In early 1945, with an inevitable defeat of Nazi Germany on the horizon, the Allied leaders of the United States, Britain and Russia came together to decide the postwar future of Europe itself. The ‘Big Three’, made up of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin - met at Yalta in Crimea, with the reorganisation of Germany a top priority to be discussed. But within a few years of the Yalta Conference, any hopes for a new era of peace was shattered by the arrival of the Cold War.

In this episode, James is joined by leading war historian Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, to learn more about what happened at the Yalta conference over those eight momentous days. What deals were struck? Why did the conference fail to stop the Cold War? And why does the Yalta Conference remain such a controversial topic today?

Caroline's book is available here.

Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe. Edited by Aidan Lonergan.

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