Vienna Legation Files, 1946, volume 59, 801–Austria
The United States Political Adviser for Austrian Affairs (Erhardt) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to furnish herewith for the record the chronology of events relating to the recognition of the Austrian Government by the occupying powers, as announced simultaneously at twelve noon Vienna time, January 7, 1946, in Washington, London, Moscow, Paris and Vienna.73
The Department’s telegram Number 380 of December 20, 1945, stating that President Truman had approved the recognition of the Austrian Government, was received here on the afternoon of December 21. This telegram contained further instructions to consult with General Mark W. Clark, Commanding General USFA, on the proper method of notifying the Austrian Government; furthermore, an endeavor was to be made to reach agreement with the other representatives of the occupying powers so that a simultaneous announcement of recognition might be made. We got in touch at once with the other Political Advisers in Vienna, especially the Soviets and the British, to the end that the Allied Council could reach agreement on the matter of joint notification to the Austrian Government. Neither the British nor the Soviets had received instructions from their Governments, but an understanding was reached that they were to notify us as soon as such instructions were received.
On December 24 the British circulated to all the Political Advisers their draft formula of recognition, which is appended hereto as Enclosure No. 1.74 In a covering letter the British Political Adviser suggested [Page 694] that the Soviet Chairman, Mr. Kiselev, should call a meeting of the Political Advisers on December 26 or 27 to discuss this draft. On December 24, we telephoned Mr. Kiselev, who said that he had received the British draft but that he had no instructions from his Government. He said that he was going to Moscow himself for the holidays and while there would endeavor to expedite the matter. He also said that during his absence Mr. Koptelov, Chief of the Soviet Political Division, would be in charge and would immediately notify the other Political Advisers when he had any word from Moscow.
The status of the matter as of December 24 was telegraphed to the Department by Mr. Erhardt on that date.75
During the next few days, we checked with the other elements of the Allied Commission from time to time, but there were no actual developments inasmuch as nothing could be done until the Soviets had received their instructions. Just before General Clark left for Italy on December 31 to accompany the body of General Brann to Florence, he left instructions that General Ralph H. Tate, who was in charge during his absence, should see General Zheltov, Deputy to Marshal Koniev, in order to impress upon the Soviets the extreme desirability of the occupying powers proceeding jointly in the matter of recognition and not separately. Accordingly, General Tate and Mr. Erhardt went to see General Zheltov on December 31 and delivered General Clark’s message. General Zheltov said that he personally thought it was not necessary for the Soviets to make any new statement on recognition because in his opinion the recognition accorded to the Austrian Provisional Government under Dr. Renner on October 20, 1945 would automatically extend to the new Figl Government.76 General Tate and Mr. Erhardt strongly stressed the desirability of action on a quadripartite basis and General Zheltov said that he would take the question up with Marshal Koniev and would advise General Tate after conferring with the Marshal.
It was learned on December 31, 1945, that Marshal Koniev had sent for Chancellor Figl to come to see him that day at twelve noon, and an [Page 695] officer of USFA was instructed to find out what was discussed at this meeting. This officer reported as follows:
“The New Year’s visit at Koniev’s headquarters at Baden had been extremely cordial and friendly. Chancellor Figl informed the Marshal that he had received assurances of recognition of his government from the other three powers and was awaiting word from the Russians before releasing the announcement to the public. The Marshal’s first reaction was that both de facto and de jure recognition had been extended to the Renner Government in October by Russia, and he saw no need to repeat such recognition. Upon Mr. Figl’s insistence, however, that it would be politic for all four governments to recognize the new government in Austria, especially in view of the fact that they had announced that they would recommend such recognition in a public communiqué, Marshal Koniev promised Mr. Figl that he would get in touch with his government and would accomplish the necessary steps within two or three days.”
During the next two days, there were no developments as the Soviets still said that they had no instructions. On the morning of January 4, we called Mr. Koptelov, who reiterated that he had no word from his Government and that he would let us know just as soon as anything was received. At about 8:15 that night, Mr. Koptelov phoned and said that he wished to see me urgently. I told him that I would be glad to see him and he came to my house about 9 p.m. He told me that on this day Marshal Koniev had informed Chancellor Figl orally and in writing that: (1) the Soviet Government had approved the Allied Council endorsement of December 18 of the Figl Cabinet, (2) the Soviet recognition of the Renner Provisional Government conveyed in Marshal Koniev’s letter to Dr. Renner of October 20, 1945, extended to the Figl Government de facto and de jure, and (3) the authority of the Allied Council remained supreme. (It later developed that Point (3) was conveyed orally and not in writing.)
There is attached hereto as Enclosure No. 2 a translation of Marshal Koniev’s letter to Dr. Renner of October 20.77
I expressed the keenest disappointment to Mr. Koptelov that the Soviet Government had unilaterally gone ahead with its notification to Chancellor Figl without telling anybody in advance that it proposed to do so. I reminded him that for the past fifteen days we had been constantly checking and conferring with each other to the end that joint and not unilateral action might be taken in the matter of recognition. I said that the United States could have gone ahead alone fifteen days ago but that in the interest of taking joint action we had waited in the hope that we might recognize the Government through the medium of a joint communication from the Allied Council. Mr. Koptelov rather lamely replied that Chancellor Figl had told Marshal Koniev on New Year’s Day that he already had oral [Page 696] assurance of recognition from the other three powers. The implication was that this alleged statement of Chancellor Figl had given the Soviets a free hand to go ahead on their own.
I immediately notified General Clark of what Mr. Koptelov had told me. The General then summoned General Tate, myself, and other officers to his home and letters (dated January 4, 1946) addressed to Dr. Renner and to Chancellor Figl were written as follows:
“I take pleasure in informing you that my Government has authorized me to advise you that it recognizes the present Austrian Government formed as a result of the national elections of November 25, 1945, subject to the supreme authority of the Allied Council.”
(signed) General Mark W. Clark
An officer was dispatched to deliver the letters, which was done between one and two o’clock in the morning of January 5, 1946.
The text of the Soviet, British and French communications to the Austrian Government on recognition is attached hereto as Enclosure No. 3.78
General Clark dispatched three priority telegrams to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the State Department—Nos. P 0234, P 0244 and P 0271 on January 5 and a message—P 0312—on January 6,79 with reference to the foregoing developments. He was able to coordinate the release date in the four capitals of the occupying powers and in Vienna as twelve noon, January 7, 1946, and announcement was made in the local press here at that time.
The French “Wiener Montag”, in its hurry to put out a special edition ahead of the other papers, actually issued it an hour before the agreed time of release. As a result the editor is being relieved of his position and sent back to France by the French Commander.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Mission
- See telegram 389, December 22, to Vienna, and footnote 66, p. 690.↩
-
Not printed. The British proposed a joint declaration in which the four powers: (1) recognized Austria as a state with the same frontiers as in 1937, pending a final definition of the frontiers, (2) recognized Dr. Renner as head of the Austrian State, and the present government as the de jure government, and (3) state explicitly that their declaration did not affect the control of the Allied Council over Austria and the Austrian Government.
A draft of this declaration had also been submitted to the Department by the British Embassy in Washington and was approved on December 29. In telegram 402, December 29, not printed, the Acting Secretary of State informed the Political Adviser in Vienna as follows: “Department will release to press same time as announcement to be promulgated by Allied Council statement on Four Power recognition as drafted and suggested by British … Message contained in Department’s 389, dated December 22 should then be delivered.” (Vienna Legation Files, 1945, part 24, 801)
↩ - Telegram 614, December 24, from Vienna, not printed.↩
- In telegram 17, January 2, 1946, the Ambassador in Moscow reported that the Soviet Government had replied to the British Ambassador in the same sense on December 31 (863.01/1–246).↩
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- None found in Department files.↩