Near the end of World War II, the Allies had many important issues to address. Now that the war in Europe was won and the war in Asia appeared close to a conclusion, addressing issues such as the control of disputed territories, economic and physical rebuilding, and punishing Nazi leaders became essential. A meeting was scheduled in Potsdam, Germany for July 17 through August 2, 1945. Leaders from the Allied countries attended, including the "new" Big Three: Harry Truman, who had become president upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt in April of 1945; Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Premier; and Clement Atlee, the Prime Minister of Great Britain. Winston Churchill had been representing England at the conference, but was recalled to England when his party was defeated in the election.

Several divisive issues emerged during the conference, and the leaders could not agree on many of the matters at hand. The leaders did unanimously agree that Japan must surrender immediately, and they proceeded to issue a stern ultimatum to Japan that it either surrender or be destroyed. In spite of their bravado, none of the leaders were eager to engage the Japanese. They had proven to be an extremely resilient enemy, and their fierce fighting in the Pacific as well as the increased use of Kamikaze fighters showed they seemed unlikely to surrender. American bombers showered Japan with leaflets ordering Japanese citizens and soldiers to lay down their arms or face destruction.

During the conference, Truman received notice that an atomic bomb had been successfully detonated in a confined test. Many countries had been attempting to develop atomic weapons, and the U.S. was leading the race, aided by brilliant scientists such as German-born Albert Einstein and American J. Robert Oppenheimer. Truman did not share this new development with his fellow world leaders, but later, many conference attendees would comment on the change in Truman's attitude. The U.S. originally intended the atomic bomb to be used as a weapon against Germany, but Truman began making plans to force Japan to surrender through atomic decimation. On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, and about 80,000 people were killed and "the whole city was ruined instantaneously." Three days later, another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki that killed 35,000 people.

A key issue the Potsdam Conference attendees needed to address was how to deal with a defeated Germany. The group decided to split occupied Germany into four zones: the U.S. zone, the Soviet zone, the British zone, and the French zone. The capital city of Berlin, located within the Soviet zone, was also split into four zones. The conferees also determined that war reparations from Germany would be paid to the Allies from each respective zone. This arrangement became a significant concern, as it was often difficult to monitor the inflows and outflows of German money and resources in each zone. Another difficulty was that each Allied power controlled its zone differently. Each had its own objectives and interests that often caused problems with other occupying powers. The most significant conflict occurred between the USSR and the western Allies.

The Potsdam Conference determined, to a large extent, the future of Germany. The European conferees wanted to ensure that Germany would be unable to make a rapid return to economic and military power like it did following WWI. The conference leaders began drafting a plan to demilitarize and "denazify" Germany. The plan called for complete disarmament and the dismantling of all industries that could be used for military production. The European conferees wanted to ensure that Germany would be unable to make a rapid return to economic and military power as they did following WWI. The denazification extended beyond military and industrial applications, with the Allies exerting influence in German politics, economics, and education.

The Potsdam Conference also created war crimes tribunals that would prosecute Nazi war criminals. Many Nazi leaders had been captured and many more were being pursued, and no one was quite sure what to do with them. Many countries, groups, and jurisdictions wanted to punish these criminals for their shocking deeds. It was decided that an international court would hear the war crimes cases and sentence individual Nazis based on the extent of their involvement in the war and the atrocities committed during the war.

Leaders at the Potsdam Conference were also concerned about the Balkan countries. This region had played a key role in both World Wars and continued to be a European hotspot. Neither Stalin nor Truman was willing to make concessions, as they both realized the important role the Balkans would play in the ever-increasing rivalry between America and the Soviet Union. Finally, the group agreed to appoint a council of foreign ministers that would draft peace treaties for the Balkan countries. The foreign ministers of the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, China, and France were appointed to the council.

Copyright 2006 The Regents of the University of California and Monterey Institute for Technology and Education