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Churchill’s contribution to the wartime conferences - Coggle Diagram
Churchill’s contribution to the wartime conferences
Atlantic Conference — August 1941
Churchill + Roosevelt
Churchill met Roosevelt at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland.
Produced the Atlantic Charter.
Churchill wanted to establish:
Allied cooperation
principles for the post-war world
self-determination
freedom from aggression.
Important because it strengthened the Anglo-American relationship.
Churchill also wanted to ensure Britain remained a major world power.
Washington Conferences — 1941–42
Churchill + Roosevelt
Discussed how Britain and the USA should fight the war.
Agreed on the “Europe First” strategy:
defeat Germany before Japan.
Discussed opening another front against Germany.
Churchill argued for a Mediterranean strategy.
Wanted Allied forces to attack through North Africa and Italy.
Moscow Conference — August 1942
Churchill + Stalin
Churchill met Stalin to discuss the war.
Main disagreement:
Stalin wanted a Second Front in Western Europe immediately.
Churchill argued that the Allies were not yet ready for a major invasion of France.
Churchill supported continuing the Mediterranean strategy.
He had to explain why Britain and America could not yet launch the invasion Stalin wanted.
Casablanca Conference — January 1943
Churchill + Roosevelt
Discussed future Allied strategy.
Supported continuing the Mediterranean campaign.
Agreed to invade Sicily.
Discussed the eventual cross-Channel invasion.
Agreed on the policy of unconditional surrender.
Washington Conference — May 1943
Churchill + Roosevelt
Continued discussions about Allied strategy.
Considered when and where to launch the invasion of Western Europe.
Churchill continued to support operations in the Mediterranean.
Tehran Conference — November–December 1943
Churchill + Roosevelt + Stalin
This was particularly important because it showed the limits of Churchill's influence.
Churchill wanted to continue operations in the Mediterranean.
He hoped to expand Allied operations towards the Balkans.
Stalin strongly wanted the Allies to launch the Second Front in France.
Roosevelt increasingly supported Stalin.
Churchill therefore failed to get his preferred strategy.
Agreement was reached for Operation Overlord — the invasion of France in 1944.
Yalta Conference — February 1945
Churchill + Roosevelt + Stalin
Churchill was now increasingly concerned about Stalin and Soviet expansion.
Discussed the future of Germany.
Discussed Poland and Eastern Europe.
Churchill wanted free elections in Eastern Europe.
Tried to protect Britain's interests in the post-war settlement.
Accepted compromises because the Soviet Army already controlled much of Eastern Europe.
Helped establish plans for the United Nations.
Potsdam Conference — July–August 1945
Churchill + Truman + Stalin
Churchill attended the beginning of the conference.
Discussed:
Germany
reparations
borders
the post-war settlement.
Churchill was particularly suspicious of Stalin.
Labour won the 1945 election while the conference was taking place.
Churchill therefore lost his position as Prime Minister and was replaced by Clement Attlee.
Overall judgemen
Positives
🟢 Represented British interests
🟢 Maintained Britain's role as a major Allied power
🟢 Built a strong relationship with Roosevelt
🟢 Helped maintain the Grand Alliance
🟢 Influenced Allied military strategy, especially the Mediterranean
🟢 Tried to protect Britain's interests in the post-war settlement
🟢 Tried to limit Soviet expansion
Negatives
🔴 His influence declined as the war progressed.
🔴 He failed to get his preferred strategy at Tehran.
🔴 He could not prevent Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.
🔴 Britain's declining power meant he was increasingly dependent on the USA.
🔴 He lost office during Potsdam.