Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Central and Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

762B.5/2–2750: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom ¹

secret

Washington, March 23, 1950—7 p. m.

verbatim text

1318. Dept intends make formal protest USSR re formation militarized police force eastern Ger, Frankfort tel 1755 Feb 27, rptd Paris 14, London 79, and Moscow tel 735, Mar 3, rptd Frankfort 54.² Purpose this move wld be primarily propaganda effect, since Sovs wld hardly disband police at our request. Protest wld be made by delivery note Sov Ambassador³ here, followed by publication note and accompanying press release containing full statement reliable data Sovzone police. Much of this info already known through recent Middleton and Alsop stories.

Believe protest wld be more forceful if Brit and Fr Govts participate, though form of their approach and wording of their statements need not be identical with ours. Pls discuss subj with them, using our proposed note as statement of line to be taken rather than as text with which they must fully agree. Note omits offer of quadripartite inspection suggested by AmEmbassy Moscow, on theory that existence of east Ger police already established. Inspection offer cld be made at later stage in light of possible Sov reply.

Text note follows with omission minor words:

“I have honor express to you US Govt’s grave concern at development in eastern Ger which is already known to Govt USSR.

There has been created in part of Ger that is subj Sov control police force which has, by reason of its mil training and equipment, character of an army. It is understood that this training org Hauptverwaltung fuer Ausbildung), which may amt to 50,000 men, does not have ordinary police duties. It receives basic infantry and artillery training and is equipped with mil weapons, including machine guns, howitzers, antiaircraft cannon, mortars, and tanks. It must be regarded, therefore, as a mil force.

Sov Union has many times expressed its adherence to principle complete disarmament and demilitarization Ger. In particular, you will recall fol internatl agreements to which Sov Govt was party:

A. Joint Report Feb 11, 1945, fol Anglo-Sov-Amer Conference in Crimea:

‘It is our inflexible purpose destroy Ger militarism and Nazism and ensure Ger will never again be able to disturb peace of world. We are determined to disarm and disband all Ger armed forces; break up for all time Ger Gen Staff that has repeatedly contrived resurgence of Ger militarism; remove or destroy all Ger mil equipment; .…’

B. Declaration Regarding Defeat of Ger and Assumption Supreme Authority by Allied Powers, signed by Gen Eisenhower, Marshal Zhukov, Field Marshal Montgomery and Gen Tassigny on behalf their respective Govts June 5, 1945:

‘Four Allied Govts will take such steps, including complete disarmament and demilitarization of Ger, as they deem requisite for future peace and security.’

C. Joint Report Aug 2, 1945, fol Anglo-Sov-Amer Conference Berlin (Potsdam):

‘3. Purposes occupation Ger by which Control Council shall be guided are

(i) complete disarmament and demilitarization Ger … To these ends: (a) All Ger land, naval and air forces … and all other mil and quasi-mil orgs … shall be completely and finally abolished in such manner as permanently to prevent revival or reorg of Ger militarization and Nazism.’

D. Agreement between Govts of UK, US, and USSR, and Provisional Govt of Fr Rep on Certain Additional Requirements to be Imposed on Ger, dated Sept 20, 1945:

• ‘1. All Ger land, naval and air forces … and all other mil and quasi-mil orgs, … shall be completely and finally abolished in accordance with methods and procedures to be laid down by Allied Representatives.
• 2. All forms mil training, mil propaganda and mil activities of whatever nature, on part of Ger people, are prohibited, as well as formation any org initiated to further any aspect mil training and formation war vets orgs or other groups which might develop mil characteristics or which are designed to carry on Ger mil tradition, whether such orgs or groups purport to be polit, educational, religious, social, athletic or recreational or of any other nature.’

E. Control Council Law No. 34, entitled ‘Dissolution of the Wehrmacht,’ dated Aug 20, 1946:

‘Article I.… all Ger land, naval and air forces, with all their orgs, staffs, and institutions, … and all other mil and quasi-mil orgs, together with all clubs and associations which serve to keep alive mil tradition in Ger, are hereby considered disbanded, completely dissolved and declared illegal.

Article II. Maintenance, formation and reconstitution of any of agencies or orgs enumerated in Article I under any name or form whatsoever, and taking over of all or any of functions of such agencies or orgs in the future by other agencies is prohibited and declared illegal.’

It is clear from these agreements that Govt Sov Union is committed unequivocally to principle that Ger will be demilitarized, that her mil forces will be completely and finally abolished, and that no revival of Ger mil activities will be allowed. Brit, Fr and Amer Govts were also parties to these agreements and are equally committed to same principle. They have, accordingly, taken effective steps to prevent any form of rearmament or remilitarization in their zones of occupation. Sov Union, on other hand, has directly violated all these agreements. Estab mil force, or militarized police, in eastern Ger could not have been accomplished without deliberate approval Sov Govt, and it is an action squarely in opposition to efforts being made by US and other nations to create stable and lasting peace.

Reps Sov Govt have, on numerous occasions, spoken of Sov Govt’s desire for peace. Such verbal protestations, however, can hardly be expected to receive credence among free peoples of world when Sov Govt is simultaneously creating mil force of considerable size and strength in Ger in violation of its solemn internatl commitments. By this and other like actions Sov Govt has destroyed world confidence in sincerity its promises and has created throughout world widespread doubt as to its pacific intentions. If Sov Govt wishes restore in some measure internatl confidence in its alleged attachment to peace, it cannot fail to dissolve immediately militarized police units which it has setup in Eastern Germany.”⁴

Acheson

1. Repeated to Paris for action as 1279, Moscow as 244, and Frankfort as 1959 for information.
2. Neither printed; the former reported HICOG’s belief that the United States had conclusive evidence of the remilitarization of the Soviet Zone and recommended that parallel notes be sent to the Soviet Government protesting this violation of Allied Control Agreements; the latter expressed Embassy Moscow’s complete concurrence with Frankfort. (762B.5/2–2750 and 862A.501/3–350)
3. Alexander S. Panyushkin.
4. In subsequent exchanges of telegrams Embassies London and Paris reported a favorable initial reaction to the general outline of the note and to the idea of protesting to the Soviet Union. However both Bevin and Schuman indicated that they preferred to discuss the question at the Foreign Ministers meeting in London at the beginning of May before proceeding. Documentation on these exchanges is in files 762B.5, 762B.51, 762B.511, 862B.501, and 862B.511.