Citation: Landmark Document in American History

Agreement signed in February 11, 1945, by the three main Allied leaders

-- U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston

Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin -- at Yalta, Crimea,

U.S.S.R., at a conference (February 4-11, 1945) convened there in the

final months of World War II (1939-45) to discuss strategies for the

invasion and final defeat of Nazi Germany and the terms of settlement.

The three powers agreed to demand Germany's unconditional surrender and

planned to divide Germany into four zones of occupation, with France

being the fourth occupying power. The Soviet Union promised to enter

the war against Japan after the German surrender. They also finalized

the dates of the meeting in San Francisco to draft the United Nations

Charter. Only two Soviet republics would be allowed full representation

at the United Nations, where veto powers would be vested in the three

big powers. The Allies also signed a pledge to help the countries in

Europe (referring to Poland under Soviet occupation) settle their

political and economic problems by democratic means.