The Potsdam Conference marked a pivotal moment in shaping post-WWII Europe, with leaders from the US, USSR, and Britain addressing war reparations, territorial changes, and the demilitarization of Germany. It also set the stage for the Cold War, as ideological differences emerged, particularly with the introduction of nuclear weapons and the division of Europe into occupation zones.
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The Potsdam Conference aimed to establish order in post-war Europe, rebuild the continent, and address the ongoing conflict with Japan
United States
President Harry S. Truman represented the United States at the Potsdam Conference
Soviet Union
Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, was a constant figure at the Potsdam Conference
Great Britain
Prime Minister Clement Attlee represented Great Britain at the Potsdam Conference after the electoral defeat of Winston Churchill
The Potsdam Conference resulted in the Potsdam Agreement, which included the demilitarization, denazification, democratization, decentralization, and deindustrialization of Germany
Austria was divided into occupation zones and governed by an Allied Control Council, with the agreement that it would not pay reparations
The Potsdam Conference provisionally accepted the Oder-Neisse line as Poland's western frontier and called for the transfer of German territories to Poland and the Soviet Union, as well as the humane transfer of German populations from Eastern Europe
The Potsdam Conference marked a turning point in the relationship between the Allies, as ideological differences and the demonstration of nuclear power by the US contributed to the onset of the Cold War
The Potsdam Conference was the last of the wartime summits involving the Big Three, and the decline in cooperation that followed foreshadowed the division of the globe into opposing camps during the Cold War
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Dates and location of the Potsdam Conference
July 17 - August 2, 1945, held in Potsdam, Germany.
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Leaders at the start vs. end of the Potsdam Conference
Started with Roosevelt and Churchill; ended with Truman and Attlee.
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Continuity of leadership at the Potsdam Conference
Joseph Stalin was the only leader present throughout, providing Soviet continuity.
