'Big Three' meet at Tehran

A Day in History – 28 November 1943

On the 28th of November 1943, the leaders of the 'Big Three' nations - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin - met for the first time in Tehran, Iran. This historic summit aimed to solidify military strategies for the Allies in the final stages of World War II and to begin shaping the post-war world order. As Churchill remarked, the meeting “probably represented the greatest concentration of worldly power that had ever been seen in the history of mankind.”

The stakes at Tehran were immense, reflecting the critical juncture at which the Allied powers found themselves at this point of the war. Nazi Germany still controlled much of Europe, and the Soviet Union was reeling from significant losses on the Eastern Front. To alleviate pressure on Soviet troops, Stalin called for a commitment to a Second Front in Western Europe. He expressed the gravity of the situation, “Without this [second] front, the defeat of Germany will be delayed indefinitely.” This pressure prompted the Allies to agree on Operation Overlord (the D-Day landings), which was initially set for May 1944 and ultimately executed in June.

The future of Germany was a major topic at the Tehran Conference. Roosevelt argued that the "concept of the Reich" should be eliminated from the German mindset. Stalin, however, took a more radical stance, advocating that "the very Reich itself must rendered impotent". He favoured German dismemberment, including the control of strategic areas to prevent rearmament. Stalin further pressed for a revision of Poland's border with the Soviet Union, shifting them westwards. Poland's eastern border was redrawn along the Curzon Line and gave significant eastern Polish territories (parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, and Lithuania) to the Soviet Union. Whilst concerned about the implications of moving borders, both Churchill and Roosevelt largely deferred on the matter, focusing on preserving the unity of the Allied powers and ultimately winning the war.

Churchill also voiced concerns about a resurgence of German militarism. He proposed strict post-war measures, including the complete abolition of Germany's aviation and military staff, as well as close supervision of any remaining industries. Stalin doubted that these proposals would be effective. He shared his experience with German prisoners in the Soviet Union, explaining that when he asked them why they had committed atrocities in Russia—killing women, burning homes - their only response was that they had been ordered to do so. For Stalin, this underlined the danger of a resurgent Germany if its military potential was not completely dismantled.

The conference also laid the groundwork for a new post-war world order. Roosevelt was interested in the possibility of a 'sovereignty fashioned in the form of a collective body', to resolve common issues and “have the power to deal immediately with any threat to the peace and any sudden emergency which requires action.” The President proposed this organisation would be governed by the “Four Policemen”—the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and China. This form of international organisation would later become the United Nations.

Days after the conference ended, the three leaders released a statement that, despite the differing opinions, gave no hint of any dispute. “We came here with hope and determination,” the statement concluded, “We leave here, friends in fact, in spirit and in purpose.” The Tehran Conference was a crucial turning point in Allied cooperation, marking the beginning of a united front against Hitler. Yet, their competing ambitions for post-war influence foreshadowed the tensions that would shape the world for decades to come.