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

863.01/4–3045: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kerman) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, April 30, 1945—9 p.m.
[Received 10:45 p.m.]

1424. With respect to the composition of the Provisional Government which has just been set up in Austria, I wish to invite attention to the significance of the Communist retention of the portfolio of the Ministry of the Interior. It is now established Russian practice to seek as a first and major objective, in all areas where they wish to exercise dominant influence, control of the internal administrative and police apparatus, particularly the secret police. The Russian mind is partial to the belief, founded in the political experience of this country, that control of the police establishment, both open and secret, is half the battle won in the struggle for power, and that all other manifestations of public life including elections can eventually be shaped by this authority.

The Department will see this policy reflected, I believe, in every one of the other countries in Eastern and Central Europe in which the Russians have recently sought dominant influence. In Finland the Ministry of the Interior has only recently been taken over entirely by a Communist (Leino).⁹⁸ In Poland the administration of public security which controls the police is in the hands of Radkiewicz,⁹⁹ a Communist of obscure origin widely believed here to be a direct representative of the Russian NKVD¹ and to exercise a unique authority in his field, independent of his colleagues in the Government. Nosek² who was given the Interior Ministry in the new Czechoslovak Government has been a member of the Czech Communist Party since its inception. In Rumania, Georgescu³ is also a Communist and is backed by a fellow party member, Patrascanu,⁴ who holds the Ministry of Justice. The Hungarian Minister of the Interior, Dr. Erdei Ferec is, as I understand it, the strength of the Communist sector of the Hungarian Provisional Government. About Yugov⁵ in Bulgaria and Zagevich⁶ in Yugoslavia I have no detailed information but I think it will be found that if they are not Communists they are at least regarded by the latter as entirely reliable people.

If, therefore, Moscow has contented itself with only three members of the Austrian Provisional Government openly designated as Communists, this should not be taken as an indication that the Russians would be prepared to accept willingly a permanent Austrian Government in which they would not have what they consider a controlling influence. In the present new regime retention of the Ministry of the Interior together with control of education of the youth and an active and watchful Communist⁷ in the chancery of the elderly Premier will be considered here as a solid position. For the future Moscow will charge as usual what the traffic will bear.

Repeated to Caserta for Erhardt as 76.

Kennan

98. Yrjö Leino.
99. Stanislaw Radkiewicz, Polish Minister of Public Security.
1. People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union (Narodnyi Kommissariat Vnutrennykh Del).
2. Václav Nosek, Czechoslovak Minister of Interior.
3. Teohari Georgescu, Rumanian Minister of the Interior.
4. Lucretiu Patrascanu, Rumanian Minister of Justice.
5. Anton Yugov, Bulgarian Minister of the Interior.
6. Vlada Zečevič, Yugoslav Minister of Interior of the Yugoslav Provisional Government.
7. Reference is to Johann Koplenig, one of three members of “cabinet-council” (Kabinettsrat) created by Chancellor Renner. For a description, see Österreichisches Jahrbuch, 1945–1946, p. 9.