NAZI-SOVIET RELATIONS, 1939-1941 Documents from the Archives of the German Foreign Office Edited by Raymond James Sontag and James Stuart Beddie Page II Department of State, 1948 Department of State Publication 3023 Page III Preface In 1945 the American and British armies captured the archives of the German Foreign Office which had been evacuated from Berlin. Use of the archives for intelligence purposes began immediately. Later, it became evident that the documents concerning the aims and methods of German foreign policy should be published for the enlightenment of world opinion, including German opinion. In June 1946 the Department of State and the British Foreign Office agreed to sponsor jointly the publication of approximately twenty volumes of documents illustrative of German foreign policy from 1918 to 1945. The French Government subsequently became a party to this agreement. The documents were to be printed in the original German, and the more important were also to be printed in English translation. It was agreed that the selection and editing were to be performed on the basis of the highest scholarly objectivity and that, to secure an authoritative and scholarly documentary record of German foreign policy, the services of private scholars should be enlisted, as well as the services of scholars in government service. Each Government reserved the right to publish separately any portion of the documents. The Department of State has decided to publish separately the most significant documents bearing on German-Soviet relations during 1939-1941. This collection has been made by the Washington editors of the documents, Raymond James Sontag and James Stuart Beddie, assisted by Jean Brownell Dulaney. Page IV Editors' Foreword The editors have selected for publication at this time all documents essential to an understanding of the political relations between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union from the first efforts to reach an agreement in the spring of 1939 to the outbreak of war in June 1941. The larger publication sponsored by the American, British, and French Governments will include additional details, as well as documents which throw light incidentally on Russo-German relations, but which are concerned with other subjects. The lengthy agreements defining frontiers, and the bulky details of economic relations, have been left to the larger publication. Documents summarizing economic negotiations have, however, been included. Each document has been printed in full, without omissions or alterations. The translations, except for a few prepared by the editors, were made by the Central Translating Division of the Department of State, and revised by the editors. The editors have had complete independence in their work and final responsibility for the selection of relevant documents. RAYMOND JAMES SONTAG JAMES STUART BEDDIE Page V CONTENTS Page PREFACE ................................................................................................................................................... III EDITOR'S FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF PRINCIPAL PERSONS ............................................................................................................. VII ANALYTICAL LIST OF DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................. IX I. Tentative Efforts to Improve German-Soviet Relations, April 17- August 14, 1939 ............................ 1 II. Agreement Achieved, August 14-August 23, 1939 .............................................................................. 50 III. The Pact Executed and Amended, August 23-September 28, 1939 ..................................................... 79 IV. German-Soviet Cooperation, October 2, 1939-May 29, 1940 ........................................................... 110 V. Friction in the Baltic and the Balkans, June 4-September 21, 1940 ................................................... 144 VI. The U. S. S. R. and the Three Power Pact, September 25 - November 26, 1940 ............................... 195 VII. Soviet Resistance to the German Advance in the Balkans, December 18, 1940-March 13, 1941 ..... 260 VIII. The Soviet Treaties With Yugoslavia and Japan, March 25-April 13, 1941 ...................................... 280 IX. The Failure of Efforts to Preserve Peace, April 15-June 22, 1941 ........................................................ 325 NOTE ON FILES ........................................................................................................................................ 359 Contents (pages counted through) Preface...............................................................................................................................................................3 Editors' Foreword..............................................................................................................................................4 LIST OF PRINCIPAL PERSONS.....................................................................................................................7 ANALYTICAL LIST OF DOCUMENTS.........................................................................................................9 I. TENTATIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE GERMAN-SOVIET RELATIONS, APRIL 17-AUGUST 14, 1939 ........................................................................................................................................................................38 II. AGREEMENT ACHIEVED, AUGUST 14-AUGUST 23, 1939.................................................................87 III. THE PACT EXECUTED AND AMENDED, AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 28, 1939..............................116 IV. GERMAN-SOVIET CO-OPERATION, OCTOBER 2, 1939-MAY 29, 1940.........................................147 V. FRICTION IN THE BALTIC AND THE BALKANS, JUNE 4-SEPTEMBER 21, 1940.........................181 VI. THE U.S.S.R. AND THE THREE POWER PACT, SEPTEMBER 25-NOVEMBER 26, 1940..............232 VII. SOVIET RESISTANCE TO THE GERMAN ADVANCE IN THE BALKANS, DECEMBER 18, 1940- MARCH 13, 1941.........................................................................................................................................297 VIII. THE SOVIET TREATIES WITH YUGOSLAVIA AND JAPAN, MARCH 25-APRIL 13, 1941.........317 IX. THE FAILURE OF EFFORTS TO PRESERVE PEACE, APRIL 15-JUNE 22, 1941.............................362 NOTE ON FILES..........................................................................................................................................396 Page VI [Blank] Page VII LIST OF PRINCIPAL PERSONS ALFIERI, Dino, Italian Ambassador in Germany ASTAKHOV, Georgei, Counselor of Embassy of the Soviet Embassy in Germany BECK, Josef, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs BLÜCHER, Dr. Wipert, German Minister in Finland CIANO, Count Galeazzo, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs CRIPPS, Sir Stafford, British Ambassador in the Soviet Union DEKANOSOV, Vladimir G., Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union, later Soviet Ambassador in Germany GAUS, Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm, Under State Secretary, Head of the Legal Division of the German Foreign Office GÖRING, Hermann, Reichsmarshal, Reich Air Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force GRUNDHERR, Dr. von, Minister, Head of the Baltic and Scandinavian Section of the Political Division of the German Foreign Office HENCKE, Andor, Under State Secretary in the German Foreign Office HEWEL, Walter, Representative of the Reich Foreign Minister on the staff of the Führer HILGER, Gustav, Counselor of Legation, later Counselor of Embassy in the German Embassy in the Soviet Union HITLER, Adolf, Führer of the German Reich and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces JODL, Major General Alfred, Chief of Operations Staff (Wehrmachtführungsstab) of the German High Command KEITEL, Marshal Wilhelm, Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces (OKW) KOLLONTAY, Alexandra, Soviet Minister in Sweden KÖSTRING, Lieut. General Ernst, Military Attaché of the German Embassy in the Soviet Union LITVINOV, Maxim, Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs to May 3, 1939 MACKENSEN, Hans Georg von, German Ambassador in Italy MATSUOKA, Yosuke, Japanese Foreign Minister MEISSNER, Dr. Otto, Minister of State and Head of the Presidential Chancellery (Praesidialkanzlei) MEREKALOV, Alexei, Soviet Ambassador in Germany MIKOYAN, Anastas I., Soviet Commissar for Foreign Trade; Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars MOLOTOV, Vyacheslav M., Chairman, later Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union; Commissar for Foreign Affairs from May 3, 1939 MUSSOLINI, Benito, Head of the Italian Government OSHIMA, Hiroshi, Japanese Ambassador in Germany OTT, General Eugen, German Ambassador in Japan Page VIII PAPEN, Franz von, German Ambassador in Turkey POTEMKIN, Vladimir, Soviet Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs RAEDER, Grand Admiral Erich, Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy RIBBENTROP, Joachim von, Reich Foreign Minister RITTER, Dr. Karl, Ambassador on special assignment in the German Foreign Office, in charge of economic warfare questions ROSSO, Augusto, Italian Ambassador in the Soviet Union SCHLIEP, Dr., Counselor of Legation, Head of the Eastern European Section of the Political Division of the German Foreign Office. SCHMIDT, Dr. Paul Otto Gustav, Minister, Chief of the Bureau of the Reich Foreign Minister, interpreter in diplomatic negotiations SCHNURRE, Dr. Karl, Counselor of Legation, later Minister, head of the Eastern European and Baltic Section of the Commercial Policy Division of the German Foreign Office SCHULENBURG, Friedrich Werner, Count von der, German Ambassador in the Soviet Union SCHWERIN-KROSIGK, Lutz, Count von, Reich Finance Minister SHKVARTSEV, Alexander, Soviet Ambassador in Germany SKIRPA, Kazys, Lithuanian Minister in Germany SOBOLEV, Arkady A., General Secretary of the Soviet Commissariat for Foreign Affairs STALIN, Josef, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union STEINHARDT, Laurence A., United States Ambassador in the Soviet Union STRANG, Sir William, Head of British Mission to the Soviet Union TIPPELSKIRCH, Werner von, Counselor of Embassy, later Minister in the German Embassy in the Soviet Union VISHINSKY, Andrei, Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union WARLIMONT, General Walter, Deputy Chief of the Operations Staff (Wehrmachtführungsstab) of the German High Command (OKW) WEIZSÄCKER, Ernst, Baron von, State Secretary in the German Foreign Office WIEHL, Emil Karl Josef, Ministerialdirektor, Head of the Commercial Policy Division of the German Foreign Office WOERMANN, Dr. Ernst, Under State Secretary, Head of the Political Division of the German Foreign Office WUORIMAA, Aarne, Finnish Minister in Germany Page IX ANALYTICAL LIST OF DOCUMENTS I. TENTATIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE GERMAN-SOVIET RELATIONS, APRIL 17-AUGUST 14, 1939 Date Subject Page 1939 Apr. 17 Memorandum by the State Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker) 1 Conversation with the Soviet Ambassador who, after discussing Soviet contracts with Skoda, suggests the possibility of improved Soviet-German relations. May 4 The German Charge in the Soviet Union (Tippelskirch) to the German Foreign Office 2 The significance of the replacement of Litvinov by Molotov. May 5 Foreign Office Memorandum 3 The Soviet Charge, Astakhov, suggests to Schnurre the revival of economic negotiations and stresses the significance of Molotov's appointment. May 9 Foreign Office Memorandum 3 Astakhov expresses pleasure at the changed tone of the German press. May 17 Foreign Office Memorandum 4 Astakhov is skeptical concerning the prospects of an Anglo-Soviet agreement, and is optimistic on the improvement of Soviet-German relations. May 20 Memorandum by the German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) 5 Molotov says the construction of "political bases" must precede new economic negotiations; he refuses to elaborate. May 21 The State Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker)to the German 7 Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) Schulenburg to take no action. May 22 The German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the State Secretary in 8 the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker) An analysis of political currents in Moscow. May 27 The State Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker) to the German 9 Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) Germany hesitates to make advances until the outcome of the Soviet negotiations with Britain and France is known. May 29 Foreign Office Memorandum 11 Arguments for and against negotiations with the U.S.S.R. Foreign Office Memorandum A proposal that Weizsacker explore the possibility of agreement. Page X I. TENTATIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE GERMAN SOVIET RELATIONS, APRIL 17-AUGUST 14, 1939- Continued Date Subject Page 1939 May 30 Memorandum by the State Secretary in the German Foreign Office 12 (Weizsacker) Both Weizsacker and Astakhov, in conversation on economic questions, hint that a German-Soviet political agreement is desirable and possible. May 30 The State Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker) to the German 15 Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) A telegraphic summary of the above conversation; Germany has decided to undertake negotiations. May 30 The State Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker) to the German 17 Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg). Hilger may begin economic negotiations; political questions are to be referred to Berlin. June 5 The German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the State 18 Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker) Contends that, in the interview of May 20, Molotov had not rejected a German-Soviet political agreement; rather, he had almost invited political discussions. June 15 Foreign Office Memorandum 20 The Bulgarian Minister reports a conversation with Astakhov on Soviet foreign policy. June 18 The German Charge in the Soviet Union (Tippelskirch) to the German Foreign 21 Office The Soviet Government is skeptical of German sincerity. Enclosure: Mikoyan tells Hilger that the German reply on economic negotiations is "not entirely favorable." June 27 The German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the German 24 Foreign Office Stresses the Soviet fear that Germany is pushing economic negotiations only to block an Anglo-Soviet agreement and that Germany will allow the negotiations to lapse when this objective is achieved. June 29 Foreign Office Memorandum 25 Hitler orders negotiations with the U.S.S.R. ended. June 29 The German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the German 26 Foreign Office A conversation with Molotov, who, while still suspicious, shows desire to maintain contact with Germany. June 30 The State Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsacker) to the German 27 Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) No further action is to be taken for the moment on political or economic negotiation.