The Beginnings of the Cold War
The war had caused political changes as well. To address the shift of power in Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill at Yalta in the Ukraine for what would become known as the Yalta Conference.
The basis for the meeting was to discuss the future of Germany and Poland. The conference was not an easy undertaking. The three leaders had many disputes regarding the two countries. Most of the problems were due to the disagreements over what form of government to instill in each country.
Regardless of the disagreements, the conference was deemed a success due to the inception of the United Nations. The United Nations (UN) would serve as a forum from which the nations of the world could attempt to solve the world’s problems peacefully. The League of Nations, which had formed after World War I, had failed for various reasons including America’s refusal to join. With the creation and membership in the UN, America turned its back on isolationism and took a position as a leader of the free world.
As a result, in April 1945, delegates from about fifty countries met in San Francisco to adopt a charter, or outline of their beliefs. The charter would serve as the founding principles for the UN. The basis for the charter was to stop wars from starting and to end wars that ultimately did.