against... ... were adopted. Political science. Dictionary.
TEHRAN CONFERENCE 1943- the leaders of the three allied powers took place on December 28, December 1. The head of the Soviet government J.V. Stalin, US President F. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister W. Churchill, as well as their diplomatic advisers and... took part in the conference. Diplomatic Dictionary
The Tehran Conference is the first of three conferences between the leaders of the three world powers. It was not so easy for them to get together. The main problem was Stalin.
Why Tehran?
Stalin refused to come to previous meetings, justifying the refusals for various reasons. Stalin did not come to the conference in Cairo that took place before Tehran because a representative of China was there. China was at war with Japan, and the Soviet Union remained neutral with Japan. In addition, it is also known that Stalin was afraid of airplanes. Even in Tehran, he most likely eventually arrived by train through Baku.
Tehran was chosen as the meeting location for several reasons. The main one is that, in fact, Iran was occupied by Soviet and British troops and was ruled by a “puppet” government. De facto. Several units of Soviet troops were located in the capital of Iran. Cairo, Basra, Beirut were considered as compromise options, but Tehran was the most convenient.
Roosevelt and Stalin
Roosevelt would have been more interested in meeting Stalin than anyone else. It was fundamentally important for him to know the position of the USSR in the war with Japan. Roosevelt was going to “charm” Stalin; he was famous for his “courtship.” The American president viewed the Tehran conference not as a meeting of three, but as a meeting of "two and a half." Churchill was "half".
Safety
Security issues on Tehran Conference were decided on the highest level. The British embassy, where the meetings took place, was surrounded by several rings of security; during the conference, communications in Tehran were cut off and media outlets were banned. Such “sterility” would be impossible anywhere else. The excellent security organization made it possible to prevent the “attack of the century” organized by Otto Skorzeny.
Churchill
Churchill solved his problems at the Tehran Conference. It was they who proposed a solution to the “Polish question”. It was important for Churchill that both the USSR and the USA began to view Great Britain as an equal power. Churchill was, of course, an experienced politician, but during the Tehran Conference, he played, by and large, second fiddle. The first were Stalin and Roosevelt. Neither one nor the other liked Churchill, and it was precisely on the basis of dislike for Churchill that a rapprochement between Roosevelt and Stalin took place. Diplomacy is a delicate matter. By the way, on the occasion of Churchill’s birthday, November 30, a gala reception was held at the embassy.
"Long Jump"
Operation Long Jump was characterized by the breadth of its design and the same breadth of stupidity. Hitler planned to kill “three birds with one stone” with one blow, but the miscalculation was that the “hares” were not so simple. A group led by Otto Skoczeny was tasked with eliminating Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt in Tehran. Kaltenbrunner himself coordinated the operation.
German intelligence learned of the time and location of the conference in mid-October 1943 by deciphering the American naval code. Soviet intelligence quickly uncovered the plot.
A group of Skorzeny’s militants underwent training near Vinnitsa, where Medvedev’s partisan detachment operated. According to one version of the development of events, Kuznetsov established friendly relations with a German intelligence officer Oster. Having owed Kuznetsov, Oster offered to pay him with Iranian carpets, which he was going to bring to Vinnitsa from a business trip to Tehran. This information, transmitted by Kuznetsov to the center, coincided with other data about the impending action. 19-year-old Soviet intelligence officer Gevork Vartanyan gathered a small group of agents in Iran, where his father, also an intelligence officer, posed as a wealthy merchant. Vartanyan managed to discover a group of six German radio operators and intercept their communications. The ambitious Operation Long Jump failed, leaving the Big Three unscathed. This was another failure of Otto Skorzenny, a great adventurer and not the most successful saboteur. The saboteurs wanted to enter the British embassy through a pipe leading from the Armenian cemetery.
Skorzeny’s operation even helped Soviet intelligence: about four hundred people were detained in Iran. The German network was practically destroyed.
Stalin and the prince
According to the memoirs of Gevork Vartanyan, when the Tehran Conference ended, only one of the three leaders of world powers, Joseph Stalin, went to express gratitude to the young Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, for the reception, and the British expelled Reza Shah from the country. Of course, the young Shah was not ready for such a visit. When Stalin entered the Shah's chamber, the young Tsar jumped up from his throne, ran up, knelt down and wanted to kiss Stalin's hand, but the leader of the USSR did not allow this and raised the Shah from his knees. This very event, that Stalin expressed gratitude for the reception to the head of Iran, had a huge resonance. Neither Roosevelt nor Churchill did this.
Redivision of the world
At the Tehran conference, in fact, all the decisions that were developed during the Yalta and Postdam conferences were adopted. The Tehran Conference was the most important of the three. The following decisions were made:
1. An exact date was set for the Allies to open a second front in France (and the “Balkan strategy” proposed by Great Britain was rejected).
2. Issues about granting independence to Iran were discussed (“Declaration on Iran”).
3. The beginning of the solution to the Polish question has been made.
4. The question of the USSR starting a war with Japan after the defeat of Nazi Germany.
5. The contours of the post-war world order were outlined.
6. A unity of views has been achieved on issues of ensuring international security and lasting peace.
This day in history:
On November 27, 1943, the Tehran Conference of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition began its work. Most of us are familiar with these events from the film “Tehran-43”. In the events of those distant days, there were actually fewer chases, shootouts and cunning spy combinations. But that doesn’t make them any less mysterious.
The outcome of World War II is a foregone conclusion, it’s time to start thinking about what the post-war world will look like. This is exactly what the leaders of three countries - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain - decided to discuss. Moreover, there were enough disagreements
.Unity of opposites
“At the height of the war, the leaders of England and the United States did not dare to openly express their deepest aspirations. Because at that time, in their own countries, public opinion was most decisively in favor of active cooperation with the Soviet Union. The governments of England and the United States could not help but take into account the broad movement of the British and American people for an effective military alliance with the USSR, for decisive joint actions against a common enemy,” wrote Stalin’s personal translator during the war in his book “Pages of Diplomatic History” (1987) Valentin Berezhkov.
And the aspirations were openly anti-Soviet. So, in 2012, Great Britain declassified its plans for the summer of 1941. “Two days before the war, material appeared on Stalin’s desk, from which it followed that Great Britain was preparing to attack the USSR. Churchill is going to bomb the Baku oil fields. At that time it was the main source of oil in the Soviet Union. If Hitler had not attacked, Churchill would have attacked us,” says historian Nikolai Starikov. But the British did not have to waste ammunition; on June 22, 1941, the Wehrmacht crossed the border of the USSR. London condemned this, but was in no hurry to help the victim of aggression. The figures for the supply of weapons and equipment to our country in 1941-42 are striking in their stinginess.
The Americans also tried to sit on two chairs until it was decided who would be stronger. Until the end of January 1944, US companies, including the Standard Oil Company, supplied Germany with fuel. American journalist Ida Tarbell investigated this activity, but the information was published only in 1950 in the second edition of her book “The History of the Standard Oil Company.” In 1944, the writer died suddenly; the official diagnosis was pneumonia...
Moreover, when aircraft attacked German defense facilities, a strange selectivity was observed. Bombs never flew to where overseas capital was. And such was present in the lion’s share of Hitler’s military-industrial complex. For example, the Ford plant in Cologne was completely undamaged, despite the fact that the city itself was completely destroyed. The US Strategic Bomber Command understood the importance of the Ford plants for the German war industry. On October 15 and 18, 1944, the first bombing of the plant took place. The planes did not hit the production facilities, only the forced labor camp. Franciszek Wojcikowski, a concentration camp prisoner, recalled that the planes were flying low and, in his opinion, did not want to strike the enterprise itself.
The prisoner barracks were completely destroyed, many prisoners died, but the assets of the overseas company were not damaged. Ford V3000 three-ton trucks (one of the most common trucks in the German army) and other equipment continued to regularly arrive in the Wehrmacht until May 45th. Naturally, not for free. During the entire war, not a single bomb fell on the outskirts of Auschwitz, where the production facilities of IG Farbenindustrie were located. General Motors Capital, J.P. Morgan & Co and other structures invested in the German chemical project were not affected.
That is, in fact, in Tehran, Stalin had to negotiate with very peculiar allies. One of his opponents was an outspoken enemy of the USSR - on October 8, 1942, Churchill presented a secret memorandum “On a United Europe” to the British Parliament: “It would be a terrible catastrophe for Europe if Russian barbarism swallowed up the culture and independence of the ancient states of Europe. Although it is difficult to talk about it now, I believe that the European family of nations can be united under the shadow of the European Council.” True, the Germans did not buy the new proposal to unite. May 41 was enough for them, when Rudolf Hess had already “agreed” to end the war with England in exchange for aggression against the USSR.
Roosevelt is a controversial figure. He had a positive attitude towards our country and repeatedly stated that the post-war world should be built on cooperation between the West and the Soviet Union. What angered ardent anti-communists. “A protégé of moderate circles, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, after the leader of the USSR, was target No. 2 in Tehran. And it is not at all a fact that it was the Germans who were hunting him there,” says historian Sergei Kremlev.
Three spy truths
“There are three truths in the Soviet action movie Tehran-43. First, at the end of 1943, a meeting of the “Big Three” took place in Tehran. Secondly, the Nazis were preparing an assassination attempt on the leaders of the USSR, USA and Great Britain. And third, Soviet intelligence eliminated the saboteurs,” Arkady Zhemchugov, a former KGB resident and now a member of the Foreign Intelligence Veterans Association, told our correspondent.
Artists agree with him. “We don’t know history well, we are fed gossip, there is little reliable information. And in my profession it is not particularly important - the director decides everything. I learned about the Tehran Conference from the script, and the plot of the film itself was invented from beginning to end. The audience had to believe: we are the smartest, the fascists are idiots. Personally, I am for fiction, which benefits everyone,” People’s Artist of the USSR Armen Dzhigarkhanyan told Culture.
Only individual episodes of the secret war that took place on the streets of the capital of Iran 70 years ago are more or less known. The British agreed to cooperate with Soviet intelligence officers, but they broke their word. They captured an Abwehr resident, a certain Miller. The remaining network of Nazi spies and saboteurs lay low. Although this did not help, our people identified and neutralized everyone.
The American president did not want to stay at the British embassy; he chose the Soviet one, located next door. Despite the fact that both missions were equally well fortified. Roosevelt was very afraid of someone. And, it seems, not fascists. At the same time, the security officers dealt equally with both German agents and their British colleagues. “The British station was also taken under close control, which, as it turned out, was engaged in far from friendly activities towards the Soviet Union,” Zhemchugov emphasizes.
The head of the Abwehr, Admiral Canaris, was a British agent - this fact is well known. That is, the British most likely knew all the movements of the Nazis in Tehran very well. And they didn’t have to worry about their leader. Here interesting fact- during the entire war, not a single group of saboteurs penetrated the English Channel with the aim of killing Winston Churchill. People from the IRA (Irish Republican Army), with whom the Germans were friends, were also not involved. In other words, the English “elusive cowboy Joe”... And Jack Higgins’ book “The Eagle Has Landed” (1975) - about a group of German paratroopers under the command of Oberstleutnant Kurt Steiner, who landed near London with the aim of assassinating Churchill - is a fiction. Although beautifully written and quite entertaining.
Keep forever
We will probably never know the truth about those events. Professionals are very reluctant to share information. “Being literally across the fence from Churchill, Roosevelt did not pay him a single personal visit. He didn’t trust him... There had already been assassination attempts on the American president. Many people didn't like him. And not only in the States. But as to whether there were plans to eliminate him at the hands of the Germans, I have no documents. There is also no irrefutable information about whether he died a natural death or whether he was helped,” says Arkady Zhemchugov. But the very fact that Roosevelt, who replaced the veteran president (elected for a fourth term - this has never happened in US history!), changed the vector of American policy towards the USSR by 180 degrees, testifies to many things...
There was a war in the capital of Iran. And with the Germans too. But mostly not with them. “We view the operation across the English Channel as a difficult operation. We understand that this operation is more difficult than crossing rivers, but still, based on our experience in crossing such large rivers“like the Dnieper, Desna, Sozh, the right bank of which is mountainous and at the same time was well fortified by the Germans, we can say that the operation across the English Channel, if it is carried out in earnest, will be successful,” Klim Voroshilov told the allies in Tehran . The Soviet military leader was not a great politician, but even he was enough for such ambiguity. The British and Yankees thought hard... And the question of opening a second front moved forward.
As you know, the landing was delayed until the last minute. And when it became clear that Soviet army will reach the Atlantic, they decided to prevent it. True, disaster was barely avoided. The German counteroffensive in the Ardennes did not end with the destruction of the Anglo-American troops only because the Allies asked for help from the USSR. Our army launched a surprise attack, and the Wehrmacht had to remove the most combat-ready divisions from the western front. American and British boys were saved at the cost of the lives of Soviet soldiers. Stalin fulfilled the obligations he assumed in Tehran.
And at this time the allies were already preparing for a new war. In the same 1944, separate negotiations with Germany began, and in the victorious summer of 1945, a combined British-American group was supposed to hit the Soviet troops. Operation Unthinkable was overseen by Churchill himself. It was planned to throw surrendered (but not disarmed) Wehrmacht divisions at the forefront of the attack as cannon fodder. And only thanks to the competent actions of our marshals, who quickly regrouped the troops, we managed to avoid the Third World War.
Gohar Vartanyan: “Scouts don’t shoot”
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union for my husband and the Order of the “Red Banner of Battle” were first issued to me under other names. Documents in our real names and the awards themselves were issued only after the final return to our homeland. We lived under assumed names for over thirty years. After Tehran there was a long “European business trip”. And because of work, we had to get married three times. Once we got married in a church. We moved to another country, changed our names and signed again. Then again.
As for the feature film “Tehran-43”, the creators of the film, of course, went too far with the oriental flavor. Their capital of Iran is some kind of village. A dirty, shabby hotel is shown, although there were luxurious, comfortable hotels in the city. There are many complaints against consultants. Even the fact that they shoot in the film... Both my husband and I, of course, learned to handle weapons. We studied well. But we never used our skills in practice. If a scout starts shooting, he ceases to be a scout. I haven’t heard of illegal immigrants using weapons at all.
Gohar Levonovna VARTANYAN. An illegal Soviet intelligence officer, together with her husband, Gevork Vartanyan, participated in ensuring the security of the Tehran Conference of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition in 1943. Recipient of the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree.
70 years ago a historic conference took place with the participation of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
Immediately after the end of World War II, the Tehran Conference of the Big Three (November 28 - December 1, 1943) began to be remembered less often than the subsequent two, held in Yalta and Potsdam. The last two meetings of the heads of the three great powers determined the world order for almost half a century in advance, but they began to forget that the Tehran Conference largely prepared the decisions that were finally taken in Crimea and Berlin, as well as the plan of action that led to the collapse of Nazi Germany.
Recognition of the western borders of the USSR
The decisions of the Tehran Conference, in turn, were largely prepared by negotiations between the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition, which began during correspondence between them in 1941. In his response dated July 18 to two messages from British Prime Minister W. Churchill dated July 8 and 10, I.V. Stalin, expressing satisfaction with the establishment of military cooperation with Great Britain and briefly outlining the situation on the Soviet-German front, addressed Special attention for the benefit for the fight against Hitler’s troops, which was obtained due to the fact that “Soviet troops had to take the blow of German troops... in the area of Chisinau, Lvov, Brest, Kaunas and Vyborg”, and not “in the area of Odessa, Kamenets-Podolsk , Minsk and the environs of Leningrad." Thus, for the first time, although in an indirect form, the Soviet wish was expressed that the Western powers would recognize the strategic necessity for the USSR to have the state border that was established by June 22, 1941.
At the Tehran Conference, Stalin again insisted on recognizing the western Soviet border: “The point is that the Ukrainian lands should go to Ukraine, and the Belarusian lands to Belarus, that is, between them and Poland there should be the 1939 border established by the Soviet Constitution.”
If in 1941 Churchill simply ignored Stalin’s words, then during the negotiations V.M. Molotov in London in May 1942, the British side flatly refused to sign an agreement recognizing the western border of the USSR as of June 21, 1941.
However, by the end of 1943, after the victories at Stalingrad and Kursk, the Western allies of the USSR could no longer ignore the opinion of the Soviet side.
Therefore, during the meeting, Churchill, taking three matches to represent the USSR, Poland and Germany, said: “All these matches must be moved to the west in order to resolve one of the main tasks facing the Allies - securing the western borders of the Soviet Union.” The Prime Minister said that “the hearth of the Polish state and people should be located between the so-called Curzon line and the line of the Oder River, with the inclusion of East Prussia and the Oppeln province in Poland. But the final drawing of the border requires careful study and possible resettlement of the population in some points ".
True, reservations regarding the recognition of the Soviet western border were expressed during a private conversation with Stalin by F.D. Roosevelt. The US President frankly explained to Stalin that his concerns about Polish problems, as well as questions about the status of the Baltic States, were explained by the fact that he would most likely run for the presidency for the fourth time in November 1944, and a significant part of traditionally Democratic voters The US party is made up of Americans of Polish and Baltic origin. Roosevelt informed the Soviet leader that although he "personally agreed with Stalin regarding the movement of the Polish-Soviet border to the west, ... he could not publicly support such an agreement at the present time." According to the US Ambassador to the USSR A. Harriman, Stalin “sympathized with the president’s position.”
Also pointing out the need for him to take into account the sentiments of voters of Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian origin, Roosevelt asked Stalin if something could be done so that the peoples of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania could express their right to self-determination. At the same time, Roosevelt expressed confidence that these peoples would want to be in the Soviet Union, but he stated that there must be “some kind of expression of the will of the people.”
To this, Stalin noted that in the past, Great Britain and the USA were allies of Tsarist Russia, in which the Baltic peoples did not have any autonomy, but then no one raised the question of their public opinion. Stalin assured Roosevelt that the population of the Baltic republics would have many opportunities to express their will within the framework of the Soviet constitution, but he rejected the idea of international control over such expression. In response, Roosevelt made no objections.
At the same time, in Tehran, Stalin returned to the proposal he had put forward during negotiations with British Foreign Minister A. Eden, when he arrived in Moscow in December 1941 at the height of the Red Army’s counteroffensive. Then Stalin first raised the question of transferring the coast of East Prussia to the Soviet Union. But in December 1941, Eden avoided a direct answer.
At the Tehran Conference, Stalin said: “The Russians do not have ice-free ports on the Baltic Sea.
Therefore, the Russians would need the ice-free ports of Königsberg and Memel and the corresponding part of the territory of East Prussia. Moreover, historically these are primordial Slavic lands.
If the British agree to transfer the specified territory to us, then we will agree with the formula proposed by Churchill." Not daring to object to Stalin, Churchill replied: "This is a very interesting proposal, which I will definitely study." The final decision on the division of East Prussia between the USSR and Poland was adopted at the Potsdam Conference and exactly as it was said by the Soviet delegation in Tehran.
The fate of Germany
Although hostilities were taking place outside Germany at the end of 1943, the heads of the three Allied powers were deciding in Tehran the question of how to deal with the Third Reich. In his book about the Second World War, W. Churchill recalled that during a conversation about Stalin during a break between conference sessions, he proposed dividing Germany: “Prussia should be isolated, and its size should be reduced. Bavaria, Austria and Hungary can form a wide, "a peaceful and non-aggressive confederation. I believed that we would have to deal more harshly with Prussia than with other parts of the Reich."
According to Churchill, Stalin responded: “All this is good, but not enough.” Later, at the conference table, Stalin commented on the proposal of the British Prime Minister: “Churchill looks at this matter very lightly. He believes that Germany will not be able to recover soon. Stalin says that he does not agree with this. He believes that Germany can recover soon, For This will only take her 15-20 years... Whatever restrictions we impose on Germany, the Germans will have the opportunity to occupy the most important strategic points so that Germany can recover again and begin aggression.”
“In order to prevent aggression,” Stalin believed, “it is necessary to be able to occupy the most important strategic points so that Germany cannot capture them... In the event of a threat of aggression from Germany... these points must be immediately occupied with in order to encircle Germany... and suppress them."
In response, Roosevelt stated that he "agrees with Marshal Stalin 100 percent... The Germans can rebuild their factories for war production, but in this case it will be necessary to act quickly, and if decisive measures are taken, Germany will not have enough time in order to arm themselves. This is what the Four Nations Commission, which Roosevelt spoke about, will have to oversee."
Thus, in Tehran, the beginning of the development of a plan for the occupation of Germany by the troops of the four powers was laid.
During the conference, the issue of punishing war criminals was also raised.
True, this was done in an informal setting during lunch, when Stalin proposed a toast: “I propose to drink to the fact that justice is done to all German war criminals as soon as possible and that they are all executed. I drink to the fact that we are united punish them with our efforts as soon as they fall into our hands, and so that there are no less than fifty thousand of them.”
According to the president’s son Elliot Roosevelt, who was sitting at the table, “Churchill jumped up from his seat as if stung. (By the way, the Prime Minister drank only his favorite cognac during all the toasts. By absorbing a solid dose of this drink every evening, he was well trained for a conversation of this kind Still, I suspect that on this particular evening even this inveterate drunkard’s command of the language was worse than usual.) His face and the back of his head turned purple.”
“Such an attitude,” he shouted, “fundamentally contradicts our English feeling justice! The English people will never tolerate such mass punishment. I take this opportunity to express my strong conviction that no man, Nazi or otherwise, should be executed without trial, no matter what the evidence against him may be!"
According to E. Roosevelt, Stalin “accepted the Prime Minister’s challenge and began to tease him, very politely refuting all his arguments and, apparently, not at all worried that Churchill had already hopelessly lost his self-control. Finally, Stalin turned to his father and inquired about his opinion. Father had been barely holding back a smile for a long time, but, feeling that the atmosphere was starting to get too tense, he decided to turn the matter into a joke."
“As usual,” he said, “I obviously have to act as a mediator in this dispute as well. It is absolutely clear that it is necessary to find some kind of compromise between your position, Mr. Stalin, and the position of my good friend, the Prime Minister. "Maybe, instead of executing fifty thousand war criminals, we can settle for a smaller number. Say, forty-nine thousand five hundred?"
The president's words angered Churchill even more. He finally lost control of himself when Elliot Roosevelt, in his toast, expressed confidence that in the course of the defeat of Nazi Germany, not fifty, but hundreds of thousands of war criminals would be destroyed. Elliot Roosevelt's toast pleased Stalin. According to E. Roosevelt, Stalin “walked around the table and put his arm around my shoulders, saying: “Excellent answer! A toast to your health!" But immediately E. Roosevelt discovered that an enraged Churchill was standing behind him, who exclaimed: "Do you really want to ruin relations between the allies? Do you understand what you said? How dare you say such a thing?" Shocked by the fact that the Prime Minister and the Marshal were diving right over my head, I silently sat down in my seat. Fortunately, lunch was soon over..."
The heads of the three powers returned to the question of the fate of German war criminals in a calmer atmosphere at the Potsdam Conference, when the resolution “On Germany” was adopted. It said, in particular; "Nazi leaders, influential Nazi sympathizers and the leadership of Nazi institutions and organizations and any persons dangerous to the occupation and its goals must be arrested and interned."
However, despite decision, many such figures from Hitler’s Germany remained at large. IN last years reported the discovery of 90-year-old SS men who had been living happily in Germany since 1945. Even prominent figures of the Third Reich escaped persecution.
Thus, having hidden outside Germany and returned to the country in 1950 after the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany, the former Minister of Propaganda in the last German government, Werner Naumann, headed a legal neo-Nazi party in the 50s.
About the second front
However, at the end of 1943, Soviet troops had not yet reached the western border of the USSR, and the occupation of Germany and the punishment of German criminals were still far away. Therefore, the main issue at the Tehran Conference was the development of a plan for a second front. Stalin first raised the question of the need for a second front in his above-mentioned message to Churchill dated July 18, 1941. Then Stalin wrote about the possibility of creating fronts “in the West (Northern France) and in the North (Arctic).”
After Molotov's negotiations in May-June 1942 in London and Washington, the United States and Great Britain committed to opening a second front that year. However, from Churchill's message of July 18, 1942, which he agreed with Roosevelt, it became clear that the Western allies had abandoned their promises. In August 1942, Churchill specially arrived in Moscow to announce the postponement of the opening of the second front to 1943. But this promise was not fulfilled either. The actions of the Allied forces in Europe since the summer of 1943 were limited to the territory of Italy.
Only the advance of the Red Army towards the German borders to the end
1943 forced the Allies to reconsider their position. Therefore, in his speech at the first meeting of the Tehran Conference, Roosevelt announced preparations for a landing across the English Channel, which would be carried out “around May 1, 1944.” (To his son Elliott, F.D. Roosevelt later said: “May 1 is a happy day for the Russians, you know it’s a big holiday for them.”) At the meeting, Roosevelt said that he did not want to postpone “the date of the invasion ... beyond May or June." But he made a reservation that “there are many places where Anglo-American troops could be used.” In addition to Italy, where hostilities were already underway, the president named areas of the Adriatic, Aegean seas and “to help Turkey if it enters the war.”
In his speech at the conference, Churchill said: “We have long agreed with the United States to attack Germany through Northern or North-Western France.” He said that the Allies intended to transfer about 1 million people across the English Channel "during May, June and July." At the same time, Churchill outlined plans for the deployment of the Allied offensive in Italy, which included the capture of Rome, as well as a landing on the Greek island of Rhodes. Churchill assured that the capture of Rhodes by the Allies would open a route through the Black Sea and “we could regularly send supplies to the southern Russian ports.”
This plan depended on Turkey entering the war on the Allied side. Churchill recognized the uncertainty of Turkey's position and the consequences of its joining the Allies.
Having asked several questions regarding the operations planned by the Allies in 1944 (the capture of Rome, the landing on the Adriatic coast, the landings on the Greek islands with the possible participation of Turkey, the landing in Southern France and Operation Overlord, as the landing in Northern France was now called), Stalin spoke out against dispersing the efforts of the Allied armies. He stated: “In my opinion, it would be better if Operation Overlord were taken as the base of operations in 1944. If, simultaneously with this operation, a landing was undertaken in southern France, then both groups troops could unite in France... I personally would go to such an extreme. I would go on the defensive in Italy, abandoning the capture of Rome and would begin an operation in Southern France, drawing the German forces from Northern France."
The next day, November 29, Churchill began again to talk about the need to carry out operations in the Balkans. In response, Stalin again emphasized that “the main and decisive issue We consider Operation Overlord.
He was supported by Roosevelt, who noted that the implementation of operations in the Mediterranean would delay Operation Overlord, and therefore “these plans must be developed so that operations ... do not cause damage to Overlord.” Stalin insisted that Operation Overlord carry out "within May, say, May 10 - 15 - 20." Since Churchill refused to make such commitments, Stalin said: "If Overlord is carried out in August, as Churchill said yesterday, then due to unfavorable weather in this nothing will come of this operation. April and May are the most suitable months for Overlord.
On November 30, Roosevelt began the conference by saying: “Today the joint headquarters, with the participation of Churchill and Roosevelt, adopted the following proposal: Operation Overlord is scheduled for May 1944 and will be carried out with the support of landings in Southern France.” Churchill, in turn, promised that in two weeks a commander for Operation Overlord would be appointed.
Stalin's persistence had its effect. However, Roosevelt's son Elliot testified that Roosevelt also supported such a decision. At the same time, the US President referred to the opinion of American military leaders. He said: “Our chiefs of staff are convinced of one thing: to exterminate as many Germans as possible, while losing as little as possible.” American soldiers, we need to prepare one major invasion and hit the Germans with all the forces at our disposal. This seems reasonable to me. “Uncle Joe (the Roosevelts called Stalin that way among themselves, because in English the name “Joseph” sounded like “Joseph” or “Joe”) and all our generals are of the same opinion... This is the shortest path to victory.”
At the beginning of June 1944, the second front was finally opened and Operation Overlord, then supported by landings in Southern France, began to be carried out.
Balkan question
Criticism by Roosevelt and American military leaders of Churchill's position forced him to write in his memoirs: "A legend arose in America that I tried to prevent a cross-Channel landing event called Overlord and I unsuccessfully tried to lure the Allies into a large-scale invasion of the Balkans or a large-scale campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean, which would ruin the plan to invade Northern France." Churchill called it all "nonsense."
Meanwhile, the true goals of Churchill’s “Balkan plan” were obvious to all participants in the Tehran Conference. Talking after the next conference meeting with his son, F.D. Roosevelt told him: “Whenever the Prime Minister insisted on an invasion through the Balkans, it was quite clear to everyone present that he ... first of all wanted to drive a wedge into Central Europe, to keep the Red Army out of Austria and Romania and even, if possible to Hungary. Stalin understood this, I understood it, and everyone else... And when Uncle Joe spoke about the advantages of an invasion in the West from a military point of view and about the inexpediency of dispersing our forces, he also always had in mind the political consequences "I'm sure of it, although he didn't say a word about it."
The fact that Churchill did not abandon his plans to secure Britain’s position in the Balkans was evidenced by his visit to Moscow in October 1944. Explaining the purpose of his visit to the USSR at the height of intense military operations, Churchill later recalled: “The Russian armies provided strong pressure on the Balkan stage. Romania and Bulgaria were in their power. Belgrade was soon to fall... I hoped that good relations with the Soviets would enable us to reach a satisfactory solution to the new problems that had arisen between East and West."
From Churchill’s memoirs it follows that the main purpose of his trip to Moscow and negotiations with Stalin from October 9 to 18, 1844 was the division of spheres of influence between the USSR and the Western allies in South-Eastern Europe. During his first meeting with Stalin, Churchill said: “Let’s settle our affairs in the Balkans. Your armies are in Romania and Bulgaria. We have interests, missions and agents there. Let’s not quarrel over trifles. As for Britain and Russia, Do you agree that we occupy a predominant position by 90% in Romania, that we occupy a predominant position by 90% in Greece and half in Yugoslavia?
According to Churchill, "while this was being translated, I took half a sheet of paper and wrote: Romania. Russia - 90%; Others - 10%. Greece - Great Britain (in agreement with the USA) - 90%; Russia - 10%. Yugoslavia - 50% - 50%. Hungary - 50% - 50%. Bulgaria. Russia - 75%. Others - 25%."
Explaining the meaning of these percentages to members of the British government, Churchill wrote: “Soviet Russia has vital interests in the Black Sea countries,” such as Romania and Bulgaria. Likewise, the USSR should, according to Churchill, recognize “the long tradition of Great Britain’s friendship with Greece and its interests as a Mediterranean power.” He also pointed out that the 50-50 principle in relation to Yugoslavia meant the desire to ensure the unity of this country, the prevention of civil war between the Serbs, on the one hand, and the Croats and Slovenes, on the other, and the use of weapons that are now being sent to Tito’s partisans exclusively for purposes of fighting the German armies, and not for internal struggle.
Drawing attention to the fact that the Red Army had entered Hungary, Churchill proposed recognizing the USSR's right to a significant role in this country. At the same time, Churchill pointed out that although Great Britain and the United States do not act in Hungary, “they should regard it as a Central European, not a Balkan country.” Apparently, Churchill was ready to “give in” most influence of the Soviet Union in the two Balkan countries, but not in the countries of Central Europe.
According to Churchill, having finished compiling his table, he “passed this sheet of paper to Stalin, who by this time had already listened to the translation. There was a short pause. Then he took a blue pencil and, having put a large daw on the sheet, returned it to me. It took no more time than it took to write this. Then there was a long silence. A piece of paper, written in pencil, lay in the center of the table. Finally I said: “Wouldn’t it seem a little cynical that we have decided these questions of vital importance to millions of people, as if impromptu? Let's burn this piece of paper." "No, keep it for yourself," said Stalin.
After a radical military turning point in 1943, all the prerequisites were in place for convening a joint conference of the Big Three. F. Roosevelt and W. Churchill had long called on the Soviet leader to hold such a meeting. The heads of the USA and Great Britain understood that further successes of the Red Army would lead to a significant strengthening of the USSR's position on the world stage. The opening of a second front became not only an act of aid to the allies, but also a means to maintain the influence of the United States and Great Britain. The increased authority of the USSR allowed Stalin to insist in a more harsh manner on the agreement of the allies with his proposals.
On September 8, 1943, he agreed on the timing of the meeting with Churchill and Roosevelt. Stalin wanted the conference to be held in Tehran. He justified his choice by the fact that the city already had representative offices of leading powers. Back in August, the Soviet leadership sent representatives of state security agencies to Tehran, who were supposed to provide security at the conference. The Iranian capital was ideal for the Soviet leader. By leaving Moscow, he was thereby making a friendly gesture towards the Western allies, but at the same time he could return to the USSR at any time in a short time. In October, a regiment of NKVD border troops was moved to Tehran and began patrolling and guarding facilities related to the future conference.
Churchill approved Moscow's proposal. Roosevelt was at first against it, making the excuse of urgent matters, but in early November he also agreed to Tehran. Stalin constantly mentioned that he could not leave the Soviet Union for a long time due to military necessity, so the conference must be held quickly (November 27-30). Moreover, Stalin reserved the opportunity to leave the conference if the situation at the front worsened.
Positions of the Allied Powers before the Conference
For Stalin, from the very beginning of the war, the main issue remained the Allies' commitment to open a second front. Correspondence between Stalin and Churchill confirms that the British Prime Minister invariably responded to the constant requests of the head of the USSR with only vague promises. The Soviet Union suffered heavy losses. Lend-Lease supplies did not bring tangible help. The entry of the Allies into the war could significantly ease the position of the Red Army, distract some of the German troops and reduce losses. Stalin understood that after the defeat of Hitler, the Western powers would want to get their “share of the pie”, so they were obliged to provide real military assistance. Soviet government already in 1943 it planned to take control of European territories up to Berlin.
The US positions were generally similar to the plans of the Soviet leadership. Roosevelt understood the significance of opening a second front (Operation Overlord). The successful landing in France allowed the United States to occupy the western German regions, as well as introduce its warships into German, Norwegian and Danish ports. The President also expected that the capture of Berlin would be carried out exclusively by the US Army.
Churchill had a negative attitude towards the possible increase in military influence of the USA and the USSR. He saw that Great Britain was gradually ceasing to play a leading role in world politics, giving way to two superpowers. The Soviet Union, which was gaining military momentum, could no longer be stopped. But Churchill could still limit US influence. He sought to downplay and focus on the actions of the British in Italy. A successful offensive in the Italian theater of operations allowed Great Britain to “penetrate” Central Europe, cutting off the Soviet troops’ path to the west. To this end, Churchill vigorously promoted the plan for landing Allied troops in the Balkans.
Organizational issues before the conference
On November 26, 1943, Stalin arrived in Tehran, followed by Churchill and Roosevelt the next day. Even on the eve of the conference, the Soviet leadership managed to make an important tactical move. The Soviet and British embassies were nearby, and the American one was at a considerable distance (about one and a half kilometers). This created problems in ensuring the safety of the American president during travel. Soviet intelligence received information about an impending assassination attempt on members of the Big Three. The preparation was led by the main German saboteur, O. Skorzeny.
Stalin warned the American leader about a possible assassination attempt. Roosevelt agreed to live at the Soviet embassy for the duration of the conference, which allowed Stalin to conduct bilateral negotiations without Churchill's participation. Roosevelt was pleased and felt completely safe.
Tehran Conference: date
The conference began its work on November 28 and officially closed on December 1, 1943. On this short term Several fruitful official and personal meetings took place between the heads of the allied states, as well as between the chiefs of the general staff. The allies agreed that all negotiations would not be made public, but this solemn promise was broken during the Cold War.
The Tehran conference took place in a rather unusual format. Its characteristic feature was the absence of an agenda. The meeting participants freely expressed their opinions and wishes, without following strict regulations. Read on for a brief summary of the 1943 Tehran Conference.
Question about the second front
The first meeting of the Tehran Conference of 1943 (you can learn about it briefly from the article) took place on November 28. Roosevelt announced a report on the actions of American troops in Pacific Ocean. The next point of the meeting was a discussion of the planned Operation Overlord. Stalin outlined the position of the Soviet Union. In his opinion, the actions of the Allies in Italy are secondary and cannot have a serious impact on the overall course of the war. The main forces of the fascists are on the Eastern Front. Therefore, landing in Northern France becomes the first priority of the Allies. This operation will force the German command to withdraw some troops from the Eastern Front. In this case, Stalin promised to support the Allies with a new large-scale offensive by the Red Army.
Churchill was clearly opposed to Operation Overlord. Before the scheduled date for its implementation (May 1, 1944), he proposed to take Rome and carry out the landing of allied troops in Southern France and the Balkans (“from the soft underbelly of Europe”). The British Prime Minister said he was not confident that preparations for Operation Overlord would be completed by the scheduled date.
Thus, at the Tehran Conference, the date of which you already know, the main problem immediately emerged: disagreements among the allies on the issue of opening a second front.
The second day of the conference began with a meeting of the Allied chiefs of staff (generals A. Brooke, J. K. E. Voroshilov). Discussion of the problem of the second front took on a sharper character. The representative of the American General Staff, Marshall, said in his speech that Operation Overlord is regarded by the United States as a priority task. But the English General Brooke insisted on intensifying actions in Italy and evaded the question of the status of the Overlord.
Between the meeting of military representatives and the next meeting of the leaders of the allied states, a symbolic solemn ceremony took place: the transfer of an honorary sword to the residents of Stalingrad as a gift from King George VI. This ceremony defused the tense situation and reminded everyone present of the need for coordinated action towards a common goal.
At the second meeting, Stalin took a tough position. He directly asked the American President who was the commander of Operation Overlord. Having received no answer, Stalin realized that in fact the operation was still completely unprepared. Churchill again began to describe the advantages of military action in Italy. According to the memoirs of diplomat and translator V. M. Berezhkov, Stalin stood up abruptly and declared: “... we have nothing to do here. We have a lot to do at the front.” Conflict situation Roosevelt softened. He recognized the justice of Stalin's indignation and promised to negotiate with Churchill to make a decision that suited everyone.
On November 30, a regular meeting of military representatives took place. Great Britain and the USA approved a new start date for Overlord - June 1, 1944. Roosevelt immediately informed Stalin about this. At an official meeting, this decision was finally approved and enshrined in the “Declaration of the Three Powers.” The head of the Soviet state was completely satisfied. Foreign and Soviet observers emphasized that the solution to the issue of opening a second front was a diplomatic victory for Stalin and Roosevelt over Churchill. Ultimately, this decision had a decisive influence on the entire further course of the Second World War and the post-war structure.
Japanese question
The United States was extremely interested in the opening of military action by the USSR against Japan. Stalin understood that during a personal meeting, Roosevelt would definitely raise this issue. His decision will determine whether the United States will support the Operation Overlord plan. Already at the first meeting, Stalin confirmed his readiness to immediately begin military action against Japan after the unconditional surrender of Germany. Roosevelt expected more. He asked Stalin to provide intelligence data on Japan; he wanted to use Soviet Far Eastern airfields and ports to accommodate American bombers and warships. But Stalin rejected these proposals, limiting himself only to agreeing to declare war on Japan.
In any case, Roosevelt was satisfied with Stalin's decision. The promise of the Soviet leadership played a big role in bringing the USSR and the USA closer together during the war.
The leaders of the Allied states recognized that all territories occupied by Japan should be returned to Korea and China.
Question about Turkey, Bulgaria and the Black Sea Straits
The question of Turkey's entry into the war against Germany worried Churchill most of all. The British Prime Minister hoped that this would divert attention from Operation Overlord and allow the British to increase their influence. The Americans took a neutral position, and Stalin was strongly against it. As a result, the conference's decisions regarding Turkey were vague. The issue was postponed until a meeting of allied representatives with Turkish President I. Inenu.
Great Britain and the USA were at war with Bulgaria. Stalin was in no hurry to declare war on Sofia. He hoped that during the occupation by the Germans, Bulgaria would turn to the USSR for help, which would allow Soviet troops to enter its territory without hindrance. At the same time, Stalin promised his allies that he would declare war on Bulgaria if it attacked Turkey.
An important place was occupied by the issue of the Tehran Conference on the status of the Black Sea straits. Churchill insisted that Turkey's neutral position in the war deprived it of the right to control the Bosporus and Dardanelles. In fact, the British Prime Minister feared the spread of Soviet influence into the area. At the conference, Stalin actually raised the issue of changing the regime of the straits and stated that the USSR, despite its enormous contribution to the general war, still had no exit from the Black Sea. The decision on this issue was postponed to the future.
Questions about Yugoslavia and Finland
The USSR supported the resistance movement in Yugoslavia. The Western powers were guided by the emigrant royal government of Mikhailovich. But the members of the Big Three were still able to find mutual language. The Soviet leadership announced sending a military mission to I. Tito, and the British promised to provide a base in Cairo to ensure communication with this mission. Thus, the Allies recognized the Yugoslav resistance movement.
For Stalin great importance had a question about Finland. The Finnish government had already made attempts to make peace with the Soviet Union, but these proposals did not suit Stalin. The Finns offered to accept the 1939 border with minor concessions. The Soviet government insisted on recognition of the 1940 peace treaty, the immediate withdrawal of German troops from Finland, the complete demobilization of the Finnish army and compensation for the damage caused “at least in half.” Stalin also demanded the return of the port of Petsamo.
At the Tehran Conference of 1943, briefly discussed in the article, the Soviet leader softened the demands. In exchange for Petsamo, he refused the lease on the Hanko Peninsula. This was a serious concession. Churchill was confident that the Soviet government would maintain control over the peninsula, which was an ideal location for a Soviet military base, at any cost. Stalin's voluntary gesture made the proper impression: the allies declared that the USSR had every right to move the border with Finland to the west.
Question about the Baltics and Poland
On December 1, a personal meeting between Stalin and Roosevelt took place. The American President said he has no objection to the occupation Soviet troops territories of the Baltic republics. But at the same time, Roosevelt noted that it was necessary to take into account the public opinion of the population of the Baltic republics. In a written response, Stalin sharply expressed his position: “... the question... is not subject to discussion, since the Baltic states are part of the USSR.” Churchill and Roosevelt could only admit their powerlessness in this situation.
There was little disagreement regarding the future borders and status of Poland. Even during the Moscow Conference, Stalin categorically refused to establish contacts with the Polish émigré government. The three leaders agreed that the future structure of Poland depended entirely on their decision. It's time for Poland to say goodbye to its pretensions to being a great country and become a small state.
After a joint discussion, the “Tehran Formula” of the British Prime Minister was adopted. The core of ethnographic Poland should be located between the Curzon line (1939) and the Oder River. Poland included East Prussia and Oppel Province. This decision was based on Churchill's "three matches" proposal, which consisted in the fact that the borders of the USSR, Poland and Germany were simultaneously moved to the west.
Completely unexpected for Churchill and Roosevelt was Stalin’s demand for the transfer of Koenigsberg to the Soviet Union. The Soviet leadership had been nurturing these plans since the end of 1941, justifying them by the fact that “the Russians do not have anything in the Baltic Sea.” Churchill did not object, but hoped that in the future he would be able to defend Konigsberg for the Poles.
Question about France
Stalin openly expressed his negative attitude to Vichy France. The existing government supported and acted as an ally of the Nazis, and therefore was obliged to suffer a well-deserved punishment. On the other hand, the Soviet leadership was ready to cooperate with the French National Liberation Committee. Charles de Gaulle offered Stalin very ambitious plans for joint governance of post-war Europe, but they did not find a response from the Soviet leader. The Allies did not generally consider France as a leading power with equal rights to them.
A special place at the conference was occupied by the discussion of French colonial possessions. The Allies agreed that France would have to give up its colonies. At the same time, the Soviet Union continued its struggle against colonialism in general. Roosevelt supported Stalin because Great Britain wanted to take possession of French Indochina.
The question of the post-war structure of Germany
For Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, the common idea was the mandatory dismemberment of Germany. This measure was supposed to stop any possible attempt to revive “Prussian militarism and Nazi tyranny.” Roosevelt planned to divide Germany into several independent small states. Churchill was more reticent because excessive fragmentation of Germany could create difficulties for the post-war economy. Stalin simply stated the need for dismemberment, but did not voice his plans.
As a result, at the Tehran Conference (1943) only the general principles of the post-war structure of Germany were approved. Practical measures were postponed for the future.
Other decisions of the Tehran Conference
One of the secondary issues was the discussion of the creation of an international organization that could maintain security throughout the world. The initiator of this issue was Roosevelt, who proposed his plan for creating such an organization. One of the points suggested the formation of a Police Committee (USSR, USA, Great Britain and China). Stalin did not object in principle, but pointed out that it was necessary to create two organizations (European and Far Eastern or European and world). Churchill shared the same opinion.
Another outcome of the Tehran Conference was the adoption of the “Declaration of the Three Great Powers on Iran.” It enshrined the recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Iran. The allies confirmed that Iran had provided invaluable assistance in the war and promised to provide economic assistance to the country.
Stalin’s skillful tactical step was his personal visit to the Iranian Shah R. Pahlavi. The head of Iran was confused and considered this visit a great honor for himself. Stalin promised to help Iran strengthen its military forces. Thus, the Soviet Union acquired a loyal and reliable ally.
Conference results
Even foreign observers noted that the Tehran Conference was a brilliant diplomatic victory for the Soviet Union. I. Stalin showed extraordinary diplomatic qualities to “push through” the necessary decisions. the main objective Soviet leader was achieved. The Allies agreed on the date for Operation Overlord.
At the conference, there was a convergence of the positions of the United States and the USSR on key issues. Churchill often found himself alone and was forced to agree with the proposals of Stalin and Roosevelt.
Stalin skillfully used the “carrot and stick” tactics. He softened his categorical statements (the fate of the Baltic republics, the transfer of Konigsberg, etc.) with some concessions to the Western powers. This allowed Stalin to achieve favorable decisions at the Tehran Conference regarding the post-war borders of the USSR. They played a huge role in history.
The result of the Tehran Conference was that for the first time general principles of the post-war world order were developed. Britain recognized that the leading role was shifting to the two superpowers. The United States has strengthened its influence in Western and Soviet Union- in Eastern and Central Europe. It became clear that after the war there would be a collapse of the former colonial empires, primarily Great Britain.
The essence
What is the essence of the Tehran Conference? It contained a huge ideological meaning. The conference held in 1943 confirmed that countries with different political systems and mutually exclusive ideologies were quite capable of agreeing on the most important issues. Close, trusting relationships were established between the allies. Of particular importance was clearer coordination of combat operations and the provision of mutual assistance.
For millions of people around the world, the conference became a symbol of inevitable victory over the enemy. Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt set an example of how mutual differences can be easily overcome under the influence of a common mortal danger. Many historians consider the conference to be the zenith of the anti-Hitler coalition.
At the Tehran conference, which we briefly discussed in the article, the leaders of the Big Three came together for the first time. Successful cooperation continued in 1945 in Yalta and Potsdam. Two more conferences took place. The Potsdam, Tehran and Yalta conferences laid the foundations for the future structure of the world. As a result of the agreements, the UN was created, which, even during the Cold War, to some extent sought to maintain peace on the planet.
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