Abstract

The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences are interesting to look at because of their differences. At each meeting, different leaders attended, leading to different outcomes and goals for the future. At Yalta, where Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt met to discuss the end of the war in Europe and the future in Asia, concluded successfully in the public’s view. This included the creation of the United Nations and the determination of spheres of influence. At Potsdam, where Truman, Stalin, and Atlee met to discuss how the allies would end the war in Asia, concluded poorly. This was in part due to the development of the atomic bomb.  It also had to do with leadership, however. Looking at primary source documents, the issues become clear about who had certain mindsets entering the conferences. Roosevelt was able to keep the relationship between Stalin and the United States under control, while under Truman the relationship buckled into a long lasting struggle between the United State and the Soviet Union, the Cold War.