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[[Image:Teheran conference.jpg|right|thumb|300px|(L-R) Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill on the portico of the Russian Embassy in Teheran, during the conference.]]

[[Image:Teheran conference.jpg|right|thumb|300px|(L-R) Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill on the portico of the Russian Embassy in Teheran, during the conference.]]

The '''Teheran Conference''' was most significant conference between the [[Big Three]] Allied leaders during World War II. It was held in Teheran, Iran (Persia), which was occupied by the Soviet [[Red Army]] at the time, from 28 November to 1 December 1943. It brought together for the first time [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] and Soviet dictator [[Joseph Stalin]].  The main achievement was a growth in mutual trust between the Soviets and the Americans, with the British left out in the cold.  At the conference the leaders agreed to concentrate their combined power in 1944 in a giant East-West pincer movement against Germany. To fulfill this pledge, the Americans and British promised to launch the invasion of northern France—Operation Overlord—in May, 1944. The Soviets promised a supporting attack on the Germans—Operation Bagration—from June through September. Roosevelt, with Stalin's help, put pressure on Churchill to support the cross-channel invasion, reducing the Mediterranean to a secondary theater. The Soviets also agreed to American requests to enter the war against Japan as soon as Germany was defeated.  Stalin also agreed to vague plans Roosevelt had for a postwar United Nations.  All the promises were kept. Conservatives have criticized Roosevelt for trusting Stalin too readily, and for not realizing Stalin's plans to rule Eastern Europe using the Red Army and the Communist party.

The '''Teheran Conference''' was most significant conference between the [[Big Three]] Allied leaders during World War II. It was held in Teheran, Iran (Persia), which was occupied by the Soviet [[Red Army]] at the time, from 28 November to 1 December 1943. It brought together for the first time [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] and Soviet General Secretary [[Joseph Stalin]].  The main achievement was a growth in mutual trust between the Soviets and the Americans, with the British left out in the cold.  At the conference the leaders agreed to concentrate their combined power in 1944 in a giant East-West pincer movement against [[Germany]]. To fulfill this pledge, the Americans and British promised to launch the invasion of northern France—[[Operation Overlord]]—in May, 1944. The Soviets promised a supporting attack on the Germans—[[Operation Bagration]]—from June through September. Roosevelt, with Stalin's help, put pressure on Churchill to support the cross-channel invasion, reducing the [[Mediterranean]] to a secondary theater. The Soviets also agreed to American requests to enter the war against [[Japan]] as soon as Germany was defeated.  Stalin also agreed to vague plans Roosevelt had for a postwar [[United Nations]].  All the promises were kept. Conservatives have criticized Roosevelt for trusting Stalin too readily, and for not realizing Stalin's plans to rule [[Eastern Europe]] using the Red Army and the Communist party.

==Goals==

==Goals==

While Stalin was preoccupied with the opening of the second front in Europe, Roosevelt's priority was to pave the way for a postwar organization based on the Atlantic Charter and dominated by the 'Big Four' (the United States, Britain, China, and the USSR) to assure world peace and security. To reach Soviet agreement Roosevelt had to disabuse Stalin of his belief in an anti-Soviet [[collusion]] between the United States and Britain and to forge a direct US-Soviet working relationship. Churchill wanted to avoid a very high casualty invasion of France of the sort that had caused so many deaths in World War I, and wanted instead more action in the Mediterranean. The problem was that this would postpone the defeat of Germany.

While Stalin was preoccupied with the opening of the second front in Europe, Roosevelt's priority was to pave the way for a postwar organization based on the [[Atlantic Charter]] and dominated by the 'Big Four' (the United States, Britain, [[China]], and the USSR) to assure world peace and security. To reach Soviet agreement Roosevelt had to disabuse Stalin of his belief in an anti-Soviet [[collusion]] between the United States and [[Britain]] and to forge a direct US-Soviet working relationship. Churchill wanted to avoid a very high casualty invasion of France of the sort that had caused so many deaths in [[World War I]], and wanted instead more action in the Mediterranean. The problem was that this would postpone the defeat of Germany.

Roosevelt clearly regarded the Soviet Union (not Britain) as the most important US ally and felt that he alone was capable of dealing with the Soviet leader. He also seemed prepared to grant most of Stalin's wishes and tended to override the opinions of his own staff and other allied leaders when they did not agree with Stalin's viewpoints. This bias in favor of the Soviet viewpoint is reflected in the results of the meetings at Teheran and Yalta, where the two leaders met and decided the postwar fate of Eastern Europe.

Roosevelt clearly regarded the Soviet Union (not Britain) as the most important US ally and felt that he alone was capable of dealing with the Soviet leader. He also seemed prepared to grant most of Stalin's wishes and tended to override the opinions of his own staff and other allied leaders when they did not agree with Stalin's viewpoints. This bias in favor of the Soviet viewpoint is reflected in the results of the meetings at Teheran and Yalta, where the two leaders met and decided the postwar fate of Eastern Europe.