Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1945, 1980 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 reels
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Potsdam Conference, 17 Jul 1945-2 Aug 1945, was the meeting of the principal Allies of World War Two, the United States, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Great Britain, to clarify and implement agreements reached previously at the Yalta Conference, 4-11 Feb 1945. The chief representatives were US President Harry S Truman, Soviet Premier Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, British Prime Minister Rt Hon Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill and, after Churchill's defeat in the British general elections, Rt Hon Clement Richard Attlee. The representatives agreed to transfer the chief authority in Germany to the American, British, Soviet, and French military commanders in their respective zones of occupation and to a four-power Allied Control Council for matters regarding the whole of Germany. The Allies set up a new system of rule for Germany which outlawed the Nazi Party, disarmed Germany, and introduced representative and elective principles of government. The German economy was to be decentralised, and monopolies dismantled. The question of Polish sovereignty was discussed, and all former German territory east of the Oder and Neisse rivers was transferred to Polish and Soviet administration, pending a final peace treaty. The German population in these territories was to be transferred to Germany and a mode of reparations payments was outlined.. Finally, the Potsdam Declaration, 26 Jul 1945, presented an ultimatum to Japan, offering the nation the choice between unconditional surrender and total destruction. The material in this collection contains President Harry S Truman's diary and official papers relating to the Potsdam Conference, 29 Mar-2 Aug 1945.
Archival history
GB 0099 KCLMA MF 338-339 1945, 1980 Collection (fonds) 2 reels President Harry S Truman, and political and military representatives at the Potsdam Conference, 1945
The Potsdam Conference, 17 Jul 1945-2 Aug 1945, was the meeting of the principal Allies of World War Two, the United States, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Great Britain, to clarify and implement agreements reached previously at the Yalta Conference, 4-11 Feb 1945. The chief representatives were US President Harry S Truman, Soviet Premier Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, British Prime Minister Rt Hon Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill and, after Churchill's defeat in the British general elections, Rt Hon Clement Richard Attlee. The representatives agreed to transfer the chief authority in Germany to the American, British, Soviet, and French military commanders in their respective zones of occupation and to a four-power Allied Control Council for matters regarding the whole of Germany. The Allies set up a new system of rule for Germany which outlawed the Nazi Party, disarmed Germany, and introduced representative and elective principles of government. The German economy was to be decentralised, and monopolies dismantled. The question of Polish sovereignty was discussed, and all former German territory east of the Oder and Neisse rivers was transferred to Polish and Soviet administration, pending a final peace treaty. The German population in these territories was to be transferred to Germany and a mode of reparations payments was outlined.. Finally, the Potsdam Declaration, 26 Jul 1945, presented an ultimatum to Japan, offering the nation the choice between unconditional surrender and total destruction. The material in this collection contains President Harry S Truman's diary and official papers relating to the Potsdam Conference, 29 Mar-2 Aug 1945.
University Publications of America, Inc., Bethesda, MD, with published fully indexed guide edited by Paul Kesaris.
Potsdam Conference Documents, 1945: The Presidential Documents Series is a themed microfilm collection including the personal and official documents and correspondence of President Harry S Truman during proceedings of the Potsdam Conference, 29 Mar-2 Aug 1945. Papers are drawn from a variety of originating bodies including US President Harry S Truman; US Gen of the Army George Catlett Marshall; US Gen of the Army Douglas MacArthur; Gen Dwight David Eisenhower, Supreme Commander Allied Forces Europe; George Frost Kennan, US Chargé d'affaires in Moscow; Rt Hon Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain (until 26 Jul 1945); Rt Hon Clement Richard Attlee, Prime Minister of Great Britain (after 28 Jul 1945); Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek; Soviet Premier Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin; the US Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Papers relate to US foreign policy concerning the reconstruction of Western Europe; the partition, de-nazification, demilitarisation, and future reparations payments of Germany; the trial of major war criminals; the unconditional surrender of Japan; former Axis satellite states; Austria; Yugoslavia; the withdrawal of Allied forces from Iran; the retention of Allied forces in Italy; Lend-Lease liquidation; Bulgarian reparations payments to Greece; the reconstruction of Poland, Czechoslovakia; Yugoslavia and the Balkans; Anglo-Soviet rivalry in the Middle East; civil affairs in China.
Arranged into the following sections based on subject of material and origination: the diary kept by President Truman at the Potsdam Conference; agenda and supplementary documents; background information on Europe, economic matters, the Near East, and the Far East; territorial studies; US bilateral discussions with the USSR and Great Britain; US Joint Chiefs of Staff memoranda and recommendations; papers and minutes of the Combined Chiefs of Staff; minutes of meetings with heads of government; minutes of meetings of foreign ministers; correspondence of President Truman with heads of government; miscellaneous documents; report on the Tripartite Conference of Berlin. Each section is arranged chronologically therein.
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Enquiries concerning the copyright of the original material should be addressed to University Publications of America, Inc., 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814-3389, USA
English
Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room, Paul Kesaris (ed.), Potsdam Conference Documents, 1945: The Presidential Documents Series (University Publications of America, Inc, Bethesda, MD, 1980).
Date of compilation: Jul 1999 Austria Boundaries Chiang Kai-shek , 1887-1975 , Nationalist Chinese general and statesman x Kai-shek China Churchill , Sir , Winston Leonard Spencer , 1874-1965 , Knight , statesman Development aid Diplomacy East Asia Eastern Europe Economic aid Economic relations Eisenhower , Dwight David "Ike" , 1890-1969 , General , President of the United States Europe Foreign policy Foreign relations Germany Humanitarian law Interdependence International conflicts International economic relations International instruments International law International relations Italy Japan Kennan , George Frost , b 1904 , US public official Marshall , George Catlett , 1880-1959 , US General and Secretary of State Military government Nazism Occupied territories Poland Political doctrines Political systems Potsdam Rights of states Stalin , Joseph Vissarionovich , 1879-1953 , Prime Minister of the USSR x Dzhugashvili , Joseph Territorial rights Totalitarianism Truman , Harry S , 1884-1972 , US President UK USSR War War crimes Western Europe World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) Wars (events) London England
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
University Publications of America, Inc., Bethesda, MD, with published fully indexed guide edited by Paul Kesaris.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Potsdam Conference Documents, 1945: The Presidential Documents Series is a themed microfilm collection including the personal and official documents and correspondence of President Harry S Truman during proceedings of the Potsdam Conference, 29 Mar-2 Aug 1945. Papers are drawn from a variety of originating bodies including US President Harry S Truman; US Gen of the Army George Catlett Marshall; US Gen of the Army Douglas MacArthur; Gen Dwight David Eisenhower, Supreme Commander Allied Forces Europe; George Frost Kennan, US Chargé d'affaires in Moscow; Rt Hon Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain (until 26 Jul 1945); Rt Hon Clement Richard Attlee, Prime Minister of Great Britain (after 28 Jul 1945); Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek; Soviet Premier Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin; the US Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Papers relate to US foreign policy concerning the reconstruction of Western Europe; the partition, de-nazification, demilitarisation, and future reparations payments of Germany; the trial of major war criminals; the unconditional surrender of Japan; former Axis satellite states; Austria; Yugoslavia; the withdrawal of Allied forces from Iran; the retention of Allied forces in Italy; Lend-Lease liquidation; Bulgarian reparations payments to Greece; the reconstruction of Poland, Czechoslovakia; Yugoslavia and the Balkans; Anglo-Soviet rivalry in the Middle East; civil affairs in China.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged into the following sections based on subject of material and origination: the diary kept by President Truman at the Potsdam Conference; agenda and supplementary documents; background information on Europe, economic matters, the Near East, and the Far East; territorial studies; US bilateral discussions with the USSR and Great Britain; US Joint Chiefs of Staff memoranda and recommendations; papers and minutes of the Combined Chiefs of Staff; minutes of meetings with heads of government; minutes of meetings of foreign ministers; correspondence of President Truman with heads of government; miscellaneous documents; report on the Tripartite Conference of Berlin. Each section is arranged chronologically therein.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Enquiries concerning the copyright of the original material should be addressed to University Publications of America, Inc., 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814-3389, USA
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room, Paul Kesaris (ed.), Potsdam Conference Documents, 1945: The Presidential Documents Series (University Publications of America, Inc, Bethesda, MD, 1980).
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
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Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
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Subject access points
- International law » Rights of states » Territorial rights » Boundaries
- Development aid
- International relations » Foreign relations » Diplomacy
- Development aid » Economic aid
- Interdependence » Economic relations
- International relations » Foreign relations » Foreign policy
- International relations » Foreign relations
- Humanitarian law
- Interdependence
- International conflicts
- Interdependence » Economic relations » International economic relations
- International law » International instruments
- International law
- International relations
- Political doctrines » Totalitarianism » Nazism
- Humanitarian law » Occupied territories
- Political doctrines
- Political systems
- International law » Rights of states
- International law » Rights of states » Territorial rights
- Political doctrines » Totalitarianism
- International conflicts » War
- Humanitarian law » War crimes
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Language(s)
- English