Combined Chiefs Of Staff

ARGONAUT CONFERENCE January-February 1945 Combined Chiefs Of Staff

The Argonaut Conference, which lasted from January 30 to February 11, 1945, took place in two locations: the island of Malta and Yalta in the Soviet Union. This important conference marked the second occasion that the Big Three leaders-President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston S. Churchill, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin-and the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) conferred on the progress of the war. The first part of the conference (sometimes called the Malta Conference) occurred in Malta from January 30 to February 3. It was an opportunity for American and British leaders to plan for the final campaign against the Germans and to prepare for the Yalta meeting with Stalin and Soviet leaders. The second part of the conference, also known as the Yalta Conference, was hosted by Stalin in the Soviet resort town from February 4 to 11. These highly significant meetings focused mainly on postwar plans for Europe, and Argonaut was the last wartime conference attended by Roosevelt, who would die on April 12, 1945. Reflecting the Big Three's emphasis on postwar Europe, the most sweeping agreement at Argonaut concerned the occupation zones in Germany and Austria, including the creation of a French zone in Germany. The Allied leaders also discussed new German "superweapons" such as V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets. The U-boat threat was again assessed, primarily because of the introduction of the schnorkel, which allowed for longer submerged periods and the recharging of a submarine's battery without surfacing. Operations for the defeat of Japan were also extensively considered, including conditions for Soviet entry into the Pacific war and actions in Southeast Asia.