The final day of the Yalta Conference occurred.
It's interesting to note how many things in World War Two that outright failures or downright evil (I'd categorize this as a failure) took place or started on a Sunday. People should have observed it as a day of rest.
The key results of Yalta were:
The US, UK, and USSR agreed that Germany would surrender unconditionally. Germany would be divided into four occupation zones, each controlled by the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union, although France was added later. Berlin would be likewise divided into four occupation zones, each controlled by one of the Allied powers. Free elections in Poland and other liberated areas, outside of Germany. Germany would undergo demilitarization and denazification. The Allies would establish the United Nations. Nazi's accused of humanitarian and war crimes would be put on trial. The USSR would declare war against Japan.
It's easy, I suppose, to be harsh on Yalta without appreciating that at the time it appeared the Soviets were on the verge of taking most of the Soviet Union, something that in fact would not happen. The occupation zones made sense.
Poland and the territories in the east, outside of Austria, never had free elections. The UN was established but after the Korean War it never lived up to expectations, which doesn't mean it wasn't worthwhile. It was, and is. The USSR did declare war on Japan, but by the time it would did, its help wasn't needed and it made the post war world worse.
Operation Veritable ended in an Allied Victory with the Canadian Army taking Kleve.
The U-869 was sunk by the USS Howard D. Crow and USS Koiner.
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