Summary:
In the late summer of 1945, President Truman journeyed to Berlin for a
conference between the three major allied powers-the United States, Great
Britain, and the Soviet Union. The President and his party sailed from the
United States to Antwerp, Belgium aboard the U. S. S. Augusta, a heavy
cruiser, and traveled by plane and car to Berlin. This particular trip
was different than most other trips the President made, as it took place
during wartime. While on board the ship, the President witnessed several
military exercises, including radar-tracking demonstrations, target
practice ships, and the landing of planes on ships at sea. He also
participated in an "abandon ship" drill.
While at this conference, Truman met both Josef Stalin and Winston
Churchill for the first time. The three leaders and their advisors
settled many issues, including the establishment of a Council of Foreign
Ministers to further work on the peace treaties, the governing of Germany
during occupation by the Allies, German reparations, the methods for
handling war criminals, and the admission of the defeated countries to the
United Nations, and other topics.
As Truman met with the British and Russians to prepare for peace,
preparations were also taking place for the final assault on Japan.
Truman received word of the first successful test of the atomic bomb while
in Potsdam, and authorized its use against Japan. On his return voyage
after the conference, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb over
Hiroshima, which gave President Truman great hope that the war would soon
be over.
The Truman Library website has a variety of other resources related to the
Potsdam period. See the document that Truman
signed authorizing the dropping of the atomic bomb and other documents related to the development
of the atomic bomb and the decision to use it.
