740.0011 European War 1939/14868: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 9—4:50 p.m.]
1652. There has thus far been no mention in the Soviet press of the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet concerning the evacuation of the Volga Germans which was signed on August 28. I learn, however, that it provides for the transfer of the entire German population of the Volga German Republic to Kazakhstan, the Altai region and the Omsk and Novosibirsk districts. The last census gave the population of the Volga Republic as 605,000, of which it is estimated that around 400,000 will be affected by the decree.
I understand that the decree states that the military authorities in the Volga region have reported that there are tens of thousands of diversionists and spies among the German population and that the presence of such great numbers of spies who have not been denounced by the German population proves that the people there are harboring enemies of the Soviet Union. The decree further states that in order to avoid the bloodshed which would ensue if the Government were forced to take reprisals against the entire German population for the acts of these agents, the Supreme Council of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has found it necessary to resettle the entire German population of the Volga region.13
It is stated that the transferred population will be given land and state aid in the regions to which they are sent and that the National Defense Council is charged with the carrying out of the decree.
I have no means of judging to what extent disaffection or fifth column activities exist in this area, although it is known that the Volga Germans have remained unassimilated to a remarkable extent. I assume from the reference to large numbers of spies that widespread “liquidations” are taking place.
The Government may have been influenced in its decision by its experience in the Baltic States where, from hints which have appeared [Page 648] in the press, there appears to have been considerable fifth column activity. Probably also the need to resettle the population which has been evacuated from the areas occupied by the Germans played a role, as well as a desire to utilize the more industrious and thrifty population of the Volga region to develop the rural areas [where] they are to be sent. Nevertheless, the carrying out of this decree will undoubtedly place thousands of innocent human beings in tragic circumstances.
- The Ambassador further reported in telegram No. 1659, September 11, 1941, that this removal had actually been started before issuance of the decree, that Volga Germans residing in Moscow were also included, and that the transfer would soon be completed. (740.0011 European War 1939/14941)↩