American presidents usually had a fairly free hand when it came to carrying
out foreign affairs. However, if they signed up to any agreements they had
to get approval from the US Congress.
This extract from Roosevelt's speech focuses on the discussions they had
Poland was a critical issue for all of the allies.
Britain had gone to war in 1939 to protect Poland's independence from Germany.
Britain had sheltered Polish leaders in a Government in Exile throughout the
At Yalta Britain, the USA and USSR agreed to let states liberated from the
Nazis decide on their own government.
However, Stalin was determined to control Poland because he had been attacked
through Poland by Germany in 1941. At the time of the Yalta Conference most
of Poland was under the control of the Red Army. Polish Communists (backed
by Stalin) were using this fact to build up their own power.
The eventual settlement involving Poland involved the USSR taking over sections
of eastern Poland and Poland moving its western border into former German
lands. A compromise government was formed involving the British backed and
Soviet backed government. However, with the Red Army in control of Poland
the British backed government found itself sidelined.