Office of the Historian

740.0011 Moscow/10–1943

Proposal of the Soviet Union in Regard to Italy

undated

Conference Document No. 13

[Translation]

I

The Soviet Government considers it desirable in relation to Italy that our three Governments jointly declare themselves in favor of the putting into effect of the following urgent political measures:

1.
Democratization of the Italian Government by means of the inclusion of representatives of Anti-Fascist parties.
2.
The establishment of democratic freedoms: freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, of the press, of speech and of association of Anti-Fascist groups.
3.
The liquidation of the institutions and organizations created by the Fascist regime, which up to this time have not been liquidated by the Government of Badoglio—corporations, auxiliary organizations of the Fascist Party, in particular sport organizations, etc.
4.
The removal of Fascist and Pro-Fascist elements from organs of administration, institutions and social organizations.
5.
Amnesty for political prisoners.
6.
The creation of democratic organs of local government.
7.
The arrest of the chief war criminals with their subsequent turning over to courts of justice.

II

The Soviet Government considers it also necessary in the interest of the intensification of the struggle against Hitlerite Germany to transfer immediately to the Soviet Union from the total number of more than 100 war vessels transferred to the Allies by reason of the capitulation of Italy the following war vessels: one battleship, one cruiser, eight destroyers and four submarines to be dispatched right away to the northern ports of the Soviet Union, and also 40,000 displacement tons of merchant ships out of the total of more than 150,000 displacement tons of ships which passed to the control of the Anglo-American armed forces as a result of the capitulation of Italy, for immediate dispatch to the Black Sea.