TEHERAN CONFERENCE

The Big Three

Following their Casablanca meeting, Roosevelt and Churchill met a number of times, first in Washington and then in Quebec. The meetings took place against the backdrop of increasing Allied military victories. However, continued disagreements on strategy made it imperative that Roosevelt and Churchill meet with Stalin as well. Stalin accepted the proposal for a meeting at Teheran. The meeting took place in the fall of 1943. At the meeting Stalin pledged Soviet aid in defeating Japan after the fall of Germany. Britain and the United States made a firm commitment to an attack on France in May 1944.

Following their meeting at Casablanca, Roosevelt and Churchill met twice during the summer of 1943, first in Washington and then later at the Quebec conference in Canada. At the Washington conference that took place over a period of two weeks, Churchill finally agreed to set a date, May 1944, for the cross channel invasion. The second meeting at the Quebec Chateau Frontenac was a full fledged summit involving 600 staff members. A wide range of topics were covered, however, the absence of Stalin at the meeting was clearly a severe limitation. As the meeting ended word was received that Stalin had agreed to a Tripartite meeting in Teheran.

Roosevelt traveled the first part of the way by sea on the battleship Iowa. He left it at Oran, from whence he proceeded by air to Cairo. In Cairo he held extensive talks with Chiang Chiang of China. Then it was on by air to Teheran. Due to a plot aimed at the lives of the leaders, Roosevelt agreed to stay at the Soviet compound. The meetings began on November 28. A close working relationship developed between Roosevelt and Stalin. Stalin's first goal at the conference was to commit the British and the Americans to a firm date for the cross channel invasion. The allies finally committed to May 1944. Stalin in return committed the Soviets to aiding the Allies against Japan once the Nazis were defeated. During the course of the conference Roosevelt put forth to Stalin for the first time his ideas of a postwar international organization. Stalin agreed in principal. Stalin brought up the proposal to move Poland's border westward at the expense of Germany. Roosevelt agreed in principal.

FDR Fireside Speech on Teheran Conference