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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
Title: Lesson Plans for Conference at Yalta Activity
Author: Derek Frieling
Course: American History
Time Frame: Part of one class period for introduction and one full class period for the debate.
Subjects:
World War II, Yalta Conference, World War II
Grade Levels:
11
Classroom/Homework Activity to be performed:
Students will fulfill the role of the political leaders at the Conference at Yalta and reenact the conference. They will
debate the issues discussed at the conference to determine if they come to the same ends as what actually
happened in 1945. Students will then predict the implications of the conference on the course of the Cold War and
our world today.
Rationale:
Many historians agree that basis of the Cold War began at the Conference of Yalta in February 1945. The leaders
at the talks have been criticized for putting the world on the path that polarized the two super powers. Through this
role-play activity, students will become conscious of the motivated factors that led the delegates to come to their
conclusions and realize the impact of these decisions.
The Conference at Yalta was the critical point that changed the relationship between the United States and the
Soviet Union from that of allies to rivals. The positioning for dominance in the post-World War II world would
continue throughout the Cold War and especially during the Truman presidency. The decisions made during the
Conference at Yalta and the Truman Administration still are affecting the world today.
Lesson objectives - the student will:
Students will develop an understanding of how the implications of decisions made decades ago are still making an
impact in the world today.
District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met:
MO Standards:
2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world
6. Relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions
7. The use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps, documents)
2aD-Describe and evaluate the evolution of the United States domestic and foreign policy including the Cold War.
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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
2bG-Examine the wars of the 20th century, including: causes, comparisons, consequences, and peace efforts.
3B-Compare and contrast governmental systems, current and historical, including those that are democratic and
totalitarian.
7B-Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
Kansas Standards
Benchmark 3: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas,
developments, and turning points in the era of the Cold War (1945-1990).
1. (K) explains why the United States emerged as a superpower as the result of World War II.
2.(A) analyzes the origins of the Cold War (e.g., establishment of the Soviet Bloc, Mao’s victory in China, Marshall
Plan, Berlin Blockade, Iron Curtain).
3. (A) evaluates the foreign policies of Truman and Eisenhower during the Cold War (e.g., establishment of the
United Nations, containment, NATO, Truman Doctrine, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Iron Curtain, U-2 incident).
Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed:
Ferrell, Robert H. Harry S. Truman: A Life. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1994.
Primary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed:
The following is a list of suggested primary sources.
The Yalta Conference Agreementhttp://avalon.law.yale.edu/wwii/yalta.asp
Documents concerning the United Nations- http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/un/large/
Documents concerning
Germany and the Berlin
Airlift- http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/berlin_airlift/large/index.php
Documents concerning Japan and
the decision to drop the atomic
bomb- http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php
Documents concerning the Cold War in the Truman PresidencyTechnology Required:
Primary and secondary sources may be acquired via the Internet
Full description of activity or assignment:
Students will be divided into groups to fulfill the roles of Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin at
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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
the Conference at Yalta. Each group will be provided the role sheet for their respective country noted below.
Students will be under strict instruction to fulfill their roles as opposed to personal contemporary beliefs. Students
will familiarize themselves with their roles using the sheets and by conducting additional research using the sources
noted above. Students will then write a paragraph on each issue to prepare a statement of their beliefs and talking
points to be pursued in the debate.
At a subsequent class, a debate will be held to discuss each issue and determine which option the
delegates will agree to at the Conference of Yalta. Following the debate, a class discussion will debrief the
students to determine how closely they mirrored history and discuss the difficulties of the debate considering the
factors influencing them.
Finally, students will examine each of the issues discussed at the Conference of Yalta and trace their
development through the Truman Presidency to the modern era. They will fill out the Yalta Conference Lives On
worksheet. This can be done as a homework assignment or a class project with teacher guidance.
Conference at Yalta
Setting: World War II is nearly over. Even though Japan continues to fight on, Italy has been knocked out of the
war, and Germany appears to be in the final weeks before it is forced to surrender. The principle members of the
Allies will meet once again to discuss the progress of the war. However, unlike previous meetings which discussed
war tactics, victory in Europe is a forgone conclusion. The scope of this conference will focus on what to do in the
time period following World War II.
Task: As diplomats of the primary Allied countries, it will be your job to represent your country’s wishes at the
Conference at Yalta. Read the descriptor page describing your country’s desires on various issues concerning
World War II and the post-war era. Determine your country’s position on each of the topics to be discussed at the
conference. Be prepared to defend your country’s stand on the issues and willingness to negotiate a resolve with
the other Allied leaders.
Principle Leaders:
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain
Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States
Joseph Stalin, Premier of the Soviet Union
Key Issues:
1. World Organization
2. Liberated Nations
3. Post-War Germany
4. Post-War Poland
5. Continued War in Japan
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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
Great Britain
Leader: Winston Churchill, Prime Minister
*Recognized British politician for over 60 years.
*Veteran of the Boer War and World War I.
*Recognized the Treaty of Versailles had failed and in part led to World War II.
*Predicted the appeasement policy of Neville Chamberlain at the Munich Conference would fail.
*Agreed to the Atlantic Charter with Franklin Roosevelt, which supported self-determination and a new League of
Nations.
*Led Great Britain through World War II. Swore Great Britain would “Never give in” to Adolf Hitler and Germany.
Primary Concerns:
*Feared Great Britain was going to lose power and prestige to the “super powers” following World War II. Fear of
losing control of the British Empire
*Supported democratic nations in Europe and had even housed exile governments during World War II when
Germany had invaded their countries (most notably, Lublin government of Poland).
*Had been destroyed by Germany.
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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
United States
Leader: Franklin Roosevelt, President
*Led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.
*Had recently been elected to and began serving his fourth term as President.
*Was in very poor health as those close to him saw he was very near to death.
*Recognized the Treaty of Versailles had failed and in part led to World War II.
*Agreed to the Atlantic Charter with Winston Churchill, which supported self-determination and a new League of
Nations.
Primary Concerns:
*Twice the United States had been pulled into World Wars. Wanted to ensure calamities of this nature would never
happen again. United States had a policy of isolationism.
*As America was the “Experiment in Democracy,” there is the desire and belief in the spread of democracy to
other countries.
*Greatest number of American deaths was in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Although Joseph Stalin had
asked for assistance in Europe and it was returned with the D-Day invasion and additional support was provided in
the Lend-Lease Plan, the Soviet Union had yet to mount an attack against Japan.
Soviet Union
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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
Leader: Joseph Stalin, Premier
*Leader of the Soviet Union following the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924.
*In attempts of internal reforms, Stalin led the Soviet Union to economic calamity during collectivization attempts.
*Was very paranoid of threats to his control of the Soviet Union and threats of attacks from outside nations. Within
the country, purges were stages to eliminate any threats to his power. Information from foreign nations were
limited and censored while Soviet secrets were not released.
Primary Concerns:
*The Soviet Union suffered the greatest number of deaths (by far) of any of the Allied nations at the conference.
*Germany had twice invaded the Soviet Union (officially Russia the first time) during the World Wars. Both had led
to great loss of territory and millions of lives. Wants to ensure Germany will never be able to attack their country
again.
*Soviet armies had defeated the German forces in Eastern Europe with little help from the other Allied nations.
Conference at Yalta
Diplomacy Sheet
Key Issue
Creation of the United
Nations
Option 1
Option 2
Dismantle the League of
Create a United Nations
Nations and do not create a separate of the League of
replacement
Nations
Option 3
Eliminate the League of
Nations and create the
United Nations
Option 4
Create a Unite
Nations to wor
coordination w
League of Nat
Structure of the United
All nations have free and All nations have
All nations are invited to
United Nations
Nations (assuming Option equal membership in the
membership in the United have representation in the created with tw
1 is not chosen in the
United Nations
Nations but only the Allied United Nations with certain groups-one wi
previous issue)
Nations have voting power voting privileges given to Allied member
Allied leaders
one with only A
members
Liberated Nations
All nations choose new
Nations will choose their Allied leaders will determineGovernments
governments democratically own governments with
new governments for freed restored to pre
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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
by their own people
support (influence) from
the Allied leaders
German government would New democratic
be restored to pre-war
government would be
status
created
German government
countries
status
Germany would be
Allies would le
occupied and controlled by Germany rebu
Allied nations
government as
saw fit
No reparations
Reparations totaling $22 Reparations totaling $92
German econo
billion
billion
would be taken
by the Allies an
Allies would pa
rebuild the cou
Lublin government restored Soviet Union create a new Create a new democratic Poland is elimi
(previous government
Polish government
government
and is divided
exiled to London during
between the A
WWII)
powers
Soviet Union invades Japan Soviet Union invades
Soviet Union does not
Soviet Union d
immediately
Japan within 3 months
invade Japan
not invade Jap
following the end of war in
they agree to
Europe
surrender
immediately
Reparations
Poland
Japan
Yalta Conference Lives On
Key Issue
Addressed in Truman
Administration
Impact of Yalta on
Truman Decision
Present Situation
Impact of Yalta and
Truman on the World
Today
Creation of the
United Nations
Structure of the
United Nations
Liberated Nations
German government
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Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Teacher Lessons
Reparations
Poland
Japan
Full explanation of the assessment method and/or scoring guide:
Students will be required to write a paragraph on each of the issues discussed at the debate. They are expected to
write a paragraph on which option they prefer and defend their support of that option. They will bring this paper to
the debate and use it as talking points in the course of the debate.
Following the debate, students will be required to fill out the Yalta Conference Lives On sheet to relate the
impact of the resolution on the course of history.
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