What significant shift occurred after the Yalta Conference?

The significant shift that occurred after the Yalta Conference was that Stalin's armies occupied most of Eastern Europe. This conference, held in February 1945, involved the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union discussing the post-war reorganization of Europe. One of the outcomes was an agreement on the influence the Soviet Union would have in Eastern Europe, effectively allowing Stalin to extend his control over countries in that region. This resulted in the establishment of Soviet-backed communist governments across Eastern Europe, fundamentally altering the political landscape of the region in the years following World War II.

The options regarding America's involvement, the reunification of Germany, and Western Europe's declaration of independence from the USSR do not accurately represent the realities of the post-war period shaped by the decisions made during and after the Yalta Conference. Instead, a clear delineation between East and West emerged, leading to the eventual division of Germany and the broader context of the Cold War.