Teheran Conference 1943

Big 3 at Teheran

FDR left U.S. Nov. 11, 1943, on battleship USS Iowa to attend Cairo conference in Mena House hotel near pyramids in Egypt Nov. 23-26; Harry Hopkins feared Russia would join with British against U.S. due to successes on Eastern front after Stalingrad and Kursk; George Marshall feared British Mediterranean plans: "not one U. S. soldier should die for Rhodes." Chiang Kai-shek at Cairo feared growing influence of Russia and declining aid to China. After 4 days in Egypt, FDR and Churchill travelled by airplane on Nov. 27 to Teheran, flying over Palestine and Iraq and Iran. They were still divided on strategy, and this division would be exploited by Stalin at the 10th major conference of WWII at Teheran.

Stalin, FDR, Churchill at Teheran, from ILN 12/11/1943

Churchill gives Stalingrad sword to Stalin, from Time 12/11/1943

FDR holds Stalingrad Sword presented to Stalin at Teheran, from Newsweek, 12/20/1943

FDR receiving Stalingrad sword

Man of the Year
from Time 01/1943

Trouble Spots
from Time 05/1943

Carl Spaatz from USAF Museum

Teheran Conference Nov. 28-Dec. 1

1st meeting of Big 3: FDR, Churchill, Stalin
- The first session began in the evening of Nov. 28 at the U.S. Legation with military strategy as the highest priority.
all agreed to emphasize cross-channel invasion , not periphery
- "OVERLORD in May" promised
- but date moved to June to allow 68 LSTs for Anzio in January
all agreed on independence of Iran
- 3-Power Declaration of 6 Dec. 1943
all agreed on the idea of a U.N. postwar organization "in principle"
- FDR's one-world idea, not Churchill's regionalism.
- Four-Power Declaration at Moscow Oct. 30.
- UNRRA organized Nov. 9 - 44 nations by 1945.
- FDR made commitment to internationalism, but said US would withdraw troops from Europe after war, depend on Navy and Air Force to keep the peace.
Stalin agreed to Cairo decisions Nov. 26.
- Russia to enter the war against Japan
- Korea independent, Manchuria returned to China
- no British-U.S. agreement on Rhodes, Burma, or postwar Asia
Stalin sought "security belt" of the Baltics, Poland, partition of Germany; said he would not annex Finland but the Finns needed to be "taught a lesson" and Stalin would take out reparations.
FDR in private talks with Stalin agreed to a Curzon line for Poland in the east and moving the German border back to the Oder, and agreed some transfer of population would be necessary "on a voluntary basis" to allow Russia to take back Ukraine and Belorussia from Poland.
FDR proposed dismemberment of Germany into 5 smaller parts (surprised Churchill) and Stalin wanted to take part of East Prussia to get the warm water Baltic port of Konigsberg (became Kaliningrad).
FDR willing to accomodate Stalin; Churchill was isolated; Stalin joked at dinner that Churchill was soft on Germany and that it may be necessary to execute 50,000 German officers; Churchill replied that he would never agree to such "barbarous acts" but FDR joked that perhaps 49,000 would do.

2nd Cairo Conference Nov. 28-Dec. 1

After Teheran ended Dec. 1, FDR returned to Cairo for the 2nd Cairo conference Dec. 4-6 with Churchill and President Ismet Inonu of Turkey. Turkey remained neutral; Britain cancelled plans to invade Rhodes; Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was named OVERLORD commander on Dec. 5; Gen. Carl Spaatz was named head of the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF) combining air groups in Britain and the Mediterranean under one American commander.