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This Happened

This Happened — February 4: The Yalta Conference Begins

On this day between in 1945, following the events of World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union met to discuss the postwar reorganization of a war-torn Europe.

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What was the main purpose of the Yalta Conference?

The Yalta Conference was a meeting between the leaders of the Allied powers, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The main purpose of the conference was to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe after the impending defeat of Nazi Germany.

What were the main topics discussed at the Yalta conference?

The main topics discussed at the conference were the post-war reorganization of Europe, the defeat of Nazi Germany, and the formation of the United Nations. The leaders also discussed the issue of self-determination for Eastern European nations and the Soviet Union's role in the post-War world.

What was the significance of the Yalta Conference?

The Yalta Conference, the second meeting of the so-called Big Three of FDR, Churchill and Stalin, was a significant event in history as the agreements reached at the conference had a major impact on the post-War world and set the stage for the Cold War. It is widely studied as an example of the ideological divide between the west and the Soviet Union.

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Photo of hundreds of people taking part in the Mahabaruni bathing festival in West Tootpara, Bangladesh.

People flock to the Mahabaruni bathing festival in West Tootpara, Bangladesh. About one million pilgrims are estimated to have taken part in this 200-year-old “sacred bath” ritual.

Emma Albright, Ginevra Falciani, Inès Mermat, Hugo Perrin and Anne-Sophie Goninet

👋 Sawubona!*

Welcome to Monday, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping lands in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, banking stocks and bonds hit a new low despite UBS’ rescue of Credit Suisse, and about one million pilgrims take part in a “sacred bath” ceremony in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Paul Molga in French daily Les Echos looks at the vicious circle between climate change and earthquakes.

[*Zulu, South Africa]

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