yalta conference

in february 1945, the "big three" allied leaders — roosevelt, churchill, and stalin — met at yalta on the black sea. there they agreed that, when the war in europe was over, germany would be divided into four occupation zones, to be controlled by american, british, french, and soviet forces. they also made plans for a united nations organization, as a successor to the failed league of nations, this time with the united states as a founding member. stalin was promised pieces of japan's empire in exchange for soviet help against japan after germany's surrender. unlike the treaty of versailles, which punished germany harshly after world war 1, this agreement emphasized rebuilding postwar europe.