J.C.S. Files

Memorandum by the British Chiefs of Staff 1

top secret
C.C.S. 618/3

Machinery for Coordination of United States-Soviet-British Military Effort

References: a. C.C.S 129th Meeting, Item 32
b. C.C.S 618 Series3

the problem

1. The United States and British Chiefs of Staff agree that it is necessary to create additional machinery through which the military [Page 402] efforts of the United Nations forces on the European fronts may be coordinated. The form of this machinery is considered below.

facts bearing on the problem

2. Close liaison is needed between the Combined Chiefs of Staff and the Soviet General Staff on matters of strategy and military policy in Europe. It will, moreover, be highly desirable to open discussions with the U.S.S.R. on the war against Japan as early as politically practicable.

3. In June 1944 Marshal Stalin raised the question of improving the machinery for coordinating the military efforts of the Allies, and in July, Marshal Vassilievsky informed General Deane that the Soviet General Staff were interested in the matter and would like to know the proposals of the Chiefs of Staff in this respect.4

4. As agreed at Sextant ,5 the creation of any form of United Chiefs of Staff Committee would be unacceptable.

discussion

5. We consider the necessary liaison between the Combined Chiefs of Staff and the Soviet General Staff would be achieved by the creation of a Combined British, United States and Soviet Committee in Moscow, provided that it is clearly understood that this Committee:—

(a)
Is purely consultative and advisory and has no power to make decisions without reference to the Combined Chiefs of Staff or the Russian General Staff respectively.
(b)
Deals solely with strategic and operational matters and does not impinge upon the work that is at present being done by the European Advisory Commission, such as civil affairs, etc.

6. On the Russian side there has been reluctance in the past to discuss matters of any importance with the British and United States Missions, owing to the fact that the latter have usually to deal with officials of no authoritative standing. This difficulty should be overcome in the future provided that the Russian representative on the Committee is a senior member of the Russian General Staff. The Heads of the United States and British Missions already represent their own Chiefs of Staff and so might well serve as members of the Committee. Their rank should be similar to that of the Russian Member.

conclusion

7. We conclude:

(a)
That it would be to the advantage of the United Nations war effort to set up a Combined Military Committee in Moscow as a consultative [Page 403] and advisory body dealing only with strategic and operational matters.
(b)
That the Committee should consist of senior representatives of the Russian General Staff and the British and United States Chiefs of Staff.

recommendation

8. We recommend that the Heads of the British and American Missions in Moscow be instructed to approach the Soviet General Staff with the proposal to establish a Combined Committee in Moscow.

  1. For the discussion of this paper by the Combined Chiefs of Staff at their 172d Meeting, September 12, 1944, see ante, p. 307.
  2. See Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943, p. 336.
  3. See ante, pp. 9, 182, 183, for earlier papers in this series.
  4. See ante, p. 183, fn. 6, and p. 184. fn. 7.
  5. See Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943, pp. 336337.