Threads

Königsberg and East Prussia

The Soviet claim to an ice-free Baltic port, conceded in principle at Tehran and confirmed here. The partition of East Prussia between the Soviet Union and Poland.

Day by day

The strongest passage on each day, with a link into the record at that exact point.

1. 23 July 1945Königsberg & Prussia7th plenary · 7 passages

   As early as the Tehran Conference, Stalin raised the issue of future Soviet control of Königsberg owing to the fact that the Soviet Union had no ice-free ports in the Baltic. Neither Churchill or Roosevelt objected, but they thought it would be best to address the issue of Königsberg while dealing with the general topic of Germany’s borders to the east. In the end, a basis for future discussion resulted with the Big Three agreeing that Germany was to lose Königsberg and all…

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2. 28 July 1945The New Big Three10th plenary · 1 passage

   “Soon after their arrival, Mr. Attlee and Mr. Bevin called on the President and the four of us discussed the work of the conference. The President mentioned the Soviet demand for East Prussia and indicated on a map the changes in the boundary lines of Germany, Poland and the Soviet Union that thus would be affected. Mr. Bevin immediately and forcefully presented his strong opposition to those boundaries.”

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3. 2 August 1945The Conference EndsProtocol signed · 1 passage

   The Red Army had pushed Poland’s western frontier all the way to the Oder River and the Western Neisse River and the Americans and British just accepted it for the time being. Furthermore, Poland was given the southern portion of East Prussia, including the port of Danzig, while the Soviet Union was granted the northern portion. As for free elections in Poland, something for which the British had argued multiple times during the Conference, it was agreed only that they…

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