Why was Poland the most important issue at the yalta conference?

Answer 1

The Yalta Conference was a meeting of the leaders of the US, UK, and the Soviet Union, to discuss Europe's postwar reorganization, and reestablish the nations of war-torn Europe.

Poland, was a central focus of the meeting for several reasons.

1.) Poland, especially Eastern Poland, had been the physical site of the dividing line between Germany and the Soviet Union, after WWI. Skirmishes and boarder battles between Germany, and the Soviet Union continued up through early 1939.

2.)Poland had been politically, and physically, the "key" area of division when the Soviet Union had entered negotiations with the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Romania, to form an alliance against Nazi Germany.

While such negotiations were being made, Poland was not given an active voice or the same power to participate, as the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet. At the same time, Germany had made promises to Poland, for an alliance, which were later abandoned.

3.) As a result, German troops entered Poland in September of 1939, from the North, West, and South, declaring war on the Soviet Union, France, and England. Soviet troops entered Poland, from the east, 16 days after German troops. Polish military, and domestic resources had been nearly obliterated by German troops, and Poland, while refusing to surrender, was "caught" between the German and Soviet troops.

Basically, due to its location, was used as a physical catalyst between Germany and the Soviet Union, yet, was almost "helplessly" in the middle of the two.

3.) By the time the Yalta conference took place, Soviet troops remained in Poland, and occupied Western Poland, as well. It was key strategically, that Soviet troops, remain in at least the east part of Poland, as a defensive measure against possible future attacks from Germany.

4.) Whether Soviet troops could remain in Poland, and if so, where in Poland, were key to the Soviet Union, when negotiations took place at Yalta.

5.) (Stalin) The Soviet Union did feel an incredible amount of remorse for the occupation in Poland, as Poland not only served as the grounds of invasion by Germany, and the Soviet Union but also, Poland had served as a historical corridor for forces attempting to invade Russia.