740.00119 EW/8–1443: Telegram
The British Embassy in Turkey to the British Foreign Office 1
secret
Ankara, August 13,
1943.
Turkish Ambassador at Rome2 saw Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs3 on August 7th immediately after latter’s return from meeting Ribbentrop on the previous day at Italo-German frontier.
[Page 585]- 2.
- Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs said that Ribbentrop had conveyed German decision to continue war resistance on Italian soil. Italian statesmen were convinced that this decision was based not on desire to help Italy but to postpone the approach of the war to German. Germans were sending considerable land forces which Italians could not oppose, since they had no armed forces such as the Germans have in Italy. Minister for Foreign Affairs had said that large forces could be introduced across Italo-German frontier in a short time.
- 3.
- Turkish Ambassador has the impression that Guariglia has found the position much worse than he anticipated when he left Turkey. If Italy tried to compound with Allies, Germany would step in and take complete control which in effect they exercise today. Ambassador therefore reaches conclusion that Italy cannot escape becoming a battlefield.
- 4.
- Ambassador continues that Italian people are clamouring for peace. If this is delayed, internal tension and social troubles are capable of causing early and general disintegration. Italian Government are in impasse, sandwiched between Germans and Allies and with acute economic and other internal problems. In these circumstances he doubts whether Badoglio can somehow retain power.
- 5.
- Ambassador concludes the telegram by saying that he found Guariglia in state of complete despair.
- 6.
- Assistant Secretary General requested that we should treat the above information as most confidential and that the source should not be quoted.