At the February 1945 Yalta Conference , the Allies attempted to define the framework for a postwar settlement in Europe . The Allies could not reach firm agreements on the crucial questions : the occupation of Germany , postwar reparations from Germany , and the fate of Poland . No final consensus was reached on Germany , other than to agree to a Soviet request for reparations totaling $ 10 billion " as a basis for negotiations . " Debates over the composition of Poland 's postwar government were also acrimonious . The Yalta Conference ended with " a declaration on liberated Europe pledging respect for democratic forms and providing a diplomatic mechanism for constituting a generally acceptable Polish government "
Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference
Origins of the Cold War