Office of the Historian

740.00119 Control (Austria)/6–1645: Telegram

The Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union (Stalin) to President Truman

[Moscow,] 16 June 1945.

I have received your message regarding the expediting of removal of Allied troops into appropriate zones in Germany and Austria.

To my regret I have to say that your proposal to begin the removal of the American troops into their zone and the entry of American troops into Berlin on June 21 meets with certain difficulties, as, beginning with June 19, Marshal Zhukov64 and all of our other troop commanders are invited to Moscow to the session of the Supreme Soviet as well as for the organization of a parade and for the participation in the parade on June 24. Not mentioning the fact that not all the districts of Berlin have been cleared of mines and that this clearing cannot be finished before the end of June. As Marshal Zhukov and other commanders of Soviet troops are not able to return from Moscow to Germany before June 28th–30th, I would like to request that the removal of the troops begin on July 1 when the commanders will be back and the clearing of mines completed.

As regards Austria—the above-stated in respect to the summons of Soviet commanders to Moscow and the date of their return to Vienna applies to them as well. Besides it is necessary that in the nearest future the European Consultative Commission complete its work on the establishment of zones of occupation of Austria and Vienna as this work has not been completed up to the present time. In view of the stated circumstances the allocation of appropriate troops to their zones in Austria should also be postponed until July 1.

Besides, in respect to Germany as well as to Austria it would be necessary, right now, to determine the zones of occupation by the French troops.

On our part all necessary measures will be taken in Germany and Austria in accordance with the above-stated plan.65

  1. Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Supreme Chief of the Soviet Military Administration, Commander in Chief of the Soviet Forces of Occupation↩
  2. In a message to Marshal Stalin dated June 18, President Truman stated that he had issued instructions to the American commanders to begin their redeployment on July 1. For text of message, see Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. i, p. 107, or Truman, Year of Decisions, p. 305↩