POTSDAM CONFERENCE

Potsdam, Germany • July 21, 1945 The “Big Three” Allies opened their victors’ confer­ence on July 17, 1945, in an undamaged suburb 15 miles/­24 kilo­meters from Berlin, the German capi­tal. Two drama­tic uncon­di­tional surren­ders by the heads of Germany’s armed forces a week after the April 30 sui­cide of German dic­ta­tor Adolf Hitler had encour­aged the govern­ment heads of the…