Teheran Conference

On 28 November 1943 the „Big Three“ in the war against Hitler’s Germany get together in Teheran for their first joint conference: the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Allies can reach agreements only in broad terms on many questions about the future of Germany and Europe after the victory over Hitler.

© schoenherr As an expression of admiration for the victory against the German troops in Stalingrad and as a symbol for the new british-russian relations Churchill (right) presents the Sword of Stalingrad to Stalin (left margin) at the Teheran conference (sitting in the wheelchair: Franklin D. Roosevelt)

Churchill tries in vain to counteract Stalin’s far-reaching demands intent on territorial gains and an expansion of the communist realm of influence. The Kremlin leader is able to achieve comprehensive cessions of territory from Germany to Poland which is thereby supposed to be compensated for the loss of its eastern regions to the Soviet Union („Poland’s shift westwards”). In addition, the northern part of East Prussia with the city of Königsberg is to be annexed to the Soviet Union. A further important decision at the Conference: Finland and Iran, then occupied by Soviet and British troops, are to receive their independence after the war.