July 17 to August 2, 1945

There were several issues agreed upon in the Potsdam Conference, held near Berlin. The main purpose was to implement decisions reached previously in the Yalta Conference. However, the terms agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference were dishonoured within a year as a result of the beginning of the Cold War between USSR and Western Europe and USA.

The Boundaries of Poland:

Since Poland was under the Soviet sphere of influence, Stalin insisted on expanding it west-ward into Germany. This was to compensate Poland for the 21 336 sq km of territory lost to the Soviet Union. This modification of boundaries forced the migration of millions of Germans. For United States, this meant that USSR would have a greater sphere of influence as Poland was clearly under the Soviet bloc.

Types of Governments in Eastern Europe:

It was agreed that Stalin would allow for and hold...