What was the purpose and outcome of the Yalta Conference (1945)?

What was the purpose and outcome of the Yalta Conference (1945)?

• A. Allied leaders discussed postwar Europe and established Germany's postwar plan.
• B. Allied leaders drafted the first postwar constitution for Europe.
• C. Allied leaders planned a joint international police force.
• D. Allied leaders planned postwar Europe, agreed on spheres of influence, and laid groundwork for the United Nations.

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is how the wartime Allies tried to shape the postwar world. At Yalta, they focused on laying out how Europe would be reorganized after the conflict and how to establish a framework for maintaining peace. A major outcome was agreement on creating a new international body to prevent future wars—the groundwork for what would become the United Nations. They also touched on the political map of the postwar world, including Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, which is the sense in which spheres of influence are discussed. This is why the best answer emphasizes both planning for postwar Europe, recognizing certain influence in Eastern Europe, and laying the foundations for the United Nations. The other options don’t fit: there wasn’t a finalized German postwar plan established at Yalta, no attempt to draft a postwar European constitution, and no plan for a joint international police force.

The idea being tested is how the wartime Allies tried to shape the postwar world. At Yalta, they focused on laying out how Europe would be reorganized after the conflict and how to establish a framework for maintaining peace. A major outcome was agreement on creating a new international body to prevent future wars—the groundwork for what would become the United Nations. They also touched on the political map of the postwar world, including Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, which is the sense in which spheres of influence are discussed.

This is why the best answer emphasizes both planning for postwar Europe, recognizing certain influence in Eastern Europe, and laying the foundations for the United Nations. The other options don’t fit: there wasn’t a finalized German postwar plan established at Yalta, no attempt to draft a postwar European constitution, and no plan for a joint international police force.