Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

740.00119 EAC/3–145: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)⁴

Washington, April 5, 1945—8 p.m.

2658. Your despatches 20742 of January 31⁵ and 21394 of March l.⁶ For your guidance in considering in EAC the British proposal for zoning in Austria and for the sub-division of Vienna the following are the views of this Government which have now been approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

There are no military objections to U.S. participation in the occupation of Austria by U.S. forces provided that the zone to be occupied by the U.S. in Austria is contiguous to the U.S. zone in Germany.

Either the zone proposed by the Soviet or the zone proposed by the British representative to the European Advisory Commission for occupation by the United States is acceptable. The zone proposed by the British is considered preferable since a smaller occupation force will be required.

From a military point of view, any proposal for the subdivision of Greater Vienna would be acceptable, provided:

a. Assignment of subdivisions insures adequate administrative and transportation facilities to all four occupying forces.

b. The U.S. subdivision includes adequate air facilities for U.S. forces.

c. Each of the nations involved will be given necessary rights of transit through the subdivisions occupied by the other nations.

d. Satisfactory allocation of the facilities within the Innere Stadt district is made among each of nations involved, such allocations to be made by the commanders in chief of the occupying forces.

The British proposal for Greater Vienna does not fulfill any of these requirements. It is particularly unsatisfactory in that the proposed U.S. subdivision does not contain any airfields. The proposal therefore is not acceptable.

Provided rights of transit through zones of other nations are obtained, it is believed, from the U.S. military point of view, the following subdivision of Greater Vienna (map follows by mail) would be acceptable:

Southeastern part of Greater Vienna (districts of Landstrasse, Wieden, Favoriten, Simmering, Schwechat) will be occupied by the forces of the United States of America.

Southwestern part of Greater Vienna (districts of Margareten, Meidling, Fünfhaus, Hietzing, Mödling, Liesing, Penzing) will be occupied by the forces of the United Kingdom.

Northwestern part of Greater Vienna (districts of Mariahilf, Neubau, Josefstadt, Alsergrund, Ottakring, Hernals, Währing, Döbling, Klosterneuburg) will be occupied by the forces of France.

Northeastern part of Greater Vienna (districts of Floridsdorf, Brigittenau, Leopoldstadt, Grossenzersdorf) will be occupied by the forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Central part of Greater Vienna (district of Innere Stadt)—the facilities within this district are to be satisfactorily allocated to each of the nations involved by the commanders in chief of the occupying forces.

This proposed subdivision would, it is felt, meet the U.S. requirements in that it places one of the principal Vienna airports (Schwechat airport) and a large barracks in the Favoriten district under U.S. control. Except for the interchange of U.S. and French subdivisions in the British proposal for subdivision of Greater Vienna, this proposal is quite similar to the British one.

In regard to the whole of Austria, each of the nations involved should be given necessary rights of transit through the zones occupied by the other nations.

In order to provide for proper coordination and cooperation between the various occupying forces, the proposed agreement should include machinery for a joint administration of Austria similar to that for joint administration of Germany.⁷

Acheson

4. Department’s instruction 5315, April 9, 1945, to London, transmitted a copy of State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee document SWNCC 25/2 of April 5, 1945 (neither printed), containing the text, approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of a letter from the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of State setting forth the views of the Government regarding zones of occupation in Austria. The substance of that letter is conveyed in this telegram.
5. Not printed: in this despatch was enclosed an advance copy of the British proposal summarized in London’s telegram 1064, January 31, 3 p.m., p. 17.
6. Not printed; for a summary of the British proposal transmitted as an enclosure to this despatch, see London’s telegram 2093, February 28, p. 22.
7. Marginal note at the conclusion of this message reads in part: “… all members of SWNCC (State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee) have approved SWNCC 25/2 from which this is copied.”