Office of the Historian

740.00119 EAC/3–245: Telegram

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

Washington, March 24, 1945—6 p.m.

699. Planning for inter-Allied military government of Austria is now being considered in European Advisory Commission on the assumption that Austria will be occupied by, and administered jointly by, the US, USSR, and Great Britain, and possibly France.

Last August the British representative circulated in EAC a proposal85 for zoning Austria to provide for its occupation by Soviet and British troops, and a token force of American troops, on the understanding at that time that the United States did not wish to supply a full share of occupation troops although it did wish to participate in the administration of Austria.

On November 23 the Soviet representative circulated in EAC for consideration a Soviet proposal86 for the zoning of Austria to provide for Anglo-Soviet-American occupation on equal bases.

In January Ambassador Winant informed the Commission that the United States was prepared to supply troops to occupy a zone equally with the USSR and the UK, and that it could agree to this Soviet proposal with certain modifications.87

On January 24 the recently arrived French representative in EAC stated his government’s desire in principle to have a zone of occupation.88

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On January 25 Sir William Strang circulated a British proposal89 for four-power control machinery for the joint administration of Austria by all four powers, and on January 30 a proposal90 for the zoning of Austria for occupation by Soviet, British, American, and French forces.

All of the last three of these proposals are now under active consideration. This government has not yet formally expressed its views or learned the views of the other governments, although it is expected that all of the participating governments will shortly express their views through EAC on these specific proposals as such.

However, the British, Soviet, and American representatives in EAC have already expressed the intention of their governments in principle to undertake jointly the occupation and administration of Austria during the interval between its liberation from German occupation and the establishment of a suitable American government in the light of the Moscow Declaration of November 1, 1943.

British and American nucleus groups for the prospective interallied administration of Austria are being assembled, principally at AFHQ, Caserta, to plan detailed administrative measures in accordance with the basic plans agreed in EAC.

The Department agrees it would be desirable to establish contact between the British and American planners and the Russian planners for military government in Austria as suggested in General Mc-Narney’s message mentioned in your telegram 767 March 15, 8 p.m.90a The Soviet Government has already expressed its intention to have its nucleus group for Germany join the British and American nucleus groups for Germany in London. We assume it would be somewhat inconvenient to detach the British and American planners for Austria from AFHQ at Caserta or alternatively to detach the Russian planners from their own military organization. If that should not prove feasible, it would no doubt be desirable, if the respective military authorities wish, to establish liaison in some way between the groups of planners for the occupation of Austria.

Sent to Moscow as no. 699; repeated to London as no. 2291, and to AmPolAd, Caserta, as no. 253.

Grew
  1. See telegram 6799, August 22, 1944, from London, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. i, p. 458.↩
  2. For a summary, see telegram 10441, November 27, 1944, from London, ibid., p. 471.↩
  3. See footnote 23, p. 3.↩
  4. See telegram 1050, January 30, 8 p.m., from London, p. 13.↩
  5. See memorandum by the United Kingdom Representative on the European Advisory Commission, E.A.C. (45) 7, January 25, p. 8.↩
  6. See telegram 1064, January 31, from London, p. 17.↩
  7. Not printed.↩