Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The British Commonwealth and Europe, Volume III

740.00119 EW1939/1–445: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, January 4, 1945—6 p.m.
[Received January 5—10:15 p.m.]

40. For convenience of the Department in connection with the final phases of negotiations and the eventual release of the Hungarian armistice agreement I am wiring below the text of the entire agreement as it stands at the present stage of negotiations, in the translation agreed between ourselves and the British Embassy here. It consists of 20 numbered articles of the actual agreement, in addition to the preamble and conclusion, plus 6 lettered annexes, running from A to F, plus 3 articles for conclusion [inclusion?] in a tripartite protocol similar to that which accompanied the Bulgarian agreement. The protocol articles are designated by the letters “Prot” followed by the number of the article in the protocol. This make a total of 31 items the order of which has been disarranged for purposes of security in this message but which are marked by their appropriate numbers in the text.²

We find ourselves in agreement with the Russians on all of these items except articles XII and XVIII, with their annexes, concerning reparations and Control Commission respectively, on which we have reserved our opinion. The version wired for these articles is the most recent Russian proposed reading. If changes are later made on these points or on points still under discussion between the Russians and the British, the exact changes in wording will be reported. The text follows immediately:

[Proposed Agreement]

Agreement concerning an armistice between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America on one hand and Hungary on the other.

The Provisional National Government of Hungary, recognizing the fact of the defeat of Hungary in the war against the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other United Nations, accepts the armistice terms presented by the Governments of the abovementioned three powers, acting on behalf of all United Nations which are in a state of war with Hungary.

On the basis of the foregoing the representative of the Allied (Soviet) High Command, Marshal Malinovski,³ duly authorized thereto by the Government of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the USA acting on behalf of all the United Nations which are at war with Hungary, on the one hand and the representatives of the Provisional National Government of Hungary on the other, holding proper full powers, have signed the following:

I. (a) Hungary has ceased hostilities against the USSR and the other United Nations, has severed all relations with Germany and has declared war on Germany.

(b) The Government of Hungary undertakes to disarm the German armed forces in Hungary and to hand them over as prisoners of war.

The Government of Hungary also undertakes to intern nationals of Germany.

(c) The Government of Hungary undertakes to maintain and make available such land, sea and air forces as may be specified for service under the general direction of the Allied (Soviet) High Command. In this connection, Hungary will provide not less than eight infantry divisions with corps troops. These forces will not be used on Allied territory except with the prior consent of the Allied Government concerned.

(d) On the conclusion of hostilities against Germany, the Hungarian armed forces will be demobilized and put on a peace footing under the supervision of the Allied Control Commission. (See annex to article I).

II. Hungary has accepted the obligations to evacuate all Hungarian forces and officials from the territory of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Rumania occupied by it within the limits of the frontier of Hungary existing on December 31, 1937.

III. The Government and High Command of Hungary will ensure to the Soviet and other Allied forces facilities for free movement on Hungarian territory in any direction if, in the opinion of the Allied (Soviet) High Command the military situation requires this, the Government and High Command of Hungary giving such movement every possible assistance with their own means of communication and at their own expense on land, on water and in the air. (See annex to article III).

IV. The Government of Hungary will immediately release all Allied prisoners of war and internees. Pending further instructions the Government of Hungary will at its own expense provide all Allied prisoners of war and internees, displaced persons and refugees, including nationals of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, with adequate food, clothing, medical services, and sanitary and hygienic requirements, and also with means of transportation for the return of all those persons to their own country.

V. The Government of Hungary will immediately release, regardless of citizenship and nationality, all persons held in confinement in connection with their activities in favor of the United Nations or because of their sympathies with the United Nations cause or for racial or religious reasons, and will repeal all discriminatory legislation and disabilities arising therefrom.

The Government of Hungary will take all necessary measures to ensure that all displaced persons or refugees within the limits of Hungarian territory, including Jews and stateless persons, are accorded at least the same measure of protection and security as its own nationals.

VI. The Government of Hungary undertakes to return to the Soviet Union, and to Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia and to the other United Nations, by the dates specified by the Allied Control Commission and in a good state of preservation, all valuables and materials removed during the war to Hungary from United Nations territory and belonging to state, public or cooperative organizations, enterprises, institutions or individual citizens, such as factory and works equipment, locomotives, rolling stock, tractors, motor vehicles, historic monuments, museum treasures and any other property.

VII. The Government and High Command of Hungary undertake to hand over as booty into the hands of the Allied (Soviet) High Command all German war material located on Hungarian territory, including vessels of the fleet of Germany.

VIII. The Government of Hungary undertakes not to permit, without the authorization of the Allied Control Commission, the export or expropriation of any form of property, including valuables and currency, belonging to Germany or her nationals or to persons resident in German territories or in territories occupied by Germany. The Government of Hungary will safeguard such property in the manner specified by the Allied Control Commission.

IX. The Government and High Command of Hungary undertake to hand over to the Allied (Soviet) High Command all vessels belonging or having belonged to the United Nations which are located in Hungarian Danubian ports, no matter at whose disposal these vessels may be, for the use of the Allied (Soviet) High Command during the period of the war against Germany in the general interests of the Allies, these vessels subsequently to be returned to their owners.

The Government of Hungary bears the full material responsibility for any damage or destruction of the aforementioned property until the moment of its transfer to the Allied (Soviet) High Command.

X. Hungarian merchant vessels, whether in Hungarian or foreign waters, shall be subject to the operational control of the Allied (Soviet) High Command for use in the general interest of the Allies.

XI. The Government of Hungary will make regular payments in Hungarian currency and will provide commodities (fuel, foodstuffs, et cetera), facilities and services which might be required by the Allied (Soviet) High Command for the fulfillment of its functions as well as for the needs of Missions and representatives of the Allied States connected with the Allied Control Commission.

It will also ensure, in case of need, the use on Hungarian territory of industrial and transportation enterprises, means of communication, power stations, enterprises and installations of public utility, stores of fuel and other material in accordance with instructions issued during the armistice by the Allied (Soviet) High Command. (See annex to article XI).

XII. Losses caused to the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia by military operations and by the occupation by Hungary of the territories of these States will be made good by Hungary to the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, but taking into consideration that Hungary has not only withdrawn from the war against the United Nations but has declared war and will wage war against Germany, the parties agree that compensation for the indicated losses will be made by Hungary not in full but only in part; namely, to the amount of 300,000,000 American dollars payable over 6 years in commodities (machine equipment, river craft, grain, livestock, et cetera), the sum to be paid to the Soviet Union to amount to 200,000,000 American dollars and the sum to be paid to Yugoslavia and to Czechoslovakia to amount to 100,000,000 American dollars. (See annex to article XII).

XIII. The Government of Hungary undertakes to restore all legal rights and interests of the United Nations and their nationals on Hungarian territory as they existed before the war and to return their property in complete good order.

XIV. The Government of Hungary will cooperate in the apprehension and trial of persons accused of war crimes.

XV. The Government of Hungary undertakes to dissolve immediately all pro-Hitler or other Fascist political, military or part [para?] military and other organizations on Hungarian territory conducting propaganda hostile to the United Nations and not to tolerate the existence of such organizations in the future.

XVI. The publication, introduction and distribution in Hungary of periodical or non-periodical literature, the presentation of theatrical performances or films, the operation of wireless stations, post, telegraph and telephone services will take place in agreement with the Allied (Soviet) High Command. (See annex to article XVI).

XVII. Hungarian civil administration will be restored in the whole area of Hungary separated by not less than 50–100 kilometres (depending upon conditions of terrain) from the front line, Hungarian administrative bodies undertaking to carry out, in the interests of the reestablishment of peace and security, instructions and orders of the Allied (Soviet) High Command or Allied Control Commission issued by them for the purpose of securing the execution of these armistice terms.

XVIII. For the whole period of the armistice there will be established in Hungary an Allied Control Commission which will regulate and supervise the execution of the armistice terms under the chairmanship of the representative of the Allied (Soviet) High Command and with the participation of representatives of the United Kingdom and the United States.

During the period between the coming into force of the armistice and the conclusion of military operations against Germany, the Allied Control Commission will be under the general direction of the Allied (Soviet) High Command. (See annex to article XVIII).

XIX. The Allied Governments consider the Vienna arbitration award of November 2, 1938 and also the Vienna award of August 30, 1940 as null and void.

XX. The present terms come into force at the moment of their signing.

[Done in] Moscow . . . . . . . 1945, in one copy which will be entrusted to the safekeeping of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in the Russian, English and Hungarian languages, the Russian and English text being authentic.

Certified copies of the present agreement, with annexes, will be transmitted by the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to each of the other Governments on whose behalf the present agreement is being signed.

For the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the United States of America:

For the Provisional National Government of Hungary:

[Proposed Annexes]

A Annex to article I.

(a) The Hungarian Military Command shall hand over to the Allied (Soviet) High Command within a period fixed by the latter all the information at its disposal regarding the German armed forces and the plans of the German Military Command for the development of military operations against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the other United Nations and also the charts and maps and all operational documents relating to the military operations of the German armed forces.

(b) The measures provided for in Article I of the agreement regarding the internment of nationals of Germany now in Hungarian territory do not extend to citizens of that country of Jewish origin.

B Annex to article III.

The assistance specified in Article III of the agreement shall be taken to mean that the Government and High Command of Hungary will place at the disposal of the Allied (Soviet) High Command, for use at its discretion during the armistice, in complete good order and with the personnel required for their maintenance, all Hungarian military, air and naval installations and buildings, ports, barracks, warehouses, airfields, means of communication and meteorological stations which might be required for military needs.

C Annex to article VII [XI].

The Government of Hungary will withdraw and redeem within such time limits and on such terms as the Allied (Soviet) High Command may specify, all holdings in Hungarian territory of currencies issued by the Allied (Soviet) High Command, and will hand over currency so withdrawn free of cost to the Allied (Soviet) High Command.

D Annex to article XII.

The precise nomenclature and varieties of commodities to be delivered by Hungary to the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia in accordance with article XII of the agreement and also the more precise periods for making these deliveries each year shall be defined in a special agreement between the respective Governments.

As the basis for calculation regarding the payment of the indemnity foreseen in article XII of the agreement, the American dollar is to be used at its gold parity on the day of signature of the agreement, i.e., $35 to one ounce of gold.

E Annex to article XVI.

The Hungarian Government undertakes to ensure that wireless communication, telegraphic and postal correspondence, and correspondence in cipher and by courier, as well as telephonic communication with foreign countries, of Embassies, Legations and Consulates situated in Hungary will be conducted in the manner laid down by the Allied (Soviet) High Command.

F Annex to article XVIII.

Control over the exact execution of the armistice terms will be entrusted to the Allied Control Commission to be established in conformity with article of the armistice agreement.

The Government of Hungary and its organs will fulfill all instructions of the Allied Control Commission arising out of the armistice agreement.

The Allied Control Commission will set up special organs or sections entrusting them respectively with the execution of various functions. In addition, the Allied Control Commission may have its officers in various parts of Hungary.

The Allied Control Commission will have its seat in the city of Budapest.

[Proposed Protocol]

• Prot 1. In connection with Article XII it is understood that the Hungarian Government will immediately make available certain food supplies for the relief of the population of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, territories which have suffered as a result of Hungarian aggression. The quantity of each product to be delivered will be determined by agreement between the three Governments and will be considered as part of the reparation by Hungary for the loss and damages sustained by Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
• Prot 2. The term “war material” used in article VII shall be deemed to include all material or equipment belonging to, used by, or intended for use by the military of [or] paramilitary formations of the enemy or members thereof.
• [Prot] 3. The use by the Allied (Soviet) High Command of Allied vessels handed over by the Government of Hungary in accordance with Article IX of the armistice and the date of their return to their owners will be the subject of discussion and settlement between the Allied Governments concerned and the Government of the Soviet Union.

Done in Moscow in three copies, each in the Russian and English languages, the Russian and English text being authentic; on . . . . . 1945.

By the authority of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. For the Government of the United States of America. For the Government of the United Kingdom

Harriman

2. Order of items restored in the text as here printed.
3. Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Yakovlevieh Malinovsky.