DelawareScene: Fireside Chat | Yalta: A New World Order @ Lewes Public Library

Fireside Chat | Yalta: A New World Order

Join us in-person in the library or online for a presentation by Fireside Chat host, Paul Sparrow.

In early February 1945, the war in Europe was nearing its end, with Nazi Germany retreating on all fronts. President Franklin Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill. and Marshal Joseph Stalin met in Yalta to decide the future of the world. The three leaders had radically different agendas. Churchill wanted democracy for the liberated countries and for England to retain control of its colonies. Roosevelt wanted Stalin’s help to end the war with Japan and join the United Nations. Stalin wanted to take control of all of Eastern Europe and establish a Soviet sphere of influence. With a million Red Army troops on the ground, Stalin held the upper hand. Initially hailed as a great success, the Cold War that followed made Yalta highly controversial, with ramifications that affected global politics for the next fifty years.

The conference took place at the Livadia Palace on the Black Sea, and there was as much drama behind the scenes as at the conference table. Roosevelt was seriously ill, Churchill was facing political opposition at home, and the once luxurious palace had been ransacked by the retreating Germans and in terrible condition. Stalin had placed listening devices in every room, and there were spies everywhere. To top it off, with limited staffs Roosevelt and Churchill had to rely on their daughters to organize and host the politically sensitive social activities.

Six weeks after his return from Yalta, FDR died. The Yalta Conference is considered by many historians to be one of the most consequent international meetings in modern times.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer. Each individual attending must register.

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