Much of the conversation at Yalta was about the fate of postwar Europe, with the division of the Continent into zones under Western and Soviet influence. But Asia was also a major topic of discussion. The Combined Chiefs of Staff were convinced that victory would not come until mid-1947, and told Roosevelt and Churchill so, increasing the pressure on them to make sure that Stalin would participate in the war in Asia. However, Stalin’s participation came with conditions. He demanded control of the Kurile Islands, an archipelago stretching from the north coast of Japan to Russia’s Kamchatka
...more
