Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume V

760H.61/8–3149

Memorandum by the Acting Chief of the Division of Southeast European Affairs (Campbell) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Perkins)¹

secret

[Washington,] August 31, 1949.

Subject: Reports Concerning Soviet Troop Movements Directed Against Yugoslavia.

There has been a striking unanimity in reports received from our Legations at Bucharest, Budapest, Prague and Sofia, which has been supported by Military Attaché reports from these posts seen by this Division. These are to the effect that Soviet troop movements reported by them and which have appeared in the press are part of the Soviet war of nerves against Yugoslavia and that it is not intended to employ them for a direct armed intervention against the Tito régime. An OIR report on Soviet troop movements, prepared today, confirms this conclusion. No formal evaluation of the situation by the NME has been seen and it is believed that such an evaluation should be requested on a daily basis from that establishment. This obviously would be an indispensable complement to political estimates arrived at in the Department.

No formal evaluation of Soviet troop movements has been made by the Yugoslav Government to our Ambassador in Belgrade aside from verbal statements by the Deputy Foreign Minister that the Government was viewing them calmly with an emphasis on their propaganda motivation. Our own reports are to the effect that the Yugoslav Government is taking no noticeably extraordinary precautions, but since troop dispositions have been arranged strategically for some time, this perhaps has not been needlessly apparent. However, it would appear to be the part of caution at this time to request Ambassador Cannon at his earliest opportunity to secure an official Yugoslav evaluation of the Soviet military dispositions. Accordingly, a telegram to this effect is attached for your signature.

John C. Campbell

1. This memorandum appears to respond to the inquiries set forth in an undated, handwritten note from Secretary of State Acheson to Assistant Secretary of State Perkins which is attached to the source text. The Secretary’s note reads as follows:

   “Mr. George Perkins—

   Chip [Charles E. Bohlen, Counselor of the Department of State until June 1949 and subsequently Minister at the Embassy in France] is worried that the Russians may be intending to use the armored divisions sent to the border in Hungary and Rumania.

   1) Have we an intelligence report on the number of divisions available within striking distance? A military evaluation of intentions.

   2) Has Cannon gotten Tito’s own estimate? Should he? D.A.”

   The draft telegram under reference here was not found attached to source text. A telegram was sent to Belgrade as 502, August 31, 7 p. m. This telegram, presumably a revision of the draft under reference, read as follows:

   “While reports from our satellite Missions appear to confirm your estimate that Sov troop dispositions are component of nerve warfare against Yugoslavia, we would appreciate your keeping us currently informed Yugo evaluation of these troop movements since naturally possibility of Sov armed strike against that country cannot be completely excluded.” (760H.61/8–3149)