Berlin Experiences/Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference: July 27th 1945 – The Price Of Peace
With the tenth plenary session of the Potsdam Conference on hold, the US and Soviet foreign ministers would meet to talk reparations.
Berlin Experiences · 07/12/25 · 13 min read
Vyacheslav Molotov showed up at the ‘Little White House’ today for a one-on-one meeting with Jimmy Byrnes at 6:00pm. Even before he arrived, the stage was set for high conflict potentially waiting to erupt.
Molotov received a copy of the Potsdam Declaration shortly after it had been released last night. He called up Byrnes right away and requested that it be held up for two or three days, so that he would have a chance to address the conditions. When Molotov was informed that it had actually already been released to the world, he immediately became disturbed and told the Secretary of State that they would discuss the matter in more detail today.
Since the British delegation had not yet returned to Potsdam, Molotov and Byrnes had an opportunity to come together and see if they could possibly make some headway on the negotiations that had proved yield some of the most bitter disagreements thus far: reparations and the future of Germany.
Walter Brown, Byrnes’s assistant wrote in his notes:
“Either Russia’s going to play ball and quit wanting so much or our relations will deteriorate…JFB (Byrnes) and the President have been becoming more exasperated with the Russians every day.”
Molotov and Byrnes sat down with their interpreters V.N. Pavlov and Chip Bohlen. The atmosphere was tense and Molotov was clearly distressed, while Byrnes remained calm.
“Why weren’t the Soviets consulted regarding this ultimatum to Japan?” Molotov immediately lashed out.
“It wasn’t submitted to you before release because we did not want to embarrass the Soviet Union by presenting it with a declaration affecting a country with which it was not yet at war,” Byrnes quietly replied as he stated the obvious.
Molotov paused, let the Secretary of State’s words sink in for a moment and then further expressed his disappointment and dissatisfaction by reiterating the fact that the Soviets should have been consulted first. According to Chip Bohlen, Molotov hinted that a higher authority would be looking into the matter:
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Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference 1945 — day by day.
