Meeting of the Big Three 1943. Briefly and to the point about the Tehran conference. From the historical dictionary

The Tehran Conference was an important step in uniting the Allies against the Axis forces. The leaders of the three leading states participating in the conference were able to discuss goals and wars and the further course of action, and also began to act together to bring the day of victory closer and reduce losses.

The Tehran Conference is one of the key political and historical events in the first half of the 20th century, as well as the first conference during the Second World War, which was attended by political leaders of the so-called “Big Three” - the three leading states of the 20th century.

In total, during the Second World War and after its completion, the Yalta, Tehran and Potsdam conferences took place, which decided the fate of the post-war world and laid the foundation for an organization that would be responsible for maintaining order in the second half of the twentieth century.

The Tehran Conference of 1943 was attended by Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (USSR), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (USA) and Sir Winston Churchill (Great Britain).

The meeting of the leaders of the “Big Three” took place from November 28 to December 1, 1943 and was practically not accompanied by conflicts between the three representatives, although they had rather different visions of the further strategy of military operations and the structure of the post-war world.

The Tehran Conference got its name from the sunny city of Tehran, which is located in the country of Iran, in which it was held.

I.V. Stalin, W. Churchill and F. Roosevelt at the negotiating table at the Tehran Conference

Relations between the allies during World War II before the Tehran Conference were quite tense. That is why the members of the union could not previously work together with maximum efficiency. The meeting in Tehran corrected this situation, and world leaders agreed to act together against a common powerful enemy in the form of the regime of the Third Reich, as well as fascist regimes in Europe and Japan.

Like any such important political event, the Tehran Conference, on which the future fate of humanity depended, caused a large-scale resonance in the media and quickly became the main news of authoritative publications.

Preparation

Initially, it was difficult to decide where the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition would meet - the Tehran Conference could well have been called Cairo, Baghdad or Istanbul.

It is worth noting that Roosevelt and Churchill were not very comfortable holding a conference in Tehran. The first wanted to hold it somewhere in North Africa (at that moment there was a huge American army there, which would not have given the Germans a chance to disrupt the meeting). And Churchill believed that it would be best to hold it in London or Cairo, which was under the protection of the British army. Roosevelt and Churchill also said that they would not be able to fly to the Soviet Union and were ready, for example, to hold a conference in Alaska. Stalin said that he would not fly so far from the front, because his country was now in a difficult situation, soldiers and civilians needed a powerful leader.

Yet it was Stalin who had the right to dictate his own terms, which he achieved through major victories over Germany during and after Stalingrad. The leaders of the United States and Great Britain could not oppose anything to such an argument. He told Roosevelt and Churchill that for this to take place, a country was needed where there were all three embassies: British, American and Soviet - Iran was ideal for this. At that time, this country was under the control of Soviet, British and partially American combat units. Consequently, the leaders of the Big Three did not have to fear that the conference would be disrupted - the danger came only from secret agents.

Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill nevertheless agreed that the conference should be held in Tehran. Although after it there were also small conferences in Cairo, which took place without the participation of the Soviet leader.

Before the Tehran Conference, Roosevelt and Churchill met in Cairo, but then went to Iran. Stalin himself left Moscow by train in November 1943. The leader of the USSR personally selected Soviet representatives, and his journey was classified as “secret”. Only a few from the high command, as well as some political figures, knew about the date of departure of the Secretary General and his route.

Upon arrival in Tehran, Roosevelt accepted Stalin's offer to live in the Soviet embassy for security reasons. Churchill refused and settled at the British Mission. It was decided that the conference should take place in the Soviet-British diplomatic complex.

Conference goals

The main purpose of the Tehran Conference was as follows: "to develop the final strategy in the fight against Nazism and fascism, to break Germany, its European allies and Japan."

It is possible to determine the main provisions (issues) of the Tehran Conference that were raised for discussion by the leaders of the powers of the anti-Hitler coalition. Among the key decisions taken at the Tehran Conference, the following can be highlighted:

1. Opening of a “second front” in France. The final date for the start of a large-scale military operation was adopted, which was called “Overlord” (it was later postponed to June 6, 1944).
2. At the Tehran Conference, the heads of government of the USSR, USA and Great Britain discussed whether to grant Iran independence. At that time, the military forces of Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union were located in this country.
3. The problem of the so-called “Polish question” began to be discussed, since this state was one of the first to suffer from the oppression of Germany and the USSR.
4. At the Tehran Conference, it was decided that the USSR would enter the war against Japan, but only after the threat from Germany in Europe had disappeared, therefore, first the allies must help defeat the Third Reich.
5. Among the main issues considered at the Tehran Conference was the post-war structure of the world, namely the borders of states in Europe. The conference outlined the approximate first contours of the post-war world.
6. Participants in the Tehran Conference discussed issues of ensuring peace and international security in the post-war period.

The Tehran Conference also discussed the issue of Turkey's entry into the war against Germany and its European allies. The main initiator of Turkey's entry into the war was British Prime Minister Churchill.

Churchill also said that if Turkey entered hostilities, Great Britain would provide significant support - provide new modern weapons, strengthen the Turkish army with two infantry divisions, and also provide air support. Otherwise, if Turkey refuses to enter the war on the side of the Allies, then Churchill will stop military supplies, prevent the Turkish government from participating in the peace conference and talk about allowing the Soviet Union to pass through the Bosporus.

At the Tehran Conference, Churchill's point of view was not supported by either Stalin or Roosevelt. They believed that the opening of a new front in the Balkans would only weaken the position of the Allies before the landing in Normandy, which was already being actively prepared at that time.

Opening of the “second front”

The main decision of the Tehran Conference was to approve the start date of Operation Overlord, which would mark the opening of a “second front” in Western Europe, namely in Northern France. It was initially decided that the troops would launch an offensive around May 1944.

Stalin said that the USSR suffered more than others due to the Second World War of 1941-1945, since it was the Soviet people who held back the main forces of the Wehrmacht. He insisted on the speedy opening of a “second front.”

It also cannot be denied that the USSR did not really need another front to open in Western Europe. The fact is that the victory over Stalingrad seriously undermined the military power of Nazi Germany and thereby strengthened the Red Army. Roosevelt and Churchill understood this perfectly and knew that the military power of the USSR would be quite enough to independently destroy the forces of the Wehrmacht and break the government of the Third Reich.

What was actually most interested in opening a “second front” was the United States. The United States, having started military operations in Western Europe, could strengthen its position in Europe after the end of the war. To prevent the Soviet Union from suspecting such a US goal, the American delegation at the Tehran Conference took a wait-and-see approach, thereby increasing its own price.

The American delegation led by Roosevelt was unable to convince the Soviet leader about other dates for the start of the operation, and then Churchill took the initiative, saying that they would be ready in May.

In fact, the level of training of the Allies was not at a sufficient level and it was decided to postpone the operation.

“Overlord” or as it is also called - "Norman operation", is still considered the largest amphibious operation in human history. According to the command plans, it was divided into two stages:

• Operation Neptune– its essence was to land troops on the Normandy coast and seize a bridgehead in Northern France for a further offensive on the occupied territories in Western Europe;
• Operation Cobra-breakthrough of the Nazi defense and liberation of France, which followed immediately after Operation Neptune.

Operation Overlord was strictly classified so that the enemy could not prepare for defense. In the military bases where the soldiers participating in the operation were located, it was decided not to let the soldiers leave their borders so that there would be no leakage of information.

In addition to Great Britain, the United States and their allies, French soldiers under the command of Charles de Gaulle also participated in the Battle of France. At the beginning of the operation, the number of soldiers ready for landing was almost 1.5 million. And by the time it was completed, the number of soldiers was almost 3 million. The Germans were outnumbered by more than half.

The operation was undertaken on a huge scale - the Allies landed on a coastline 80 kilometers long.

Post-war problems

The heads of government of England (Great Britain), the USA and the USSR at the Tehran Conference expressed their opinion on the solution of post-war problems in Europe.

The most pressing problems were:

• "German question";
• "Polish question";
• economic recovery in Europe – primarily in France.

Question about Germany

The question of Germany or the “German question” is one of the key European geopolitical problems of the twentieth century. The leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition could not agree on a common opinion.

For example, French leader Charles de Gaulle insisted on permanently dividing Germany into several independent states. Such a decision would completely save France from the further threat of Germany, which caused them enormous damage during the two world wars.

US President Roosevelt said that the country also needs to be divided, because if this is not done, the ground may arise for a new conflict. Germany, in his opinion, should remain united under the control of the Allies until complete denazification takes place.

Soviet Union insisted that the country be divided into spheres of influence. This led to conflicts between the allies and, as a result, the unified country was divided into the Federal Republic of Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and the GDR (German Democratic Republic). The first was under the control of France, Great Britain and the USA, and the second was under the control of the USSR. As a result, this division lasted until 1990. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Germany was united into a single state.

Division of lands during the “German question”

To fully resolve the “German question,” four political principles were issued, which entered historiography as the “four Ds”:

1. Denazification. A key principle that implied the complete liquidation of all Nazi organizations.
2. Demilitarization - disarmament of the German army.
3. Democratization is the return of multi-party elections and all freedoms to the population.
4. Decartelization is the dissolution of all large economic enterprises (cartels) that controlled the country's economy and did not provide opportunities for the development of medium and small enterprises.

Polish question

The Polish government, which at that time was in exile and had received political shelter in England, insisted that the lands of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus be transferred back to them.

The leaders of the Western powers considered the claims to these territories insufficient and decided that they would be resolved at the expense of Germany.

Roosevelt and Churchill were unanimous in their opinion that Poland should abandon the idea of ​​a huge Polish empire that had existed several centuries ago. They believed that she should come to terms with the status of a small state.

Assassination attempt on the leaders of the Big Three

In 1943, it already became clear to Hitler that it would be almost impossible to win the war. The USSR launched a rapid counter-offensive, and the allied forces will very soon be replenished with US troops, followed by the opening of a “second front”.

It was vitally important for the leadership of the Third Reich to disrupt the negotiations in Tehran and destroy the leaders of the USA, USSR and Great Britain.

To this end, the Abwehr (German intelligence and counterintelligence agency) was tasked with organizing an assassination attempt on Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill. The best Nazi spy Otto Skorzeny, who had already completed several difficult tasks, including rescuing Mussolini from captivity, was appointed responsible for the task. The operation to eliminate the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition was codenamed “Long Jump”.

Hitler's Spy Machine - Otto Skorzeny

USSR counterintelligence was able to find out about Operation Long Jump, after which Stalin ordered the mobilization of all Soviet intelligence in Iran to counter German agents.

Stalin also immediately informed Roosevelt and Churchill about the impending terrorist attack. Since the US embassy in Tehran was far from the Soviet one - on the very edge of the city, Roosevelt decided to settle in the Soviet one for greater security. Churchill did not have to do this, since the British and Soviet embassies were located opposite each other.

In the summer, in Tehran, before the start of the Tehran Conference, the landing of German radio operators began, who established radio contact with Berlin in order to prepare a springboard for the landing of a sabotage group led by Skorzeny.

Since the Allies knew about the operation, the Americans, along with Soviet intelligence officers, intercepted German radio messages, which allowed them to find the radio operators and capture them.

Berlin learned of the capture of the radio operators and stopped the operation to land the second group. At that time, there were already several hundred German agents in Tehran, who were safely found and also captured, also forcing them to work for Allied intelligence. Thus, most of the agents were converted.

Final agreements and documents

At the conference, it became obvious that Soviet-American relations during World War II were warm - both leaders adhered to a similar concept of seeing the world after hostilities. Churchill continued to adhere to the policy of isolating the USSR.

As a result of the Tehran Conference, the leaders of the Big Three decided to open a “second front”. The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the American army is fully prepared for an offensive. Based on the plan, at the time of the offensive in France, the USSR was obliged to launch an offensive on the Eastern Front on the same day so that the German command would not be able to transfer forces from the Eastern Front to the Western Front.

Ultimately, at the Tehran Conference, Stalin accepted the Allied demands that the USSR enter the war against Nazi Japan after Germany's military power was completely broken.

The heads of government of the USA, Great Britain and the USSR at the Tehran Conference adopted the so-called "Declaration of the Three on Iran". According to this declaration, Iran should become a fully independent state after the end of hostilities.

The Big Three leaders also tried to persuade the Turkish government to enter the war against Germany. However, this was not achieved at the Tehran Conference.

At a conference between the Soviet and British representatives a conflict arose around the “Polish question”. The Polish government, which at that time was in exile and based in Great Britain under the protection of Churchill, brought charges against Stalin. Its essence was that during the joint occupation of Poland, Soviet troops, together with Wehrmacht units, shot thousands of Polish officers in the Katyn Forest. Stalin denied these accusations in every possible way and said that they simply wanted to blackmail him so that the USSR would make territorial concessions to Poland.

At the Tehran Conference, the leaders of the Western powers made territorial concessions to the USSR. It was also decided that the post-war world would be governed by an international organization, the main participants of which would be the USA, USSR, Great Britain and France.

At the link http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/War_Conf/tehran.htm you can view the materials of the Tehran Conference of 1943. Conference decisions, recordings of conversations between heads of government and working documents are posted at this address. Based on these documents, it will not be difficult to determine the main (specific) provisions of the Tehran Conference.

For comparison, you can also compare the decisions of the Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam conferences.

Tehran	Yalta	Potsdamskaya
1.The USSR agreed to take part in the war against Japan after the defeat of Germany. 2. The date for the opening of the “second front” was approved, although it was later changed. 3. Consideration of post-war problems began, such as the “German” and “Polish questions”. 4. The participants decided on the fate of Iran - after the war it should become completely independent. 5. The leaders of the Big Three came to a consensus on creating an organization that would maintain peace after the war.	1. The leaders of the Big Three agreed to divide Germany into four occupation zones. 2. The first agreements on the creation of the UN (United Nations Organization) were reached. 3. The “Declaration of a Liberated Europe” was signed, which dealt with assistance to the states of Eastern Europe. 4. The issue of the post-war structure of Poland has been resolved. 5. The parties agreed on the amount of compensation that Germany should pay to the winning countries.	1. The leaders agreed on the goals of the occupation of Germany - the Allies were to carry out denazification, democratization, decentralization and decartelization. 2. Stalin confirmed his promise to declare war on Japan after the victory over Germany. 3. At the same conference, a conflict began between the parties, which led to the Cold War. 4. Reparation payments were ordered. 5. The leaders of the “Big Three” came to a consensus on the borders of states in post-war Europe.

Post-war world structure

As a result of the Tehran Conference, the coalition leaders managed to come to three agreements regarding the post-war structure of Europe:

1. At the Tehran Conference, the participating powers decided the fate of some countries in Eastern Europe - the Baltic states were to join the USSR after a vote by the citizens of these countries.
2. The Soviet leader managed to convince the United States and Great Britain to transfer part of East Prussia, namely the Kaliningrad region, to the USSR.
3. One of the decisions of the Tehran Conference regarding the arrangement of the world in the future was not accepted - Roosevelt proposed dividing Germany into five independent states.

There was a lot of controversy about the first agreement after the war. Historians claimed that they officially allowed the Baltic states to join the USSR, although Washington later denied this fact. The United States at the conference did not openly support such a move, but did not oppose it either, thereby giving Stalin free rein.

After Tehran, the Yalta and Potsdam conferences added to the list of these agreements.

Issues of ensuring security in the world after the war

US President Franklin Roosevelt expressed his point of view regarding the creation in the future of an international organization that would guarantee and maintain security in the world. He had already spoken about this before the start of the conference to the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov. He visited the US capital Washington in the summer of 1942. Roosevelt also discussed this again in May 1943 with British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden.

Roosevelt outlined his plans to Stalin in November 1943. In his opinion, an organization that would work based on the principles of the United Nations should be responsible for security in the world. However, this organization should not be similar to the same League of Nations, which failed in its responsibilities and allowed the Second World War. A new peacekeeping organization would not resolve military issues.

According to Roosevelt, the new organization would have three bodies:

1. General organ which consisted of all member countries of the Organization. His powers included only the ability to make recommendations. At each meeting of the body, all participating countries can express their opinion on a particular issue.
2. Executive committee, which would include: one of the Dominions of Great Britain, one Middle Eastern country, one Latin American country, two European states, the USA, Great Britain, China and the USSR.
3. Police Committee who will ensure that peace is maintained in order to avoid another aggression from Japan and Germany. It should include four states: the USA, China, Great Britain and the USSR.

Stalin and Churchill liked the idea outlined by Roosevelt. However, Stalin also objected that such a scheme was considered incorrect in that such an organization would affect the rights of small European states, which also suffered greatly during the Second World War.

The leader of the USSR, in turn, suggested that the best solution would be to create two organizations at once - one for the Far East, and the second for Europe.

Churchill generally agreed with the proposals of Roosevelt and Stalin, but considered that one or two organizations would not be enough - in his opinion there should be three. Roosevelt was against such an organization of the world after the war.

In December 1943, Roosevelt had a conversation with Stalin, and they came to the conclusion that the most rational thing would be to create one organization. Despite the fact that at the Potsdam Conference, world leaders actively talked about creating an organization to preserve peace, no official decision was made on its creation.

The Tehran Conference (code name “Eureka”) was the first meeting of the heads of government of the USSR, USA and Great Britain during the war years. It took place from November 28 to December 1, 1943. The problem of the opening of the Second Front by the Western Allies occupied the main place in the discussions. I raised this question 7 times at the conference. On November 30, Roosevelt informed the Soviet leader that the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States and Great Britain, with the participation of himself and Churchill personally, had decided to launch Operation Overlord - the Normandy landings - in May 1944.

In Tehran, attention was also paid to post-war problems: the creation of an international security organization, the future of Germany, the issue of Polish and German borders, the status of the Baltic republics, etc. Stalin also gave verbal consent to start a war against Japan after the end of hostilities in Europe.

RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE USSR, USA AND GREAT BRITAIN AT THE CONFERENCE IN TEHRAN, November 30

Roosevelt says that he intends to tell Marshal Stalin some good news for him. The fact is that today the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the participation of Churchill and Roosevelt, made the following decision:

Operation Overlord is scheduled for May 1944 and will be carried out with the support of landings in Southern France. The strength of this supporting operation will depend on the number of landing craft available at that time.

Stalin says he is satisfied with this decision.

Churchill notes that the exact start date of the operation will obviously depend on the phase of the moon.

Stalin says that he, of course, does not demand that an exact date be given to him, and that for the maneuver, of course, one or two weeks within the month of May will be necessary.

Roosevelt says that, as far as can now be judged, the most suitable time will be from May 15 to 20.

Stalin says that he wants to tell Churchill and Roosevelt that by the time the landing operations in France begin, the Russians will be preparing a strong blow against the Germans.

Roosevelt says that this would be very good, since it would not allow the Germans to transfer their troops to the west (...)

Churchill says that it is absolutely obvious that Russia must have access to warm seas. He goes on to say that the government of the world should be concentrated in the hands of nations who are completely satisfied and have no pretensions.

Stalin notes that the governance of the world should be concentrated in the hands of nations that are capable of this.

Churchill says that this is absolutely correct, and continues that if any country is dissatisfied with anything, it will always be a source of concern. Therefore, it is necessary that the destinies of the world be concentrated in the hands of strong countries that are completely satisfied and have no desire to take anything else for themselves. Churchill says that our three countries are just such countries. After we agree among ourselves, we can consider that we are completely satisfied, and this is the most important thing (...)

RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION OF CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS OF THE USSR STALIN WITH US PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT December 1, 1943

Roosevelt. The question of the incorporation of the Baltic republics into the Soviet Union may be raised in the United States, and I believe that world public opinion will find it desirable that at some future time the opinion of the peoples of these republics on this question should be expressed in some way.

Therefore, I hope that Marshal Stalin will take this wish into account. I personally have no doubt that the people of these countries will vote to join the Soviet Union as unanimously as they did in 1940.

Stalin. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia did not have autonomy before the Russian revolution. The Tsar was then in an alliance with the United States and England, and no one raised the question of the withdrawal of these countries from Russia. Why is this question being asked now? (...)

Roosevelt. There are also a number of Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians in the United States. I know that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia both in the past and most recently formed part of the Soviet Union, and when the Russian armies re-enter these republics, I will not fight the Soviet Union over this. But public opinion may demand a plebiscite there.

Stalin. As for the expression of the will of the peoples of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, we will have many occasions to give the peoples of these republics the opportunity to express their will.

Roosevelt. This will be useful to me.

Stalin. This does not mean, of course, that the plebiscite in these republics should be subject to any form of international control.

Roosevelt. Of course not. It would be useful to announce at the appropriate time that elections will take place in these republics in due course.

Stalin. Of course, this can be done (...)

Roosevelt. I think it is too early to decide on the creation of a world organization, but I think it would be advisable to consider the question of a police force. I believe that Marshal Stalin understands that the activities of the world organization will depend on the three powers (...)

MILITARY DECISIONS OF THE TEHRAN CONFERENCE, December 1, 1943

Conference:

1. Agreed that the partisans in Yugoslavia should be supported by supplies and equipment to the greatest extent possible, as well as by commando operations;

2. Agreed that from a military point of view it is highly desirable that Turkey enter the war on the side of the Allies before the end of the year;

3. Took note of the statement of Marshal Stalin that if Turkey finds itself at war with Germany and if as a result of this Bulgaria declares war on Turkey or attacks it, the Soviet Union will immediately find itself in a state of war with Bulgaria. The Conference further noted that this fact might be reported during the forthcoming negotiations regarding Turkey's involvement in the war;

4. Noted that Operation Overlord would be undertaken during May 1944, together with the operation against Southern France. This last operation will be undertaken on the scale that available landing craft will allow. The Conference further took note of Marshal Stalin's statement that Soviet troops would launch an offensive at about the same time in order to prevent the transfer of German forces from the eastern to the western front;

5. Agreed that the military headquarters of the three powers should henceforth keep close contact with each other regarding upcoming operations in Europe. In particular, it was decided that a plan to mystify and deceive the enemy in relation to these operations should be agreed upon between the respective headquarters.

F.D.R [F. D. Roosevelt].

I.St. [AND. Stalin]

W.Ch. [U. Churchill]

Soviet-American relations during the Second World War 1941-1945. T.1. M., 1984.

FROM W. LEHI'S MEMOIRS OF THE MEETINGS OF THE TEHRAN CONFERENCE, November-December 1943

Roosevelt spent considerable time explaining the details of his plan to create an international peace organization with the United Nations at its core. Stalin did not seem to be delighted with the president's proposal to grant small states equal rights in matters of maintaining world peace. Stalin stated his reasons quite simply: if the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States want to maintain world peace, they have sufficient military and economic power to do this and do not need anyone's help to ensure international security... A general exchange also took place opinions regarding the demilitarization of Germany. Stalin spoke out in favor of, if necessary, being able to occupy the most important strategic points inside Germany or on its borders, or even at some distance. No decision was made, but in principle everyone seemed to agree that Germany's military potential should be destroyed...

After everyone, to one degree or another, recognized the Curzon Line as the eastern border of Poland - Roosevelt, however, did not give specific consent - the question of the western borders remained unresolved, although the three leaders agreed in principle that Poland should receive part of German territory as compensation for the area that should have remained with Russia.

Nor was any definite decision reached on the issue of the dismemberment of Germany, which Roosevelt had been mulling over for a long time, although his plan seemed, in principle, to be received positively. The President's idea was to split the Reich into five main parts or states...

Lehi W. Advisor to two presidents // The Second World War in Memoirs... M., 1990. P.421-423(Lehi W. (1875-1959), American Admiral of the Fleet (1944). In World War II - Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the US Armed Forces, at the same time Chairman of the Committee of Chiefs of Staff).

There were two possible ways of development of events. The first admitted that by enlisting the support of the West, Nazi Germany could stop the advance of the Soviet army, limiting the Soviet Union within its previous borders, and remain on the political map of the world. For this purpose, secret negotiations were held between German representatives and the West.

In turn, Britain feared the strengthening of the USSR in the event of victory over the Nazis and the possibility of Stalin personally redrawing the map of Europe. The second option involved further strengthening ties between the USSR and their allies.

The Soviet leadership urgently needed the opening of a second front by the allies and the continued supply of weapons and equipment, since further waging the war alone was difficult for the USSR, although by the fall of 1943 the Soviet Army had significant victories in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk.

Personal interests of the allies

Tehran Conference had to outline ways to achieve the goals of all parties involved.

So the United States wanted to receive a guarantee that the Soviet army would enter the war against Japan after the victory over Germany. In this case, they would be able to greatly reduce their losses and costs.

Britain made plans to continue isolating the USSR and hoped that German military forces would continue to be drawn to the eastern front, and that waging a difficult war would weaken the potential for the emergence of a “Red Menace” in Western Europe. In the event of a second front opening, Britain was It is important to negotiate the most favorable terms.

Well, the Soviet Union, being fed up with the long-term promises of the allies, wanted to achieve a specific deadline for the opening of a second front. And to secure their consent for the future to strengthen the sphere of influence in Europe, when the Soviet Army enters there as a liberator.

When determining the meeting place of the heads of powers of the anti-Hitler conference, disagreements arose. Stalin suggested Astrakhan or Arkhangelsk, Roosevelt believed that Alaska was the best place. There were options for Cairo and Baghdad. But in the end they settled on Tehran. Before the war, Iran had strong ties with Germany, but in 1941, British and Soviet troops entered Iran, as well as a unit of American soldiers providing Lend-Lease. But the occupation did not prevent the Germans from maintaining a powerful intelligence network. Four intelligence services waged a secret war on Iranian territory.

Arrival of delegations in Tehran

In late November, delegations from three countries arrived in Tehran. Churchill arrived with great pomp and took up residence in the British mission building.

For the first time, Joseph Stalin was forced to use an airplane to fly to Iran from Baku, where he traveled by special letter train. Before this incident, the Soviet leader made do with land transport. His security was provided by the 182nd Mountain Rifle Regiment, which was part of the limited contingent of Soviet troops in Iran.

The most difficult route to the capital of Iran was for US President Roosevelt. He had to cross the Atlantic in 9 days on the battleship Iowa to Algeria, and from there get to Cairo, where Churchill was waiting for the president to agree on a joint position in future negotiations.

Why did Roosevelt stop at the Soviet embassy? There are several answers to this question and each is quite convincing in its own way. Firstly, the embassies of Britain and the USSR were located very close to each other, so during the meetings the fences of the embassies were dismantled and a corridor fenced with shields was created so that those passing by could not be seen. And the US Embassy was located far on the outskirts of the city, the daily journey there and back would put the life of the president and members of the delegation at risk. Secondly, there was information about an impending assassination attempt on the heads of the Big Three by German intelligence services. And it is much easier to ensure security in one area without being scattered along the roads and outskirts of the city.

Upon returning from the conference to Washington, US President Roosevelt, speaking to reporters, said that Stalin invited him to stay at the Soviet embassy for security purposes, since he, Stalin, became aware of an impending conspiracy and a possible assassination attempt. Thus, the threat from German agents allowed the leaders of the two powers, living under what is called “one roof,” to hold a number of confidential meetings and negotiations. Perhaps this is precisely what predetermined the fate of a particular Tehran Conference so the fate of the world in the future.

Ensuring the safety of Conference participants

The Soviet embassy was located in a huge mansion with adjacent buildings and a large territory. The building where the office had previously been located was converted into Roosevelt's residence. Thus, a diplomatic complex was created, which was surrounded by three rings of tanks and infantry units.

In Tehran, for three days of the conference, the telephone and telegraph were turned off, the activities of all media were suspended and radio communications were jammed, the city was completely blocked by troops and special services.

Operation Long Jump - German opposition to the Allied meeting

According to the official version, the leadership of Nazi Germany instructed the Abwehr in November 1943 to organize an assassination attempt on the leaders of the Big Three in Tehran. A secret operation called “Long Jump” was developed and led by the famous fascist saboteur and terrorist SS Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny, a special agent for special assignments and Hitler’s favorite since 1943.

His record included the murder of Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss in 1934, the arrest of Austrian President Miklas and Chancellor Schuschnigg in 1938, in 1943, on Hitler’s personal order, he developed and carried out an operation to free the overthrown Mussolini, for which he was awarded the “Knighthood” award from the Fuhrer. cross". Luck always accompanied him, but this time Soviet intelligence officers ruined his plans.

In Iran, Schellenberg's intelligence was represented by a certain Franz Mayer, a young typical SS man who spoke excellent Persian and had very wide connections in Iranian military, political and business circles.

He ambitiously dreamed of turning neutral Iran into an ally of Germany; for this it was necessary to create and bring to power a strong pro-German nationalist movement. This idea was partially successful; Soviet intelligence reported on more than twenty active nationalist organizations of various kinds, but generally anti-allied.

Iranian admirers of Hitler

The largest and most disciplined was the Blue Party, named after the color of the blue ballots of the Iranian Majlis deputies. The party was initially organized by opposition members of the Majlis who did not support the ratification of the Treaty of Alliance between Iran, the USSR and Great Britain in January 1942 and was headed by public figure Habibullah Novbakht, a longtime admirer of Hitler and Nazi Germany led by him.

This illegal party created divisions of the military organization, becoming a real force. Soviet intelligence gave the Blue Party priority attention. On August 1, 1941, Ivan Agayants (“Ford”) became its resident in Iran. Since 1942, intelligence officers have been aware of the increasing activity of contacts between illegal German representatives and officers of the Iranian General Staff.

Information appears about the possibility of an uprising in the Iranian army, the seizure of power and a strike at the rear of the Allies together with German troops. The Soviet and British intelligence officers working with them managed to penetrate their agents into the Blue Party quite deeply, which made it possible to keep abreast of the actions of the conspirators.

Meanwhile, in the south of Iran, the local ruler raised a rebellion and groups of German saboteurs landed in different parts of the country. An acute political crisis arose in the country. The intelligence services of Great Britain and the USSR took upon themselves the task of defeating the pro-German underground and its residency.

Preventing disruption of the Conference and assassination attempts on those involved

The British tracked down and arrested Mayer just a couple of months before the conference. A walkie-talkie, codes, documents and the entire Abwehr archive were seized with him. As a result of the interrogations, it became known that terrorist attacks were being prepared during the conference. After his confession about plans to penetrate the Soviet embassy through drainpipes, the British took control of the entire water supply and drainage system.

Another option was to plant explosives under the building of the Soviet embassy. To do this, the Germans wanted to bribe the priest of the only Orthodox church in Tehran, Father Mikhail, but despite his hatred of Stalin and the Soviets, he refused and revealed the plans of the Nazis to the employees of the Soviet embassy.

Three more ambushes were also prepared along Roosevelt’s possible route from the US Embassy to the place of negotiations. But since the president immediately accepted Stalin's invitation and went to the Soviet embassy, ​​the Germans were unable to take advantage of this plan. After all the failures, Skorzeny offered the Reich leadership a completely simple option - rent a light plane, fill it to capacity with explosives and fly it to the Soviet embassy. But while the volunteer suicide bomber was being transported to the scene of events, the politicians had already gone home.

All the assassination plans planned by the German services will possibly become known after 2017, when British intelligence promised to declassify the archives on this case.

Soviet intelligence officer G. Vartanyan about a special operation to prevent terrorist attacks

The most significant version of the assassination operation was commented on by Gevork Andreevich Vartanyan, a Soviet intelligence officer who spent his entire life in illegal work and was declassified only on December 20, 2000. In his personal “iconostasis” there is the “Golden Star” of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of the “Patriotic War”, the military “Red Banner”, “Red Star”, “For Services to the Fatherland”.

Gevorg Vartanyan - the legendary intelligence officer who saved the participants of the Tehran Conference from a terrorist attack

During the period described, G. Vartanyan worked in Iran. He said that members of his group discovered a German landing party of six people, dropped near Tehran.

Having taken the saboteurs under surveillance, the scouts tracked them to the city and established their place of residence. The group's radio transmissions with Berlin were taken bearings and they were able to be deciphered. So it became known that the second main group was expected to be transferred under the direct leadership of Otto Skorzeny, this group was supposed to carry out the kidnapping or destruction of the leaders of the Big Three.

A group of German spies was arrested, the radio operator agreed to work “under the hood” and a radio game with German intelligence began. Despite the great temptation to detain Skorzeny himself, it was decided that the German radio operator would transmit a pre-arranged failure signal, and the Center in Berlin refused to send out the second group. Since the leaders of the powers were already in Tehran, it was impossible to carry out risky operations.

Decisions taken during the Tehran Conference

There was still almost a year and a half before the final victory over Nazi Germany, but the heads of the three superpowers were already discussing the post-war structure of the world. The American president for the first time voiced the need to create an organization that could ensure lasting peace after the war and would be based on the principles of mutual cooperation between different countries. Stalin warmly supported this idea.

Almost 65 years have passed since the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. But its world-historical significance is so enormous that over the years the greatness of the Victory not only does not fade, but appears more and more brightly. The Great Patriotic War was the most difficult of all the wars our Motherland has ever experienced. In terms of the scale of combat operations, the participation of the masses of people, the use of a huge amount of equipment, tension and fierceness, it surpassed all wars of the past. The victory of the Soviet Union in the war largely determined the development of world events throughout the post-war period. The Great Patriotic War was a struggle for the freedom and independence of our Motherland. The prestige and moral and political authority of the Soviet Union increased, its international influence increased, and the international ties of our state strengthened. The security of the borders of the Soviet Union was strengthened. The liberation of the world from fascism marked a new stage in world history, a historical milestone in the destinies of all mankind.

I believe that Soviet diplomacy played an important role in the victory. She had to put in a lot of effort. The main specific task of Soviet diplomacy was the unification of all forces opposing the bloc of fascist aggressors: the creation of a coalition of the USSR, Great Britain, the USA and other countries ready to cooperate in the war. In the struggle to create a coalition, Soviet diplomacy had to overcome stubborn resistance from very influential circles in Western countries who did not want cooperation with the USSR.

The Soviet government also showed deep interest in the opening of a second front in Western Europe by England and the United States. The question was whether the Soviet Union would again have to take the blow of virtually the entire German military machine alone, or whether England and the United States, having opened a second front in Europe, would also make their contribution to the fight against the common enemy.

The question of opening a second front in Europe

In 1942, the fascist German command was no longer able to conduct offensive operations simultaneously on the entire Soviet-German front. Taking advantage of the absence of a second front and creating a numerical superiority in manpower and combat assets, in the summer it launched a broad offensive in the southern direction of the front with the aim of reaching the oil regions of the Caucasus, the fertile regions of the Don, Kuban, and Lower Volga.

Hitler's leadership also hoped that if the company were victorious, it would be possible to drag Japan and Turkey into the war. The unsuccessful outcome of the operation in May 1942 for the Soviet troops in the Crimea and in the Kharkov region complicated the situation on the southern sector of the Soviet-German front. The enemy again seized the strategic initiative and launched a general offensive in June.

Under these conditions, one of the most important problems of the anti-Hitler coalition continued to be the problem of opening a second front in Europe. This issue was discussed through diplomatic channels, in conversations between Soviet ambassadors in Great Britain and the United States with the leaders of these states and in negotiations at the same level in Moscow.

The Soviet Union's insistent demand to open a second front in France or some other place in Western Europe found broad support among the working people of the USA and Great Britain, as well as understanding in the political and military circles of these states.

The American command, having analyzed the military situation in the world, recognized it as necessary and possible to begin military operations in Europe in 1942. This conclusion was contained in the official report of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Army D. Eisenhower dated February 28, 1942. The report stated that the US armed forces should be given the following main tasks: supporting Great Britain and the USSR, maintaining positions in the Indian-Middle East region and maintaining China as an ally. Eisenhower persistently argued for the need for immediate and concrete action to provide military support to the USSR, firstly, through “direct assistance through Lend-Lease” (supplies of military equipment, vehicles, ammunition and food) and, secondly, through “the earliest possible start operations that will divert a significant number of German ground troops and air forces from the Russian front.” Eisenhower wrote: “We must, together with the British, immediately develop a plan for military action in northwestern Europe…. The scale of action must be wide enough so that from mid-May we can pin down an increasing number of German aviation, and by the end of the summer - an increasing number of German ground troops.” On April 1, Roosevelt was presented with a plan for the Allied invasion of Western Europe, prepared by the US Army Chief of Staff, General D.J. Marshall. Joint offensive actions of the Anglo-American armed forces in Western Europe and a strike against the enemy coordinated by the Soviet Union were envisaged. The invasion of Northern France was supposed to begin in the spring of 1943 with 30 American and 18 British divisions. Roosevelt approved the presented plan and in a personal message to J.V. Stalin asked to send Soviet representatives to Washington for appropriate negotiations. In a reply message dated April 20, J.V. Stalin expressed his agreement to send Soviet representatives to Washington to exchange views on the issue of opening a second front in Europe in the near future, with a preliminary visit to London for negotiations with the British government.

When V. M. Molotov, who headed the Soviet delegation, arrived in London in May 1942, during negotiations with Churchill, he first of all touched upon the issue of a second front, but immediately encountered opposition from the British prime minister. He listed numerous difficulties that made it impossible to quickly open a second front. At the meeting, V. M. Molotov said that on the Soviet-German front we should expect a new powerful blow from German troops, where huge military forces would confront each other. Therefore, effective assistance to the Soviet Union can be provided mainly by withdrawing a certain number of German troops from the Soviet-German front. If this is done in the summer - autumn of 1942, then this will allow even in 1942. defeat the enemy and bring victory closer. Churchill said that this issue was being studied by Great Britain and the United States, but immediately added that the United States would not have the necessary armed forces before the end of 1942, and England and the United States would not have a sufficient number of landing craft this year.

Negotiations on a second front that took place in London were stopped, but the parties agreed to continue them when, after negotiations with Roosevelt, the Soviet delegation visited London again for a final discussion of this issue. On May 29, V. M. Molotov arrived in Washington. Along with other problems, the issue of a second front was considered. During the discussion of the issue there was no shortage of assurances that the goal of the United States and Great Britain was to invade Europe as quickly as possible. But when asked directly by Molotov whether an invasion would be carried out in 1942, Roosevelt and his advisers did not make any promises, citing the lack of vehicles to transport American troops and equipment to the British Isles and across the English Channel to France. Roosevelt repeatedly emphasized that in order to obtain the required tonnage, it was necessary to reduce military supplies to the Soviet Union.

The Soviet government still hoped that the United States and Great Britain would open the front in Europe in 1942, and in order to encourage them to act in this direction, they agreed to reduce requests for military materials and weapons to a minimum. On June 3, the draft joint Soviet-American communique proposed by the Soviet delegation was agreed upon, which stated: “during the negotiations, complete agreement was reached regarding the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942.” On June 9, Molotov arrived in London; on the same day he talked with Churchill. At this and subsequent meetings, a draft joint communiqué was agreed upon. Churchill accepted the formulation agreed upon with Roosevelt. On June 12, the Soviet-American and Soviet-British communiqués were published in the press.

Thus, the American and British governments promised to open a second front in Europe in 1942.

However, the day before the publication of the Soviet-English communiqué, on June 10, V. M. Molotov was presented by the British side with a memorandum containing numerous conditions and reservations designed to justify the refusal to fulfill the undertaken obligation.

At the insistence of W. Churchill, the second Anglo-American conference was held in Washington on June 18-25. The heads of government decided to abandon the invasion of Western Europe by British and American troops in 1942, citing “lack of preparation” for these operations. Churchill persuaded Roosevelt to organize a broad offensive of Anglo-American forces against Italian and German troops in North Africa in exchange for an invasion of Europe. These decisions were finally made by them in July 1942.

W. Churchill took upon himself the unseemly mission of informing the Soviet government about decisions made behind its back. At the direction of the US President, A. Harriman went to Moscow with the British Prime Minister. They arrived in Moscow on August 12, 1942 and on the same day were received by Soviet leaders I. Stalin and V. Molotov. The negotiations took place in a very difficult military situation for the Soviet Union: Nazi hordes were rushing towards Stalingrad and the Caucasus.

Churchill declared the impossibility of organizing a second front in Europe in 1942 and in every possible way exaggerated the significance of the Allied invasion of North-West Africa (Operation Torch), unsuccessfully trying to prove that it was the second front. The first meeting, as Churchill wrote, took place in a “cordial” atmosphere, but the second meeting on August 13 was tense. J.V. Stalin handed over a memorandum to W. Churchill and A. Harriman, which outlined the opinion of the Soviet government in connection with the refusal of Great Britain and the USA to fulfill their obligations to open a second front and emphasized that this refusal significantly complicated the position of the Red Army and caused significant damage to the plans of the Soviet government. Churchill denied all accusations and handed over his response memorandum the next day. It definitively announced the refusal of Great Britain and the United States to open a second front in 1942, but promised to invade Europe in the spring of 1943 with 27 American and 21 British divisions.

The third conversation between I. Stalin and W. Churchill took place on August 15 and was of a conciliatory and friendly nature. Both sides expressed satisfaction that they met, got to know each other and paved the way for future agreements. Churchill informed Stalin of plans for a raid on the French coast in August 1942, aimed at keeping Germany on edge. The landing party was supposed to stay on the French coast for a day, take prisoners and return to Great Britain. At the meeting, an agreement was also reached on the need to coordinate raids by Soviet and British bombers on Berlin.

Churchill was very pleased with this meeting. For him, it was of great importance that he learned from conversations with Stalin that the Soviet Union would continue to fight Nazi Germany even without the opening of a second front in 1942.

The victories at Stalingrad from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943 and the winter offensive of 1942-1943 on a huge front from Leningrad to the Caucasus ridge had a great influence on the ruling circles and leaders of Great Britain and the United States. W. Churchill and F. Roosevelt sent congratulations to J.V. Stalin on the amazing “victory,” as the British Prime Minister wrote. Roosevelt called the Battle of Stalingrad “the turning point of the war of the Allied nations against the forces of aggression.” The ruling circles of these countries realized that solving the main problems of the post-war peace settlement would now be impossible without the participation of the Soviet Union. By the end of 1942, England and the United States understood the need to move to more active military action, otherwise Europe could be liberated from Hitler’s aggressors without their participation. The Anglo-American conference held in Casablanca in January 1943 was devoted to discussing these problems and developing a general military strategy for 1943. The importance of the Casablanca conference was that Roosevelt made a statement: the United States and Great Britain will continue the war with Germany, Italy and Japan until their unconditional surrender. However, the US and British governments did not take practical action to defeat Hitler’s armies in Europe. At the conference, the Western allies avoided solving the main military-strategic problem - opening a second front in Europe in 1943.

The problem of opening a second front was also discussed at subsequent separate conferences of the heads of government of the United States and Great Britain, held in Washington (May 1943) and Quebec (August 1943).

The heads of government of the USA and Great Britain at these conferences limited themselves to only confirming their earlier decision in Casablanca to open a second front in France in the spring of 1944.

Having won the Battle of Kursk (summer 1943), Soviet troops completed a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War and finally and irrevocably seized the strategic offensive initiative. As victory over the bloc of fascist aggressors loomed, issues of a peaceful settlement and post-war organization of the world increasingly began to emerge in relations between the USSR, the USA and Great Britain. The Soviet government considered it necessary to discuss these issues at the highest level conference of allied states.

The Soviet government, wanting to make the upcoming meeting of heads of government truly effective and cementing the anti-fascist coalition, proposed a completely new form of its preparation. In a message from J.V. Stalin to W. Churchill dated August 9, 1943, it was suggested: “In order not to delay the identification of issues of interest to our countries, it would be advisable to organize a meeting of responsible representatives of our states.” And further: “It is necessary to agree in advance on the range of issues to be discussed and on those draft proposals that should be adopted. Without this, the meeting is unlikely to produce any tangible results.”

The heads of the three governments agreed to convene a conference of the foreign ministers of the three powers. Roosevelt and Churchill agreed with Stalin's proposal to hold this meeting in Moscow. All this testified to the increased international authority of the Soviet Union and the recognition by the allies of its leading role in the war.

The Moscow Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the Three Powers took place from October 19 to October 30, 1943. V. M. Molotov took part in it from the USSR, K. Hell from the USA, and A. Eden from Great Britain. At the suggestion of the Soviet Union, she discussed the issue of measures to shorten the duration of the war against Germany and its allies in Europe and, in this regard, the opening of a second front in Western Europe. Eden and Hell assured that, according to the decision of the Quebec Conference, a second front would be opened in Europe in 1944. On October 30, a document was adopted - the Declaration of Four States on the Issue of General Security, which was signed by the foreign ministers of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and a representative of China. The Declaration laid the foundation for the future United Nations. The Declaration on the Responsibility of the Nazis for the Atrocities Committed, which was signed by Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill on behalf of the United Nations, was very important. This document became the international legal basis for the prosecution and punishment of war criminals. The Moscow conference received great international resonance. She created favorable conditions for organizing the first meeting of the heads of government of the three great powers of the anti-fascist coalition. But it still took a long correspondence between Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill to agree on the place and time of their meeting. It was quite difficult to agree on the place and time of its holding. Stalin did not want to leave the territory occupied by the Red Army.

At the suggestion of the Soviet government, the conference took place in Tehran, from November 28 to December 1, 1943. The Tehran Conference is one of the largest diplomatic events of the Second World War. It became an important stage in the development of international and inter-allied relations of this period.

The meeting in Tehran, during which a number of the most important issues of war and peace were considered and resolved, played a significant role in uniting the anti-Hitler coalition to achieve final victory in the war and in creating the foundation for the further development and strengthening of Soviet-Anglo-American relations.

The Tehran Conference convincingly showed that, despite the fundamental difference in the political and social system of the USSR, on the one hand, and the USA and England, on the other, these countries could successfully cooperate in the fight against a common enemy, sought and found a mutually acceptable solution to disputes that arose between them issues, although they often approached these issues from completely different positions.

It was in Tehran that the exact date for the opening of a second front by the Allies in France was finally set and the British “Balkan strategy”, which led to a prolongation of the war and an increase in the number of its victims and disasters, was rejected. The decision taken by the conference to inflict a joint and final blow on Nazi Germany was fully consistent with the interests of all countries that were part of the anti-Hitler coalition.

The Tehran Conference outlined the contours of the post-war world order and achieved a unity of views on issues of ensuring international security and lasting peace. The meeting in Tehran had a very positive impact on inter-allied relations and strengthened trust and mutual understanding between the leading powers of the anti-Hitler coalition.

The Tehran conference of the leaders of the three allied powers took place in an atmosphere of outstanding victories of the Soviet armed forces, which led to the completion of a radical turning point in the course of not only the Great Patriotic War, but also the entire Second World War. The Nazis had already been expelled from Donbass and left-bank Ukraine. November 6, 1943 Kyiv was liberated. By the end of 1943 More than half of the USSR territory captured by the enemy was cleared. However, Nazi Germany remained a strong opponent. She still controlled the resources of almost all of Europe.

The results and consequences of the victories of the Soviet Army radically changed the military-political situation in the world, as well as the alignment and balance of forces in the international arena.

The scale of the military operations of the Western allies was, of course, incomparable with the military operations of the Soviet troops. Landed in Italy after its surrender in September 1943. The Anglo-American troops were opposed by only 9-10 German divisions, while on the Soviet-German front 26 enemy divisions operated against the Soviet troops, of which 210 were German. And yet, by the end of 1943. The victory of the allied countries over the common enemy has come much closer, and the relations between them have become stronger and stronger.

This was confirmed by the results of the Moscow Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the USSR, USA and Great Britain, as well as the achievement of an agreement on a meeting of the leaders of the three allied powers in Tehran.

The first meeting of the Tehran Conference opened on the afternoon of November 28 at the Soviet Embassy in the capital of Iran. For four days, the heads of government exchanged views on the most important issues of war and peace. The conference was attended by military advisers and diplomatic figures. The British and American delegations consisted of 20-30 people each, while with Stalin there were only Molotov, Voroshilov and translator Pavlov.

The Tehran conference, unlike the Moscow one, did not have a pre-agreed agenda. Each delegation had the right to put forward any issues that it considered necessary. Not only joint plenary meetings were held, but also bilateral meetings. The latter greatly contributed to the convergence of points of view and the success of the Tehran Conference as a whole.

The main attention at the conference was paid to the problems of the further conduct of the war by the anti-Hitler coalition. In this regard, the question of creating a second front against Germany in Europe, the opening date of which was repeatedly postponed by the United States and England, was subject to detailed consideration. As a result, the USSR continued to bear the brunt of the fight against the fascist bloc in Europe.

The Soviet Union believed that the most important link in the system of principles of the strategy of the anti-Hitler coalition should be the coordination of military actions against the main enemy, inflicting joint attacks on it simultaneously from several sides. This involved the opening of hostilities in Western Europe in addition to the main struggle that was being waged on the Soviet-German front.

The Soviet Union also believed that the allied troops should land on the European continent in a place that would make it possible to create a real, and not an imaginary, threat for the enemy, to jeopardize its most important military-industrial facilities, and primarily the Ruhr, to reach rapid and effective results. The Soviet Union always considered France to be such a place. The Soviet delegation consistently and firmly defended this line at the Tehran Conference of the leaders of the three allied powers.

The US delegation at the Tehran Conference initially took a vague, wait-and-see position on the issue of creating a second front against Nazi Germany. However, in general, it was guided by the decisions of the August 1943 meeting. Anglo-American Conference in Quebec. The decisions of the Quebec Conference were consistent with the strategic direction adopted by the United States government.

The essence of this strategic position was that it was no longer possible to delay the opening of a real second front. On the danger of further delay, as well as on the perniciousness of the “British theory that Germany can be defeated by a series of operations designed to attrition the enemy in northern Italy, the eastern Mediterranean, Greece, the Balkans, Romania and other countries - satellites,” pointed out, in particular, US Secretary of War G. Stimson, who wrote to Roosevelt in August 1943: “In the light of the post-war problems that we will face, such a position ... seems extremely dangerous. We, like Great Britain, have made a clear commitment to opening a real second front. We cannot expect that any of our pinprick operations will deceive Stalin into believing that we are true to our obligations." Stimson Henry L., Bundy McGeorge. On Active Service in Peace and War. New York, 1947, p. 436-437.

President Roosevelt himself was aware of the danger of further delaying the second front. On the eve of the Tehran Conference, he told his son that “if things in Russia continue to go as they are now, then it is possible that next spring there will be no need for a second front!” Roosevelt Elliott. Through his eyes. M., 1947, p. 161.

The British delegation led by Prime Minister Churchill arrived in Tehran with its own plans.

The course of the war, in which “the honor of almost all victories on land belongs to the Russians” and “it should seem to the ordinary person that Russia is winning the war” Churchill Winston S. The Second World War, vol. V. Boston, 1951, p. 126., worried the British even more than the Americans. If England, they believed, “does not come out of this war on equal terms” with the USSR, its position in the international arena could change dramatically, and Russia would become the “diplomatic master of the world” Ibidem.

The British ruling circles, and among them primarily the British Prime Minister himself, considered the way out of this “dangerous situation” not only to intensify military operations of the Anglo-American armed forces, but first of all to revise the strategic plans adopted jointly with the Americans in Quebec in August 1943, with the aim of abandoning or at least further delaying the second front in northwestern France (Operation Overlord) and replacing it with operations in Italy, the Balkans and the Aegean Sea, eventually expanding into Southeastern Europe, to the western border of the Soviet Union.

The British side tried to achieve the acceptance of these plans, most fully outlined in the memorandum of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee dated November 11, 1943, “entirely and completely” approved by the Prime Minister, on the eve of the three-power conference in Tehran in order to present a united front with the Americans to the Soviet Union.

The American side, however, actually avoided discussing issues of European strategy at the Cairo Conference (November 22-26, 1943), understanding that “the final decisions will depend on the results of negotiations in Tehran with the Russians.” Matloff M. From Casablanca to Overlord. M., 1964, p. 418.

Churchill was irritated, but not discouraged by the position of the Americans, and, as the American historian R. Sherwood notes, in Tehran he made a “last and, one might say, desperate attempt” to defend his plans Sherwood Robert. Roosevelt and Hopkins. Through the eyes of an eyewitness, vol. 2, p. 484..

President Roosevelt opened the discussion about a second front at the first meeting of the Tehran Conference on November 28, 1943. He reported that at the meeting held in August 1943. The Anglo-American Conference in Quebec decided to invade France by Allied forces around May 1, 1944. However, the president immediately made a reservation that if the United States and England conduct large landing operations in the Mediterranean, the invasion of France may have to be postponed for two to three months. The Americans, he said, did not want to “delay the date of the Channel invasion beyond May or June. At the same time, the president noted, there are many places where Anglo-American troops could be used. They could be used in Italy in the Adriatic Sea region, in the Aegean Sea region, and finally, to help Turkey if it entered the war,” see footnote 4.

Roosevelt was interested in the opinion of the Soviet delegation on the question of how the Allies could most significantly alleviate the situation of the Soviet Union, as well as how best to use the Anglo-American forces located in the Mediterranean region.

The Soviet delegation proposed taking 1944 as the basis for all operations. Operation Overlord, that is, a landing in the north-west of France, and to support it, carry out an invasion of Southern France - either simultaneously with the first operation, or a little earlier or later.

However, the British Prime Minister again tried to convince Stalin and Roosevelt of the preference for military operations in the Balkans, in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, by postponing Operation Overlord. He tried to replace the opening of a second front in France with the development of operations in Italy and the Balkans, in order to ensure the occupation of Central and South-Eastern Europe by Anglo-American troops, and transfer the question of the timing of the start of operations across the English Channel to “military specialists”.

The opening of an effective second front against Nazi Germany was again in jeopardy. In the current situation, the Soviet delegation showed determination and firmness. There were serious reasons for this. The Nazis' transition to strategic defense was fraught with great danger in the absence of military action in the West. Without a second front, Germany could freely regroup forces and maneuver reserves, which would significantly complicate the actions of Soviet troops at the front.

The head of the Soviet delegation therefore repeated that the leaders of the USSR, the USA and England should resolve three main issues: the start date of Overlord, the commander-in-chief of this operation and the need for an auxiliary operation in Southern France.

On the morning of November 30, 1943. At a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States and England, after a lengthy discussion, it was decided that the United States and England would launch Operation Overlord during May 1944. simultaneously with a supporting operation in the South of France. The last operation will be undertaken on the scale that available landing craft will allow.

As a result, at the Tehran Conference the issue of opening a second front in Western Europe was finally resolved and it was agreed that Anglo-American troops would land in the amount of 35 divisions in northwestern France in May 1944, and also that this operation would be supported by the landing of troops in South France. Stalin, in turn, said that Soviet troops would launch an offensive at about the same time in order to prevent the transfer of German forces from the Eastern to the Western Front. This most important decision of the Tehran Conference was recorded in a secret agreement, which also contained an equally important clause: “The Conference ... agreed that the military headquarters of the three powers should henceforth keep close contact with each other regarding upcoming operations in Europe.”

The decision taken in Tehran to coordinate the actions of the allies against the common enemy was a success for the Soviet government. The decision to deliver a crushing joint blow to Nazi Germany fully met the interests of the anti-fascist coalition as a whole.

The conference discussed the future of Germany. Roosevelt and Stalin spoke out in favor of breaking up Germany into small states in order to prevent a revival of German expansionism. Roosevelt proposed dividing Germany into five parts and placing Kiel, Hamburg, Ruhr and Saarland under the control of the United Nations. Stalin emphasized that the unification of Germany must be prevented at all costs. However, no final decision was made on this issue.

The leaders of the United States and England were unanimous on the issue that by the end of the war it was necessary to concentrate large Anglo-American armed forces in Europe in order to be able to occupy a dominant position in the post-war world, control the destinies of the peoples of Europe at their own discretion, suppress revolutionary and The national liberation movement, which, as a result of the defeats suffered by Hitler’s Germany on the Soviet-German front, strengthened significantly, preserved the capitalist order intact, installing, if possible, reactionary regimes and governments obedient to them in these countries. All these issues were discussed very openly by the two Western governments back in March 1943 during the visit of the British Foreign Minister A. Eden to the USA. The parties examined in detail the question of what could happen in Europe if there were no Anglo-American troops there by the time Germany collapsed.

The issue of Poland was also painful at the conference and controversial for Soviet-British relations. By this time, Stalin had broken relations with the Polish government in exile based in London. The Kremlin viewed the issue of the execution of Polish military personnel in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk, raised with the support of the British, as blackmail in order to force Moscow to make territorial concessions. In Tehran, Stalin confirmed that the eastern Soviet-Polish border should follow the line established in September 1939, and proposed moving the western Polish border to the Oder, and Lviv should become part of the Soviet Union. Realizing that Moscow would fight to the death on this issue, Churchill agreed with this proposal, noting that the lands Poland receives are much better than the lands it gives away. Stalin also stated that the USSR expected to gain Königsberg and move the border with Finland further from Leningrad.

The conference clearly indicated the agreement of the Western allies to meet Stalin halfway on the territorial issue. Here a statement was made that the post-war world would be governed by four powers (USSR, USA, England, France), operating under the auspices of a new international organization. For the USSR this was a colossal breakthrough; For the first time, the United States assumed global responsibilities; Great Britain, whose role was relatively diminishing, had to be content with the fact that it did not fall out of the Big Three. When discussing the issue of further waging war against the fascist bloc in Europe, much attention was paid to the issue of Turkey's entry into the war and related problems. This question was not new; it had been in London for a long time. Ehrman J. Grand Strategy, pp. 118-121, 129-131 Moreover, as indicated in the official English history of the Second World War, Turkey’s entry into the war was ensured in the fall and winter of 1943. “the central problem facing the Allies in the eastern Mediterranean.” The British sought Turkey's cooperation in order to jointly prevent the development of the revolutionary movement in the Balkans and the liberation of the Balkan countries by the Soviet army. The British Foreign Service believed that “Turkey’s entry into the war would be the best, if not the only, means of keeping the Russians from establishing control over the Balkans.” At the Tehran Conference, the British delegation convinced its participants of the importance of Turkey entering the war on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. She emphasized the “great advantages” that the allies would receive from this: the opening of the route to the Balkans; the opening of communications through the Dardanelles and routes to the Black Sea, which could be used both to provide naval assistance to the Soviet Union and to send supplies to it via a shorter route; the possible exit from the war of Romania and Bulgaria, etc. The Soviet delegation also advocated Turkey’s participation in the war, but, given the ineffectiveness of the Anglo-Turkish negotiations on this issue, held on the eve of the Tehran Conference, expressed the opinion that Turkey would not enter the war. At the conference, an agreement was also reached to send an invitation on behalf of the governments of the three allied powers to the President of Turkey I. Inenu to arrive in Cairo in early December 1943 for negotiations with President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill. The meeting in Cairo took place on December 4-7, 1943, but it did not produce positive results. The Soviet delegation, meeting the wishes of the allied governments of Great Britain and the United States, and also taking into account Japan's repeated violations of the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact concluded on April 13, 1941, and providing assistance to Nazi Germany, stated that the USSR would enter the war against Japan when the German army will be completely destroyed.

One of the last issues at the conference was the issues of post-war cooperation in ensuring lasting peace. The US President outlined the American point of view regarding the creation of an international security organization in the future. According to the president’s scheme, outlined in a conversation with I.V. Stalin on November 29, 1943, the world security organization, the core of which is the United Nations, should consist of three bodies:

• - an assembly consisting of all members of the United Nations, which will have “no other power than to make recommendations”, and which will meet “not in one specific place, but in different places”;
• - an executive committee consisting of the USSR, the USA, England, China, two European countries, one Latin American country, one Middle Eastern country, one Asian country and one of the British dominions; the committee will deal with all non-military issues: economic, food, agricultural, health, etc.;
• - a police committee consisting of the USSR, USA, England and China, which will monitor the preservation of peace and prevent new aggression from Germany and Japan.

The Soviet delegation supported the idea of ​​​​creating an international organization to preserve peace and security. But Stalin proposed creating two organizations: one for Europe, and the other for the Far East or the world. Subsequently, the Soviet delegation agreed that it was better to create one world organization.

The conference did not make any special decision on the creation of an international organization, but the general ideas of cooperation and unity of action of the USSR, USA and Great Britain were reflected in the Declaration of the Three Powers, signed at the end of the conference.

The conference adopted the “Declaration on Iran,” in which participants declared “their desire to preserve the full independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran.” It noted the importance of Iranian assistance in the war against a common enemy. The heads of the three powers expressed their intention to provide Iran with serious economic assistance.

The Soviet delegation did everything possible at the conference to ensure its successful completion. Reporting after returning to London on the results of the conference at a meeting of the British War Cabinet, Eden admitted that during all the discussions Stalin showed “the greatest desire for cooperation.”

The Tehran Conference and its decisions were of great international significance. The principles of cooperation between the great powers of the anti-Hitler coalition, aimed at the victorious, early completion of the Second World War and the establishment of lasting peace, triumphed at the conference. The declaration signed by the leaders of the three allied powers was emphasized. That the USSR, USA and England “will work together both during the war and in subsequent peacetime” The Soviet Union at international conferences during the Great Patriotic War. Tehran Conference of the Leaders of the Three Allied Powers, vol. 2, p. 157 doc. No. 66.

The results of the conference were highly appreciated by its participants. President Roosevelt viewed the meeting in Tehran "as an important milestone in the progress of mankind." December 4, 1943 he wrote to J.V. Stalin that he considered the conference “very successful” and expressed confidence that it was “a historical event confirming not only our ability to wage war together, but also to work for the cause of the coming world in complete harmony” Correspondence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers USSR..., vol. 2, p. 116.. December 6, 1943 the head of the Soviet government replied that after the conference “there is confidence that our peoples will act together in harmony both now and after the end of the war” Ibid..

This meeting also had a very positive impact on inter-allied relations, strengthening trust and mutual understanding between the leading powers of the anti-Hitler coalition.

The second front was opened on June 6, 1944. The landing of expeditionary forces began in northern France, in Normandy. They did not encounter any significant enemy resistance. By the end of June, 875 thousand allied troops were concentrated in Normandy; They captured a bridgehead about 100 km along the front and 50 km in depth, and in August captured almost all of northwestern France. On August 15, 1944, American and French troops landed in the south of France and launched a successful offensive to the north.

As a result of the opening of the second front, this extremely painful issue, which for three long years had seriously complicated relations between the USSR, England and the USA, was finally removed from the agenda.

The victory over Nazi Germany was a world-historical event that had a profound impact on the course of world development. The defeat of fascism became a historical milestone in the destinies of all mankind. The Soviet Union became the main force that blocked German fascism's path to world domination. The peoples of the Soviet Union bore the brunt of the war on their shoulders and played a decisive role in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Victory in the Great Patriotic War had a decisive impact on world development. A special place among the achievements of Soviet foreign policy during the war years is occupied by the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition, in which the Soviet Union took its rightful leading place and played a decisive role in the defeat of the imperialist aggressors. The anti-Hitler coalition was not free from contradictions and disagreements between its participants, especially between the USSR, on the one hand, and England and the USA, on the other. But the foreign policy efforts of the Soviet state were aimed at using as widely and fully as possible to strengthen the unity of action of the Allied powers that which united them in the war against Nazi Germany. The cooperation of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition clearly demonstrated the vitality of the principle of peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems. Not only in diplomatic documents, but also in all practical activities of the Soviet state abroad, our country’s loyalty to the agreed goals and principles of the anti-Hitler coalition was constantly confirmed. Our country has shown an example of fulfilling its allied duty, which its allies are forced to admit. One of President F. Roosevelt’s closest collaborators, Admiral W. Legy, wrote in his memoirs that “the Soviet Union fulfilled every previously reached agreement.” And former US Secretary of War G. Stimson noted that “the Russians were excellent allies, they fought in accordance with their obligations.

During the difficult years of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet foreign policy showed maximum insight, skill in dealing with the diplomacy of capitalist countries, firmness combined with flexibility in defending the fundamental interests of the Soviet state and its friends, and thereby made a worthy contribution to achieving the victory of our people in the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War.

Bowing their heads to the memory of those who gave their lives to achieve Victory over the enemy, the peoples of the world remember the lessons that must be learned from the past war so that a new military tragedy does not happen again. One of the main lessons we must learn is that aggression must be fought decisively and unitedly before the flames of war flare up.

On November 28 - December 1, 1943, a conference of the leaders of the three allied states of the anti-Hitler coalition was held in Tehran (Iran): Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Joseph Stalin, US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The meeting went down in history as the Tehran Conference. For the first time, the “Big Three”—Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill—gathered in full force.

Military decisions stated that Operation Overlord would be undertaken during May 1944, together with the operation in Southern France, with Soviet troops launching an offensive around the same time in order to prevent the transfer of German forces from the eastern to the western front. It was envisaged that the military headquarters of the three powers should henceforth keep close contact with each other regarding the upcoming operations in Europe, and that a plan should be agreed upon between these headquarters to mystify and deceive the enemy in relation to these operations.

The Western allies, based on their military-strategic plans in South-Eastern Europe, proposed expanding assistance to the Yugoslav partisans and drawing Turkey into the war against Germany.