Roskill Lecture - Yalta at 75 - Prof. David Reynolds - 29th January 2020

Yalta in February 1945 ranks as one of the most notorious summits of the 20th century. Did the Big Three divide up the world between them? Did Roosevelt and Churchill sell out Eastern Europe to Stalin? David Reynolds revisits the drama of the conference, drawing on archives from the three countries, and reflects on the longer-term meaning of Yalta for our world of Trump, Putin and Brexit.

[@Medafets]

Brilliant. I could listen to Reynolds talk about anything. Isn’t it incredible we get this kind of education for free.

[@ryanreedgibson]

Yes! it's just too bad people don't take advantage of it.

[@phillusted7364]

something wrong with the world when a video of this quality has only 250 likes and mindless content is getting multi - million thumbs up.

[@ryanreedgibson]

Yeah, I know. People don't like to learn history. I didn't until I was grown. I have a channel that is nothing but history shorts (under 1 min each). It's the only way to compete with mindless content.

[@timothychivers7324]

David Reynolds’s the best historian I’ve ever listened to as I’ve listened to many BRAVO Mr. Reynolds’s on your work and knowledge

[@Ruthypops1]

Absolutely fantastic lecture!

[@jasondaws4172]

Amazing lecture from an amazing man.

[@Stephen-wb3wf]

Love this guy and every doc he does.

[@thespamdance311]

I wish I’d had a professor like him when I was at uni.

[@davidproudfoot6668]

Best lecture ever on Yalta and the aftermath

[@paulyc2408]

I would listen to David Reynolds al the long

[@neveniusvondubowatz7705]

Thank You sir Reynolds :D

[@scottscottsdale7868]

Or to put it another way “events in the future where once long in the past”.

[@brucevilla]

Thanks for Uploading.

[@McIntyreBible]

23:01, a recreation of what occurred during the summit.

[@dennissherman863]

this man is amazing

[@mikehiggins946]

David Reynolds begins speaking at 5:40 Of course these three Nations, if not the same 3 individuals, were to meet one more time in Potsdam in July of '45 2 and a half months after the end of the war in Europe. During this conference there are a couple of very important developments. First, Churchill must return home to stand for an election in which he is defeated and thrown out of office. The second happened while Churchill was still there and would change the dynamics of the world situation as well the waging of all future wars and that was the succesful testing of the first Atomic Bomb on July 24 of '45. Of course we all know now that Truman told Stalin in vague terms what had happened and Stalin sort of poo pooed it which we later discovered was because he was already aware of it thanks to his spies in Los Alimos. I'd like to hear David Reynolds talk about the chances of Operation Unthinkable with the addition of the Atomic monopoly the Allies now had and believed they would continue to have for up to 10 years in the future or at least the opportunity to get better peace terms for instance in Poland now that the Bomb had changed the power dynamics on the ground in Eastern Europe. Stalin clearly made use of his 300 divisions on the ground in his negotiations at Yalta. Did the Allies miss an opportunity to get more concessions from the Soviets now that they had the Atomic Bomb in their hand? Remember that although Stalin knew about the Atomic Bomb's existence he was still over 4 years away from their 1st test and would always be 4 year behind the Americans in terms of the number of bombs in their arsenal.

[@vladlenin2698]

Great lecture !! Critics of Yalta, tend to ignore the fact that Stalin was in complete control over Eastern Europe and that without the Soviet Union WW2 would have been lost in Europe.

[@landsea7332]

Prof Reynolds makes the critical point right at 9:57 - The map he displays indicates the Soviet Army was already in Eastern Europe during the Yalta Conference - Stalin was already in control of much of Poland and Eastern Europe . .

[@landsea7332]

To add , the Soviet Army had 6.8 million combatants on the eastern front during the Yalta Conference . Churchill was warning FDR about Stalin , but FDR wanted to secure Stalin's help to attack the Japanese Imperial Army in Manchuria to help end the war with Japan . . Churchill was the great war leader in June 1940 to Operation Barbarossa and Pearl Habor , but by the time of Yalta , Britain was broke , and he was playing 3rd violin to Stalin and FDR . .

[@ryanreedgibson]

In a way FDR was right about the Russians. Up until their newer invasions under Putin, they did become less barbaric. Poland has recovered as a state but I wouldn't say Britain went to war for Poland but declared war for them. I do agree that a "special relationship" would have probably saved us from the cold war.

[@scottscottsdale7868]

Operation unthinkable. It strikes me that this was a political document to allow him to say to political rivals that it was simply not possible to get a fair deal for Poland. There is no choice. But he needed real cover.

[@landsea7332]

I don't buy this because - Churchill was a great believer in Liberal Democracy and hated fascism and communism - After Yalta , Churchill was warning FDR about Stalin - A Free Polish Government ( and Free French Gov ) was supported in London - Operation Unthinkable remained classified until 1998 . .

[@johnmcclellan9020]

Churchill was the greatest man Britain ever produced full stop.

[@richardque4952]

From the moment soviet step into eastern europe theres nothing the west can do.but on first place roosevelt should have demand a kanchamka pennisula as a collateral in return for lend lease .

[@jolevy4569]

I was an undergraduate at Churchill College, and I feel ashamed. A far more impartial and informed lecture could have been given by David Irving.