The Daughters of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans: A Story of Love and War

In the aftermath of the Yalta conference, President Roosevelt remained “detached and enigmatic” and did not give Anna Roosevelt any recognition for her contributions (271). In his letters to her, Anna Roosevelt’s husband praised her for her hard work and noted the historic nature of the conference, which was much more important than the ones her brothers had attended. Anna Roosevelt traveled on with her father to Egypt, where the President encountered numerous setbacks: Charles de Gaulle was offended at his exclusion from Yalta and refused to meet him; Ibn Saud, the Saudi leader, rejected Roosevelt’s proposal of a new Jewish state in Palestine; and his friend and aide Pa Watson suddenly died while on the trip. Moreover, Harry Hopkins decided to leave the delegation abruptly, shaken by Watson’s death. President Roosevelt barely acknowledged Hopkins when he left, in spite of his 15 years of working closely with him. Due to Hopkins’ absence, Anna worked with speechwriter Sam Rosenman on Roosevelt’s speech.

Back in Washington, President Roosevelt addressed Congress and expressed his desire for a peaceful future. Much of the American media was quick to deem the Yalta Conference a success, but Time magazine published a more critical piece which labeled the conference a “fairy tale,” and hinted that Stalin was the real benefactor of the agreements there (274).