Hiss Collection
Amended Draft of the Declaration on Liberated Europe1
Declaration on Liberated Europe
The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States of America have considted with each other in the common interests of the peoples of their countries and those of liberated Europe. They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert during the temporary period of instability in liberated Europe the policies of their three governments in assisting the peoples liberated from the domination of Nazi Germany and the peoples of the former Axis satellite states of Europe to solve by democratic means their pressing political and economic problems.
The establishment of order in Europe and the rebuilding of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of Nazism and Fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice. This is a principle of the Atlantic Charter—the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live—the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprived of them by the aggressor nations.
[Page 919]To foster the conditions in which the liberated peoples may exercise these rights, the three governments will jointly assist the people in any European liberated state or former Axis satellite state in Europe where in their judgment conditions require, (a) to establish conditions of internal peace; (b) to carry out emergency measures for the relief of distressed peoples; (c) to form interim governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishment through free elections of governments responsive to the will of the people; and (d) to facilitate where necessary the holding of such elections.
The three governments will consult the other United Nations and provisional authorities or other governments in Europe when matters of direct interest to them are under consideration.
When, in the opinion of the three governments, conditions in any European liberated state or any former Axis satellite state in Europe make such action necessary, they will immediately (establish appropriate machinery for the carrying out of the joint responsibilities set forth in this declaration) take measures for carrying out mutual consultation.2
By this declaration we reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, our pledge in the Declaration by the United Nations, and our determination to build in cooperation with other peace-loving nations a world order under law, dedicated to peace, security, freedom and general well-being of all mankind.3
860H.01/2–1145: Telegram
The British Foreign Secretary (Eden) to the Foreign Office1
most immediate
[Yalta, February 10, 1945.]
Following for Foreign Office from Foreign Secretary. Please repeat to Belgrade.
At plenary session of Crimea Conference on February 10th the Heads of the three Governments discussed the Yugoslav question and agreed to recommend to Marshal Tito and to Dr. Subasic:
- (a) that the Tito-Subasic Agreement should immediately be put into effect and a new Government formed on the basis of the Agreement.
- (b) that as soon as the new
Government has been formed it should declare:
- (i)
- that Avnoj will be extended to include members of the last Yugoslav Skupstina who have not compromised themselves by collaboration with the enemy, thus forming a body to be known as a temporary Parliament and
- (ii)
- that legislative acts passed by Avnoj will be subject to sub sequent ratification by a Constituent Assembly.
2. Please arrange for a communication to be made at once on above lines to Dr. Subasic and to Marshal Tito.
3. Similar instructions are being sent by Soviet and United States Governments to their representatives with Dr. Subasic and Marshal Tito and action should be concerted between the representatives of the three allied Governments.
- Carbon copy in the Hiss Collection bears the notation: “As agreed to by For Mins 2/10 & at Plenary 2/10”. An identical carbon copy without notations is in the Matthews Files.↩
- The words after “immediately” are crossed out in pencil and the following substitution is indicated: “consult together on the measures to discharge the joint responsibilities set forth in this declaration.”↩
- This penciled notation follows: “add Fr. amend. of Eden’s”.↩
- This text is from an undated British copy evidently brought back to the Department from Yalta. A copy of the corresponding American telegram has not been found.↩