Introduction

The untold story of the three intelligent and glamorous young women who accompanied their famous fathers to the Yalta Conference in February 1945, and of the conference’s fateful reverberations in the waning days of World War II.

Tensions during the Yalta Conference in February 1945 threatened to tear apart the wartime alliance among Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin just as victory was close at hand. Catherine Grace Katz uncovers the dramatic story of the three young women who were chosen by their fathers to travel with them to Yalta, each bound by fierce family loyalty, political savvy, and intertwined romances that powerfully colored these crucial days. Kathleen Harriman was a champion skier, war correspondent, and daughter of U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union Averell Harriman. Sarah Churchill, an actress-turned-RAF officer, was devoted to her brilliant father, who depended on her astute political mind. Roosevelt’s only daughter, Anna, chosen instead of her mother Eleanor to accompany the president to Yalta, arrived there as keeper of her father’s most damaging secrets. Situated in the political maelstrom that marked the transition to a post- war world, The Daughters of Yalta is a remarkable story of fathers and daughters whose relationships were tested and strengthened by the history they witnessed and the future they crafted together.

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Discussion Questions

What would it be like to be the child of a “Great Man” of history?

Why might each of these fathers have chosen to bring their daughters to Yalta to serve as their aides? Were their reasons the same or different?

At its heart, this is a story about relationships: how do personal relationships affect geopolitical decisions at the highest level?

How are the relationships between each of these pairs of fathers and daughters similar? How are they different?

It is inevitable that elected officials will turn to their family as some of their most trusted advisors and confidantes. What is the appropriate role for the unelected family members of elected officials to play in their public duties? More specifically, what is the appropriate role for “first children”?

Each of the daughters plays a multifaceted role: diplomat, confidante, keeper of her father’s secrets. How did each daughter contribute to her father’s mission at Yalta? Which daughter is most successful in each of these roles?

How did the three daughters influence history, both before and during the Yalta Conference?

The role of women in politics and government has changed significantly since 1945. By bringing their daughters to Yalta, were these three fathers ahead of their time in recognizing their daughters abilities and potential, behind their time, or somewhere in between?

Before and during World War II, leaders in the United States had very little knowledge or expertise about the Soviet Union, as the United States had broken off diplomatic relations with Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Few Americans spoke Russian, and American (and British) intelligence capabilities in the USSR were practically non-existent. How might history have been different had there been deeper knowledge about this ally-turned-adversary?

Livadia Palace and Yalta’s surroundings convey a strong sense of place. In what way are physical surroundings a character in this story?

How did a lack of specific information about certain issues related to foreign policy at Yalta affect the world order in the aftermath of World War II? What are the ramifications of the Yalta Conference on the world today?

We are now 75 years past the Yalta Conference: to what extent are we still living in a world ordered by the decisions made at Yalta?

Weblinks

»	Author's website
»	Player Cards aka cast of characters

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