740.0011 European War
1939/17580
The British Embassy to
the Department of State
Memorandum
Instructions were recently sent to British diplomatic representatives
at Lisbon, Stockholm and Angora to acquaint the Governments to which
they were accredited with the information which the Foreign Office
had received regarding German plans for summoning a European
conference and launching a peace offensive. They were instructed to
make it clear that the British Government would reject all such
schemes with contumely and to take any action open to them to
dissuade the respective governments to which they were accredited
from lending support to any such German initiative. The Foreign
Office have now received reports from the three representatives in
question on the results of the approaches which they were instructed
to make.
- 2.
- The British Ambassador at Lisbon69 was informed that the German
Government had made no approach of any kind to the Portuguese
Government and he was allowed to infer that the Portuguese
Government would not walk into any such trap.
- 3.
- The British Minister at Stockholm70 was informed
that the Swedish Government had not heard, except through the
press, of any rumours of such a German initiative and that they
had not been approached by the German Government. If they did
receive such an approach, the Swedish Government would certainly
avoid taking part in any such conference and they fully
understood the British Government’s attitude.
- 4.
- The British Ambassador at Angora71 has been assured
by the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs72 that no effort has
been made on the German side either to induce Turkey to launch a
peace offer or to secure Turkish sympathy for, or Turkish
adherence to, the New Order. The Minister for Foreign Affairs
fully understood the British Government’s position and seemed to
realise the importance of not giving Germany a breathing space
in which to rally her strength.
- 5.
- Information received from Berne suggests that the Swiss
Government have also not received any approach from the German
Government and have no intention of adhering to the New
Order.
- 6.
- The British Ambassador at Kuibyshev informed the Soviet
Government of the reports which the Foreign Office had received
about German plans for launching a peace offensive and informed
them, in confidence, of the action which the British Government
were taking to warn neutral governments against participating in
these German plans. The Soviet Government replied in the form of
an aide-mémoire, the text of which is
attached to this memorandum.
Washington
, December 3, 1941.
[Annex]
Text of aide-mémoire handed to Sir Stafford
Cripps by M. Vyshinsky at Kuibyshev on November 28th
The Soviet Government have taken note of the British Embassy’s
aide-mémoire regarding the German
Government’s plan for the calling of a European Conference and
preparations for a so-called “Peace Offensive”; they have also
taken note of the attitude of the British Government, as
described in the aide-mémoire, in regard
to the essence of this plan; in this connection the Soviet
Government for their part consider it necessary to make the
following declaration:
- 1.
- The position of the Soviet Government in regard to the
war against Hitlerite Germany was exhaustively set forth
in the speech of the head of the Soviet Government, J.
V. Stalin, on November 6th last.73 It
is well known that in this speech, as in other
pronouncements
[Page 191]
of the head of the Soviet Government the firm resolution
of the Government and people of the Soviet Union was
expressed to achieve the full destruction of the German
armies and to dislodge them from the occupied
territories of the Soviet Union, as also to liberate all
those maltreated people who are now groaning beneath the
yoke of Hitlerite tyranny. The people and Government of
the Soviet Union brand with loathing and contumely all
overt and covert attempts of Hitlerite cut-throats and
tricksters to undermine by devious means the will of the
peoples of Europe and other peoples of the world in
their struggle for their right to a free existence and
for the destruction of Hitlerism as their mortal
enemy.
- 2.
- The Soviet Government think it possible that attempts
of the leaders of Hitlerite Germany to use a “peace
offensive” and to bring pressure to bear on neutral
countries are in fact connected with the losses and
difficulties which the German army is experiencing in
its furious and continuous attacks launched with the
object of seizing the most important and vital centres
of the Soviet Union—regardless of winter conditions and
of sacrifices involved—and of breaking the resistance of
the armed forces of the U. S. S. R. who continue to bear
the whole brunt of the blows of the Hitlerite war
machine. The Soviet Government have no doubt that in
these conditions German attempts at a peace offensive
are more than ever doomed to failure, and that peace in
Europe can be and will be restored by a still closer
uniting of the forces of all the opponents of aggression
with the object of achieving the full collapse of
Hitlerism.
- 3.
- No less doomed to failure are the efforts to force
upon the people of Europe the Hitlerite “new order”, the
object of which is to impose Hitlerite authority as it
exists in Germany upon all enslaved people of Europe and
thus ensure a German domination of Europe and world
domination for Germany. This plan for domination of
Germany by force over other nations can find no support
amongst the libertyloving people of Europe; and the
efforts of Great Britain and the U. S. S. R., supported
by the United States of America, to withstand these
German machinations, as also the efforts of our other
allies in the struggle against Hitlerite tyranny, are
bound to meet in future with an even closer support on
the part of the people of Europe.
- 4.
- The Government of the U. S. S. R. and its chief, J. V.
Stalin, welcome the declaration of British Premier
Churchill that “the British nation and His Majesty’s
Government in full agreement with the Governments of the
Dominions, will never enter into negotiations with
Hitler or with any other party in Germany which
represents the Nazi régime.”
- 5.
- Noting with satisfaction the Declaration of the
British Government to the effect that they will reject
with contumely all these German schemes, the Soviet
Government consider entirely appropriate the
[Page 192]
steps taken by
the British Government and especially its approach to
the United States Government with a view to influencing
the Governments concerned and in particular the Vichy
Government and to warning them against participation in
German plans.
