Malta & Crimea Conferences (ARGONAUT)

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 4:59am

Log of the Trip

Saturday, February 10, 1945

0800: White House mail was dispatched to Washington via a Joint Chiefs of Staff courier who left Livadia this morning.

1300: Lunch at Livadia. – The President, Mrs. Boettiger, Miss Harriman, Admiral Leahy, Justice Byrnes and Admiral Brown.

1500: Justice Byrnes left Livadia to return to Washington. He traveled by air in company with the Joint Chiefs of Staff party.

1600: The President presented specially engraved Fourth-Term Inaugural Medallions to the Prime Minister, Marshal Stalin, Mr. Eden and Mr. Molotov, and a book entitled “Target Germany” to Marshal Stalin. This book had been prepared by General Arnold and contained photographs showing damage wrought in Germany as the result of bombings by our strategical air forces.

1630: Marshal Stalin and Mr. Harriman conferred with the President. The conference was held in the President’s study. Mr. Bohlen was also present.

1650: The Seventh Formal Meeting of the Crimea Conference was convened at Livadia. Present:

For the U.S.	For Great Britain	For the USSR
The President.	The Prime Minister.	Marshal Stalin.
Mr. Stettinius.	Mr. Eden.	Mr. Molotov.
Admiral Leahy.	Mr. Cadogan.	Mr. Vyshinski.
Mr. Hopkins.	Mr. Clark Kerr.	Mr. Maisky.
Mr. Harriman.	Mr. Jebb.	Mr. Gousev.
Mr. Matthews.	Mr. Bridges.	Mr. Gromyko.
Mr. Bohlen.	Mr. Wilson.	Mr. Pavlov.
Mr. Hiss.	Major Birse.
Mr. Foote.

The meeting adjourned at 2000.

2030: The President, Mr. Stettinius and Mr. Bohlen left Livadia for the British Headquarters (Vorontsov Villa) where they dined with the Prime Minister, Mr. Eden, Major Birse, Marshal Stalin, Mr. Molotov and Mr. Pavlov as the guests of the Prime Minister.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 9:59am

U.S. State Department (February 11, 1945)

Eighth plenary meeting, noon

Livadia Palace, USSR

	Present
United States	United Kingdom	Soviet Union
President Roosevelt	Prime Minister Churchill	Marshal Stalin
Secretary Stettinius	Foreign Secretary Eden	Foreign Commissar Molotov
Fleet Admiral Leahy	Sir Archibald Clark Kerr
Mr. Hopkins	Sir Alexander Cadogan	Mr. Vyshinsky
Mr. Harriman	Sir Edward Bridges	Mr. Maisky
Mr. Matthews	Mr. Jebb	Mr. Gusev
Mr. Hiss	Mr. Wilson	Mr. Gromyko
Mr. Bohlen	Mr. Dixon	Mr. Pavlov
Mr. Foote	Major Birse

There is a list of those present and of subjects of discussion, indicated as (1) communiqué on close of conference, (2) reparations, and (3) Japan, but these are followed by the notation: “No report was written up on this Conference.”

Bohlen Note

Leningrad, February 11, 1945, noon
Secret

At the last Plenary Session, the communiqué was discussed and most of the conversation dealt with the details of language, the results of which are apparent in the final communiqué agreed upon. The Soviet suggested that in the part on voting procedure no reference be made to the fact that the proposal accepted was put forward by the President. Marshal Stalin stated that there would be no objection to the President, or any other American Official, making it public that the United States’ proposal had been adopted, but he felt such a reference did not properly belong in a communiqué. The Soviet suggestion was adopted.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 10:01am

Hiss Notes

Leningrad, February 11, 1945, noon

2/11 12.15 p.m.
Plenary

Communique
PM likes draft but too many “joints.” Also make separate ¶ re reparations

Mol. We have an amendment that does that

The 1st part: prefer more detail, naming personalities who took part

Church: At end

St: Better at beginning. Was at Teheran

Pres & PM: OK

St. no other remarks on opening

Church put in generals as well?

St. Yes

Church I agree with that

St name whomever you like

I Defeat of Ger.

Mol amends

Church: Is point of substance in introducing word “Hitlerite” It narrows it. We would prefer “Nazi” Germany

Mol. Withdraws amend. (re Hitlerite Ger)

Church. leave out “joint”, goes without saying various Church amendments

II OK with St.

Ed: Ought make it clear how zone is to be given

Shouldn’t indicate we have accepted the Fr. demand.

“Limits of the Fr. zone will be agreed by the 4 Govts thru their repres. on the EAC”

Wire to Winant

Mol: After II a new chap. on reparations.

We consider the q. on the costs by Ger of Allied loss to Allied Govt in this war it is fair to exact from Ger reparations in Kind in the greatest poss. amt. to the greatest possible extent possible A Commission is created on Reps which will have as its task determining the amt. of reps.

The Com. will sit in Mos.

Pres Only q is whether it is worthwhile to have sep. Chapter or work it in. I can’t find a good place.

III
Mol After 1st 2 ¶s add:

It has been also resolved to recommend to the Conf. to invite Uk. & Wh. R as orig. member

Pres very embarrassing to me

Church If brought out pub. now without any explanation of US position will cause trouble.

3 members of the War Cab. are objecting to the prin. of more than 1 vote. This only shows controversies it will raise We are all pledged to it in the draft conclusions

I should have to ask for adjournment to consult dominions. It might take several days But we put it all down in the conclusions

St.: Withdrew it But in

Mol ¶s 4 & 5

These ¶s should read as follows:

Concerning voting proc. in the Sec. Coun. of the projected org. Confused with our early draft Say they have no copy of last draft omit “put forward by the Pres.”

Mol If the text which we rec’d last night is united draft of Brit & Ams we didn’t know it. It is agreed

ERS asked Pres if it would affect him politically back home if “put forward by the Pres” is retained & Pres said it would not. Pres preferred to leave the phrase in

P M wants to eliminate 1st sentence of Chap. V on Pol.

Chap IV agreed to

Ed: insert after inherent: “we were impressed by the dangers of any divergence of policy between the major allies toward Poland”

St leave it out altogether

Church: Would prefer Ed’s amended form

St: This is only a statement about proceedings of various representatives. Some may have been impressed, others not.

Pres read our proposed new sentence

Agreed

Church wants to say dec. re Pol. will be very heavily attacked in Eng. It will be said we have yielded completely on the frontiers & the whole matter to R.

St: Is it in earnest I doubt it

Church I assure you it is. Lon Poles will raise a dreadful outcry

St: But the other Poles will predominate

Church I hope you’re right. We’re not going back on it It’s not a q. of nos. of Poles but of the cause for which Brit drew the sword Will say you have completely swept away the only const. govt of Pol. However I will defend it to the best of my ability

VI Yug
Church translate Avnoj

St That’s right. Not everyone will understand

VII Agreed

VIII Prisoners of war
St suggests mention of prisoners of war should be deleted. This is a q. among ourselves. We can take dec. but not nec to pub

Mol Says he & Ed agreed will come up in meeting For Mins

Church But can be published?

Agreed be published separately when text completed this afternoon

IX Unity O K with St.

Summary was dropped O K

IX Church what does “want” mean “It means privation & not desire”

Mol Will this communique be signed by the heads of govts

Pres Just as at Teheran

Should be signed first by St. because has been such a wonderful host

St I object

Church. If take alphabet I’ll be first

St – Am. Bloc

" If you take age I also come first

St If St. 1st signature will say he leads. Insists he be in last place

Who will take charge of final text

Church: Bridges

St. perhaps to the For Mins for final checking

Pres. Early

St Mol & Vishinsky. He is not interested in lunch

Pres: For Mins then to read it over in place of P.M., Mar. & me.

St. Who will make list of decs. Assign this task to someone else

Pres On summary of conclusions re reps. (i e Sov. protocol) entirely satis to us with few changes

Church Not for publication

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 10:05am

List of Amendments to the Draft Communiqué

Yalta, February 11, 1945

Prime Minister’s Amendments to Draft Communiqué

Defeat of Germany
Line 8: For “co-ordination”
Read: “concert”

Line 9: After “launched”
Insert: “continuously.”

Three lines lower down, instead of “our joint military plans,” read “our combined military plans.”

The word “joint” appears twice in the next three lines, and the Prime Minister would omit it in these two places.

Occupation and Control of Germany
In the second line for the word “jointly” substitute the word “together.”

Line 7 – the word “co-ordinated” should be struck out and “united” substituted.

Line 10 – the last sentence of the paragraph should read as follows:

It has been agreed that France should be invited by the Three Powers if she should so desire to take over a fourth zone of occupation, and to participate as a fourth member of the Control Commission.

In the first line of the next paragraph for “it is our joint purpose” read “It is our inflexible purpose.”

In the third line of this paragraph for “threaten” read “disturb.”

Six lines from the bottom of the paragraph, instead of “to take jointly such other measures” read “to take in harmony such other measures.”

The last sentence of the paragraph on this page should read as follows:

It is not our purpose to destroy the people of Germany, but only when Nazism and Militarism have been extirpated will there be hope for a decent life for the Germans and a place for them in the comity of nations.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 10:06am

President Roosevelt to Prime Minister Churchill

Yalta, February 11, 1945

Dear Winston: You have expressed some concern with regard to our different viewpoints concerning the policy to be pursued about Italy. I am happy to tell you that Mr. Matthews on behalf of the Department of State went over the ground on this matter with Alec Cadogan yesterday afternoon. As a result of their conversation, Matthews reports that although there are naturally some differences in emphasis in our respective viewpoints, there seems to be no basic reason for any quarrel between us. I find that we are both in accord with the important fact that whatever the Italian attitude and action have been in the past few years, we are faced with a real problem of the future. Italy is and will remain an important factor in Europe whatever we may think of the prospect. It is surely in our joint interest for us to do whatever we properly can to foster her gradual recuperation by developing a return to normal democratic processes, the development of a sense of her own responsibilities and the other steps so necessary in preparing the long hard road of Italy’s return to the community of peace-loving democratic states. To this end I believe we are both agreed that we must give her both spiritual and material food. I am impressed with the dangers for us both in Italy’s present condition of semi-servitude and of the fact that those who fish in troubled waters will be the only ones to gain from her present conditions approaching despair. I know that our soldiers share this view and feel that there is definite inherent danger in the situation to our joint military operations.

I believe that some constructive steps should be taken to move away from the present anomalous situation of onerous and obsolete surrender terms which are no longer pertinent to the situation today. I hope the Foreign Office and the State Department will be able to work out some mutually satisfactory procedure to remedy this situation. As you know, we accepted the Combined Chiefs of Staff’s directive to General Alexander along the lines suggested by Mr. MacMillan [Macmillan]. Although we felt that the directive was greatly watered down and much of its substance lost, we went along with you in the hope that we may reach some agreement on further steps in the near future.

At any rate, I want you to know that we are determined to pull together with you in Italy as we are in other areas, and that we believe that by full and continuous consultation and goodwill on both sides there is no danger of any serious split between us on this important question.

Most sincerely yours,
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 10:21am

Tripartite luncheon meeting, 1:00 p.m.

Livadia Palace, USSR

Roosevelt acted as host.

	Present
United States	United Kingdom	Soviet Union
President Roosevelt	Prime Minister Churchill	Marshal Stalin
Fleet Admiral Leahy	Foreign Secretary Eden	Foreign Commissar Molotov
Secretary Stettinius	Sir Archibald Clark Kerr
Mr. Hopkins	Sir Alexander Cadogan	Mr. Pavlov
Mr. Harriman	Major Birse
Mr. Bohlen

Bohlen Note

Leningrad, February 11, 1945, 1 p.m.

At the luncheon, which was attended by the President, the Prime Minister, and Marshal Stalin; the three Foreign Secretaries, Ambassador Harriman, Clark Kerr, and Sir Alexander Cadogan, and three interpreters, the conversation was general and personal. At one point, however, Marshal Stalin made an obvious reference to Iran, and stated in his opinion, any nation which kept its oil in the ground and would not let it be exploited, was, in fact, “working against peace.”

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 10:47am

Völkischer Beobachter (February 11, 1945)

Dr. Koppen: Stärker als das Schicksal…

Von Dr. Wilhelm Koppen

In diesen Tagen zeigte sich die Londoner Daily Mail höchst ungehalten, dass das verratene und verkaufte Volk im besetzten Italien noch wagt, die Ohren seiner Peiniger mit Klagerufen zu beleidigen. Die Italiener, so meint dieses Blatt, hätten gefälligst alle Prüfungen, die der Feind über sie verhängt, stillschweigend zu ertragen, denn keinesfalls könne ein Land, das es wagte, die Waffen gegen England zu erheben, darauf rechnen, milde behandelt zu werden. Dasselbe hat mit anderen Worten kürzlich auch Churchill vor dem Unterhaus zum Ausdruck gebracht und diese Denkweise entspricht vollkommen der ganzen Selbstgerechtigkeit des „auserwählten Volkes“ auf der Insel, das seit jeher seine Gegner im Kriege als Feinde der göttlichen Gerechtigkeit zu beklagen pflegte.

Dieselbe Heuchelei steht heute bei der Konferenz Pate, die an der sowjetischen Schwarzmeerküste stattfindet. Stalin, Roosevelt und Churchill zeigen sich dort der Mitwelt auf dem hohen Kothurn von Weltrichtern, denen es zunächst obliege, Deutschland vor die Schranken zu ziehen und damit das Urteil zu sprechen. Die Moskauer Iswestija schreibt hierzu sehr aufschlussreich: „In der Endphase des Krieges wird die Todesstrafe, die von der gesamten freiheitsliebenden Menschheit über Deutschland verhängt wurde, durchgeführt werden.“ Diese Formulierung hat Reuters so gut gefallen, dass sie auch als Stichwort für die englische Presse ausgegeben und dort in breiter Front aufgenommen worden ist mit dem Bemerken, die alliierten Befehlshaber hätten nunmehr die Aufgabe, dieses Todesurteil an Deutschland zu vollstrecken.

Gingen die Absichten der Alliierten in Erfüllung, so wäre allerdings der Ausdruck Todesstrafe keineswegs übertrieben. Es ist durchaus glaubwürdig, was amerikanische Beobachter über Roosevelts Haltung auf der Konferenz mitteilen: der Präsident werde keinerlei Widerspruch gegen die bolschewistischen Gebietsforderungen erheben, insbesondere nicht gegen den Raub ganz Ostdeutschlands bis zur Oder. Er werde auch dem Programm zustimmen, das nach dem Besuch de Gaulles in Moskau bekanntgegeben wurde und die Auslieferung von Rhein und Ruhr an Frankreich und die Sowjets vorsah, und er sei schließlich für eine Besetzung Deutschlands bis zum Jahre 2000. Nebenbei werden dann die baltischen Länder abgeschrieben und die Ausdehnung des Sowjeteinflusses auf ganz Ost- und Südosteuropa an erkannt.

Dass die Briten Stalins Diktat ebenfalls widerspruchslos schlucken weiden, liegt auf der Linie der Politik Churchills, die England zum willenlosen Mitläufer seiner Verbündeten herabgedrückt hat, so dass amerikanische Senatoren das Vereinigte Königreich schon ganz offen als eine Art Kolonialbesitz bezeichnen.

Über das Sowjetprogramm braucht man danach keine Worte weiter zu verlieren. Sicher ist aber, dass man in Moskau das Wort Todesstrafe nicht etwa nur als politisches Symbolwort gewählt hat, sondern dabei an Massenmorde denkt, die selbst die hochgespannten britischen und amerikanischen Erwartungen bei weitem übertreffen würden, wenn es den Bolschewisten vergönnt wäre, in ganz Deutschland so zu hausen, wie sie es heute in unseren östlichen Provinzen tun. Der Mordwahn der östlichen Steppe stimmt im Übrigen genau zu den Plänen der Morgenthaus und Genossen, die mittels der Zerstörung der deutschen Industrie viele Millionen deutsche Arbeiter mit ihren Familien zum Hungertod verurteilen möchten und mit deren Absichten Roosevelt völlig übereinstimmt.

Zur allgemeinen Überraschung wurde dieser Tage eine Zwischenverlautbarung über die Konferenz ausgegeben, die offenbar dem Bedürfnis entsprang, irrigen Ausdeutungen in England und Amerika zu begegnen. Es wurde darin betont, dass man sich auf einem gemeinsamen Kriegsplan geeinigt habe. Was über die Behandlung der politischen Fragen gesagt wurde, klang allerdings wesentlich verschwommener, und es fehlt auch nicht an einer Fülle von Kombinationen von weiteren Konferenzen, die sich an die Zusammenkunft am Schwarzen Meer anschließen würden. Diese werden – so wird gemutmaßt – in einer allgemein gehaltenen Schwarzmeer-Charta nach dem Muster des verlogenen Atlantikvorbildes schließen, die von Bedrohungen gegen Deutschland begleitet sein werden, im Übrigen aber werde man sowohl über die territorialen Fragen wie auch über das Sicherheitssystem weiter verhandeln müssen. Das bestätigt die Auffassung, dass sich die drei Spießgesellen wohl über die Vernichtung Deutschlands, wie schon immer einig sind, nicht aber über die Herstellung eines Weltfriedens, der irgendwie Aussicht auf Dauer verspräche und den besonders die Sowjets gar nicht wünschen, da für sie der jetzige Krieg ja nur den Auftakt zur weltrevolutionären Ausweitung gibt.

Es war bisher das Kennzeichen aller zahlreichen Sondertagungen, die seit zwei Jahren auf amerikanischem Boden abgehalten wurden, dass man über allgemeine Empfehlungen niemals hinausgekommen ist und vor der letzten Hürde scheuen musste, nämlich vor der Abgrenzung der gegenseitigen Interessen der drei Machte, deren ewige Einigkeit doch bei den komplizierten Nachkriegsplänen als selbstverständlich vorausgesetzt wurde. Das zeigte sich besonders deutlich bei der Konferenz von Dumbarton Oaks, die sich mit der Frage der sogenannten Organisation des Weltfriedens befasste Man entwarf dort den Plan eines neuen Völkerbundes, dessen Rat von den Großmächten beherrscht werden sollte. Diesem Rat wurde die Aufgabe gestellt friedenswidrig handelnde Mitglieder in Acht und Bann zu tun. Der entscheidende Punkt aber ist die Frage was eigentlich geschehen sollte, wenn eine dieser Mächte selbst als Aggressor auftrete.

Und hier stellen sich die Sowjets sofort auf den Standpunkt, dass sie selbst Richter darüber bleiben müssten, ob sie bei irgendwelchen, dass auch für sie die zwingendsten Gründe bestehen, solche Wünsche zu hegen.

Bei der Beurteilung der Kriegslage muss sich jeder diese Tatsache vor Augen halten. Der Feind möchte es so darstellen, als ob wir einen Verzweiflungskampf führten, dessen Ausgang von vornherein feststände. Wir aber wissen, dass unser Widerstand, für den alle materiellen und moralischen Kräfte einer großen Nation angespannt sind, allein Leben und Zukunft unseres Volkes sichert und das entscheidende Gewicht auf der Waagschale des Schicksals sein wird.

Wir führen diesen schweren Kampf mit klarem Sinn und starkem Arm weiter und sind uns bewusst, dass der Erfolg nicht ausbleiben kann. Man mag am Schwarzen Meer mit angemaßter Richterpose Todesurteile fällen, wir werden solche Drohungen zu bestehen wissen und damit auch die Welt von dem Alpdruck des Dauerkrieges befreien, der für Stalin, Roosevelt und Churchill der Weisheit letzter Schluss ist.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 3:23pm

U.S. State Department (February 11, 1945)

Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, 4:20 p.m.

	Present
United States	United Kingdom	Soviet Union
Secretary Stettinius	Foreign Secretary Eden	Foreign Commissar Molotov
Mr. Hiss	Sir Edward Bridges

Bohlen Note

February 11, 1945, 4:20 p.m.

Meeting of the Foreign Ministers to Approve the ‘Summary of Proceedings of the Conference’

At this meeting, the discussion was almost entirely related to language and drafting problems. Mr. Eden, supported by Mr. Stettinius, proposed that Saudi Arabia be included among those countries which, if they declared war on the common enemy before March 1, would be invited to attend the United Nations Conference at San Francisco. Mr. Molotov said that he could not accept that proposal without reference to Marshal Stalin, and suggested that, since time was so short, that it would be reserved for possible future consideration. Mr. Molotov’s suggestion was accepted.

Hiss Notes

February 11, 1945, 4:20 p.m.

2/11 4.20 pm
ERS Chmn

Final meeting of For Mins

ERS: 1st subject is approval of communique

Sir Edward Bridges to report on read communique

Re D.O.
Mol. Marshal Stalin said should say what is said in conclusions that was agreed on voting & not that President’s proposal had been adopted

No objection if Mr. S. or anyone else should say this was the proposal of the Pres.

In no other place is it said on whose initiative it has been done

ERS This was discussed this morning in presence of Mar & Pres & I discussed it at length with Pres. Would be very diff. for me to agree

Mol Was no agt on this special point

We said we had another q on this par.

Simultaneously with the pub. of com. you or someone say this was the proposal put forward by the Pres. We don’t want to hush-hush this fact.

ERS: agreed to eliminate the reference to Pres.

Re consultation

Ed on procedure – US is to approach Ch. & Fr. Desirable that consultation be done as soon as possible – 48 hours if possible as will be great interest in the subject

2/11
ERS Chmn

For. Mins.

(After intermission)

Summary of Conclusions
p. 1 Mol. what would be the title: “Decisions”?

Agreed: Protocol of the proceedings of the Crimea Conference

Mol. First phrase

The Crimean Conf. of the 3 heads of the Govts of USSR, US & Gt Brit which took place in the Crimea from Feb 4 to Feb 11 took came to the following conclusions:

Ed. Would like to add Saudi Arabia before Turkey

Mol. Why

Ed They did want to declare war & we discouraged them

Mol. This q. was not discussed. There would then come others (i e new suggestions)

Ed. Good to have Moslem or two Ibn Saud is having cup of coffee with Pres.

ERS I have no objection. They have assisted in the prosecution of the war to some extent

Mol I don’t know if Saudi Arabia will be much help. Think it over & consider at end of protocol

p. 2

San Francisco inserted

Mol. I want to be there

p. 3 ERS “or in the preliminary consultations”

Agreed

p 5 Insert protocol in place of reparations section

Agreed

p 9 ERS agreed re Yug.

p 10 ERS suggests insert “among the For. Secs”

Suggests eliminate last sentence

Mol: “Mr. Mol. agreed to this proposal”

Eden: should not say views will be conveyed “aint any views” instead say: could not be approved

Persia
Mol: Suggests instead:

“Mr Ed, Mr S & Mr Mol exchanged views on the sit. in Iran”

Otherwise eliminate altogether

Ed add “It was decided agreed that the matter would be pursued further through the dip. channel.”

Montreux
Mol. after “Convention”: which ceased to correspond to the contemporary sit.”

It’s a hint in regard to change

ERS we should consider sit. before suggest give a hint

Ed. Alternative: the changes proposals which it was understood the Sov. Govt would put forward with reference in relation to the Montreux Con.

Agreed to Ed. alternative with last sentence omitted

Ed. We will inform the Turks

Mol About the fact that this q. will be raised

Ed insert informed “at the appropriate moment”

Mol. Insists on his amend

Ed. willing to stop there & leave out assurance point.

Transmit to Pres. copy of what ERS signs Protocol & of 2 tels to

Ed. submitted the draft cable to de G. re zone of occup & Control Com

ERS agreed

Mol. hadn’t had time to read

Mol. Gave his prelim. consent. Mar. St. has not seen them. Will give his answer tonight

Saudi Arabia – Mol. To let Ed. Know

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 5:59pm

Working Draft of the Protocol of Proceedings Revised by the Foreign Ministers

February 11, 1945, 4:20 p.m.

Crimea Conference

~~Summary of Conclusions~~ Protocol of Proceedings of Crimea Conference

The following conclusions were arrived at –

I. World organization

It was decided:

that a United Nations Conference on the proposed world organisation should be summoned for Wednesday, 25 April, 1945, and should be held in the United States of America.
the Nations to be invited to this Conference should be:

(a) the United Nations as they existed on 8 February, 1945; and

(b) such of the Associated Nations as have declared war on the common enemy by 1 March, 1945. (For this purpose by the term “Associated Nation” was meant the eight Associated Nations and Turkey). When the Conference on World Organisation is held, the delegates of the United Kingdom and United States of America will support a proposal to admit to original membership two Soviet Socialist Republics, i.e. the Ukraine and White Russia.
that the United States Government on behalf of the Three Powers should consult the Government of China and the French Provisional Government in regard to the decisions taken at the present Conference concerning the proposed World Organisation.
that the text of the invitation to be issued to all the nations which would take part in the United Nations Conference should be as follows:

Invitation

The Government of the United States of America, on behalf of itself and of the Governments of the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the Republic of China and of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, invite the Government of ——— to send representatives to a Conference of the United Nations to be held on 25 April, 1945, or soon thereafter, at San Francisco in the United States of America to prepare a Charter for a General International Organisation for the maintenance of international peace and security.

The above-named governments suggest that the Conference consider as affording a basis for such a Charter the Proposals for the Establishment of a General International Organisation, which were made public last October as a result of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, and which have now been supplemented by the following provisions for Section C of Chapter VI:

c. Voting

Each member of the Security Council should have one vote.

Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters should be made by an affirmative vote of seven members.

Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters should be made by an affirmative vote of seven members including the concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions under Chapter VIII, Section A and under the second sentence of paragraph 1 of Chapter VIII, Section C, a party to a dispute should abstain from voting.

Further information as to arrangements will be transmitted subsequently.

In the event that the Government of ——— desires in advance of the Conference to present views or comments concerning the proposals, the Government of the United States of America will be pleased to transmit such views and comments to the other participating Governments.

Territorial trusteeship

It was agreed that the five Nations which will have permanent seats on the Security Council should consult each other prior to the United Nations Conference on the question of territorial trusteeship.

The acceptance of this recommendation is subject to its being made clear that territorial trusteeship will only apply to (a) existing mandates of the League of Nations; (b) territories detached from the enemy as a result of the present war; (c) any other territory which might voluntarily be placed under trusteeship; and (d) no discussion of actual territories is contemplated at the forthcoming United Nations Conference, or in the preliminary consultations and it will be a matter for subsequent agreement which territories within the above categories will be placed under trusteeship.

II. Declaration on liberated Europe

The following declaration has been approved:

The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States of America have consulted with each other in the common interests of the peoples of their countries and those of liberated Europe. They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert during the temporary period of instability in liberated Europe the policies of their three governments in assisting the peoples liberated from the domination of Nazi Germany and the peoples of the former Axis satellite states of Europe to solve by democratic means their pressing political and economic problems.

The establishment of order in Europe and the re-building of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of Nazism and Fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice. This is a principle of the Atlantic Charter – the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live – the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprived of them by the aggressor nations.

To foster the conditions in which the liberated peoples may exercise these rights, the three governments will jointly assist the people in any European liberated state or former Axis satellite state in Europe where in their judgment conditions require (a) to establish conditions of internal peace; (b) to carry out emergency measures for the relief of distressed peoples; (c) to form interim governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishment through free elections of governments responsive to the will of the people; and (d) to facilitate where necessary the holding of such elections.

The three governments will consult the other United Nations and provisional authorities or other governments in Europe when matters of direct interest to them are under consideration.

When, in the opinion of the three governments, conditions in any European liberated state or any former Axis satellite state in Europe make such action necessary, they will immediately consult together on the measures necessary to discharge the joint responsibilities set forth in this declaration.

By this declaration we reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, our pledge in the Declaration by the United Nations, and our determination to build in co-operation with other peace-loving nations world order under law, dedicated to peace, security, freedom and general well-being of all mankind.

In issuing this declaration, the Three Powers express the hope that the Provisional Government of the French Republic may be associated with them in the procedure suggested.

III. Dismemberment of Germany

It was agreed that Article 12 (a) of the Surrender Terms for Germany should be amended to read as follows:

The United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall possess supreme authority with respect to Germany. In the exercise of such authority they will take such steps, including the complete disarmament, demilitarisation and the dismemberment of Germany as they deem requisite for future peace and security.

The study of the procedure for the dismemberment of Germany was referred to a Committee, consisting of Mr. Eden (Chairman), Mr. Winant and Mr. Gousev. This body would consider the desirability of associating with it a French representative.

IV. Zone of occupation for the French and Control Commission for Germany

It was agreed that a zone in Germany, to be occupied by the French Forces, should be allocated to France. This zone would be formed out of the British and American zones and its extent would be settled by the British and Americans in consultation with the French Provisional Government.

It was also agreed that the French Provisional Government should be invited to become a member of the Allied Control Commission for Germany.

V. Reparation

The following protocol has been approved:

It was agreed that a Reparations Commission should be set up in Moscow. This Commission will comprise one representative from the USA, USSR, and U.K., each representative being assisted by such expert advisers as may be necessary. The Commission should begin its work as soon as possible.

It was agreed that the following should be the basic principles of exaction of reparations from Germany for study and recommendation by the Moscow Reparations Commission.

Reparations are to be received in the first instance by those countries which have borne the main burden of the war and have suffered the heaviest losses and have organised victory over the enemy.
Setting aside for the moment the use of German labour by way of reparations, this question to be considered at a later date, reparations in kind are to be exacted from Germany in the two following forms:

Removal in a single payment in the end of the war from the national wealth of Germany located on the territory of Germany herself as well as outside her territory (equipment, machine-tools, ships, rolling stock, German investment abroad, shares of industrial, transport, shipping and other enterprises in Germany, etc.) these removals to be carried out chiefly for the purpose of military and economic disarmament of Germany.

These removals are to be completed within two years of the end of the war.

Annual deliveries of commodities during 10 years after the end of the war.
Germany is to pay compensation in kind for the losses caused by her to the Allied Nations during the war and the Moscow Reparations Commission shall have the task of considering the amount of reparations to be paid.

VI. Major war criminals

The Conference agreed that the question of the major war criminals should be the subject of enquiry by the three Foreign Secretaries for report in due course after the close of the Conference.

VII. Poland

The following Declaration on Poland was agreed by the Conference:

A new situation has been created in Poland as a result of her complete liberation by the Red Army. This calls for the establishment of a Polish Provisional Government which can be more broadly based than was possible before the recent liberation of Western Poland. The Provisional Government which is now functioning in Poland should therefore be reorganised on a broader democratic basis with the inclusion of democratic leaders from Poland itself and from Poles abroad. This new Government should then be called the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity.

M. Molotov, Mr. Harriman and Sir A. Clark Kerr are authorised as a Commission to consult in the first instance in Moscow with members of the present Provisional Government and with other Polish democratic leaders from within Poland and from abroad, with a view to the reorganisation of the present Government along the above lines. This Polish Provisional Government of National Unity shall be pledged to the holding of free and unfettered elections as soon as possible on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot. In these elections all democratic and anti-Nazi parties shall have the right to take part and to put forward candidates.

When a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity has been properly formed in conformity with the above, the Government of the USSR, which now maintains diplomatic relations with the present Provisional Government of Poland, and the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the USA will establish diplomatic relations with the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, and will exchange Ambassadors by whose reports the respective Governments will be kept informed about the situation in Poland.

The three Heads of Government consider that the Eastern frontier of Poland should follow the Curzon Line with digressions from it in some regions of five to eight kilometres in favour of Poland. ~~It is~~ They recognised that Poland must receive substantial accessions of territory in the North and West. They feel that the opinion of the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity should be sought in due course on the extent of these accessions and that the final delimitation of the Western frontier of Poland should thereafter await the Peace Conference.

VIII. Yugoslavia

It was agreed to recommend to Marshal Tito and to Dr. Subasic:

(a) that the Tito-Subasic Agreement should immediately be put into effect and a new Government formed on the basis of the Agreement.

(b) that as soon as the new Government has been formed it should declare:

(i) that the National Liberation Committee will be extended to include members of the last Yugoslav Skupstina who have not compromised themselves by collaboration with the enemy, thus forming a body to be known as a temporary Parliament and
(ii) that legislative acts passed by the National Liberation Committee will be subject to subsequent ratification by a Constituent Assembly;

and that this statement should be published in the communique of the Conference.

IX. Italo-Yugoslav frontier
Italo-Austria frontier

Notes on these subjects were put in by the British delegation and the American and Soviet delegations agreed to consider them and give their views later.

X. Yugoslav-Bulgarian relations

There was an exchange of views among the Foreign ~~Ministers~~ Secretaries on the question of the desirability of a Yugoslav-Bulgarian pact of alliance. The question at issue was whether a state still under an armistice regime could be allowed to enter into a treaty with another state. Mr. Eden suggested that the Bulgarian and Yugoslav Governments should be informed ~~of the views of the Three Powers.~~ that this could not be approved. Mr. Stettinius suggested that the British and American Ambassadors should discuss the matter further with M. Molotov in Moscow. M. Molotov ~~promised to consider the matter and to give his views on the following day.~~ agreed with the proposal of Mr. Stettinius.

XI. South Eastern Europe

The British Delegation put in notes for the consideration of their colleagues on the following subjects:
(a) the Control Commission in Bulgaria
(b) Greek claims upon Bulgaria, more particularly with reference to reparations.
(c) Oil equipment in Roumania.

XII. Persia

Mr. Eden and Mr. Stettinius drew attention to the importance of observing the Tripartite Treaty and the Tehran Declaration of 1 December, 1943, particularly insofar as concerned requests for oil concessions in Persia.

XIII. Meetings of the three Foreign Secretaries

The Conference agreed that permanent machinery should be set up for consultation between the three Foreign Secretaries; they should meet as often as necessary, probably about every three or four months.

These meetings will be held in rotation in the three capitals, the first meeting being held in London.

XIV. The Montreux Convention and the Straits

It was agreed that at the next meeting of the three Foreign Secretaries to be held in London, they should consider ~~what changes should be made in the arrangements for the Straits laid down in~~ proposals which Sov Govt will make in regard the Montreux Convention and report thereon to the three Governments. The Turkish Government should be informed ~~that this matter is under consideration and should be given an assurance that their independence and integrity is in no way affected.~~ at the proper moment.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:00pm

U.S. Delegation Draft of Announcement Regarding the United Nations Conference

February 11, 1945, 4:20 p.m.

Joint Communiqué on International Organization

The proposals for a general international organization resulting from the informal conversations at Dumbarton Oaks have been considered, and agreed proposals have been worked out on the major points left open at those conversations. Our views are being transmitted to the Government of China and to the Provisional Government of the French Republic for their consideration. As soon as these consultations have been completed, the proposals agreed upon will be made public and invitations will be issued to a United Nations Conference to be held in the United States about April 15. This conference will prepare the charter of the general international organization.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:01pm

The President’s Secretary to the President’s Administrative Assistant

Yalta, February 11, 1945

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:02pm

500.CC/2-1145: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State

Yalta, 11 February 1945
Top secret
ARGONAUT 147

Top Secret. For Acting Secretary of State from Secretary Stettinius. To be delivered immediately.

The conference has agreed upon our proposal on voting procedure and we are to consult China and France on behalf of the other two powers. The date of the United Nations Conference has been fixed for April 25, 1945, and the location at San Francisco. The substance of the foregoing will be announced in the communiqué to be issued Monday night for Tuesday morning’s papers although the communiqué will not itself state that the voting procedure agreed upon was proposed by the United States. It is however understood that we are at liberty, simultaneously with the release of the communiqué, to state that our proposal on voting procedure was the one that was adopted. Mr. Early is separately taking care of this latter statement but if there is any slip up in his communications you will wish to make that fact public at the time the communiqué is issued.
It is of the utmost urgency that our consultations with China and France be as brief as possible because of the intense interest which will be aroused throughout the world as to the substance of the voting provisions which are not to be made public until the consultation is completed. Mr. Eden said at this afternoon’s final meeting that he hoped the consultation could be completed within forty-eight hours. This will give you an indication of the urgency with which this matter must be treated.
The text of the invitation as agreed upon reads as follows:

The government of the United States of America, on behalf of itself and of the governments of the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the Republic of China and of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, invites the Government of blank to send representatives to a conference of the United Nations to be held on April 25, 1945, or soon thereafter, at San Francisco in the United States of America to prepare a charter for a general international organization for the maintenance of international peace and security.

The above-named governments suggest that the conference consider as affording a basis for such a charter the proposals for the establishment of a general international organization, which were made public last October as a result of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, and which have now been supplemented by the following provisions for Section C of Chapter VI:

C. Voting: 1. Each member of the Security Council should have one vote. 2. Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters should be made by an affirmative vote of seven members. 3. Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters should be made by an affirmative vote of seven members including the concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions under Chapter VIII, Section A and under the second sentence of Paragraph 1 of Chapter VIII, Section C, party to a dispute should abstain from voting.

Further information as to arrangements will be transmitted subsequently. In the event that the government of blank desires in advance of the conference to present views or comments concerning the proposals, the government of the United States of America will be pleased to transmit such views and comments to the other participating governments.

It was also agreed that the nations to be invited to the United Nations Conference should be the United Nations as they existed on February 8, 1945, and such of the associated nations and Turkey as have declared war on the common enemy by March 1, 1945. This explains my recent urgent wire to you about the Latin American associated nations.
It was also agreed that the five governments with permanent seats in the Security Council should consult each other prior to the United Nations Conference on providing machinery in the World Charter for dealing with territorial trusteeships which could apply only to (a) existing mandates of the League of Nations; (b) territory to be detached from the enemy as a result of this war; and (c) any other territory that may voluntarily be placed under trusteeship.

It was further agreed that no discussions of specific territories will take place during the preliminary consultations on trusteeships or at the United Nations Conference itself. Only machinery and principles of trusteeship will be formulated at the Conference for inclusion in the Charter and it will be a matter for subsequent agreement as to which territories within the categories specified above will actually be placed under trusteeship. I think that this subject should also be covered in your consultations with China and France.

The Secretary urged that immediate action be taken to have our Embassies inform the six Latin American “Associated Nations” of the possibility that they may be excluded from initial participation in the forthcoming United Nations Conference, unless they declare war on Germany or Japan, or both.

We are relying on you to conduct the consultation with France and China in such manner as seems to you most effective and most expeditious and thereafter to publish the text of the voting provisions in concert with the other four powers.
I am leaving tonight for Moscow for a visit of only one or two days and can be reached through the Embassy. Please cable me summary of press and other public reaction to the communiqué as soon as it is available.
ALLSTATE HORSESHOE.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:02pm

U.S. Delegation Draft Memorandum Regarding Invitation to Saudi Arabia to Attend the United Nations Conference

Yalta, Feb. 11
(Copy)

R’s refused to agree

Mr. Early: Please inform the President on behalf of Mr. Stettinius that at today’s final meeting of the Foreign Ministers held shortly after the President left, Mr. Eden proposed and Mr. Molotov and Mr. Stettinius agreed that Saudi Arabia be added to the eight associated nations and Turkey as entitled to be invited to the United Nations Conference on April 25 at San Francisco if they declare war by March 1.

We consider this as a desirable move and suggest that the President should inform Ibn Saud of this when the two meet in the next few days.

In any event Colonel Eddy, our Minister who will accompany Ibn Saud to the Quincy, should be informed of this and should inform Ibn.

Will you please give the above information also to Admiral Leahy & to Admiral Brown

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:03pm

The President’s Secretary to the President’s Administrative Assistant

Yalta, 11 February 1945
Top secret

From Secretary Early to Jonathan Daniels, White House. Communiqué text will be dispatched tonight. Sent you two declarations today, one on Poland and the second on liberated Europe. Disregard previous instructions and insert these texts where indicated in communiqué. Kill title “Declaration on Poland” and insert without title in text of communiqué according to instructions to come. About one hundred words from beginning make read “are authorized as a commission to consult” instead “are authorized to consult.” About fifty-four words from end make read “they recognized that Poland” instead “it is recognized.”

The following statement should be prepared for release simultaneous with communiqué but should be given out as a separate story, not even as an annex: A comprehensive agreement was reached at the Crimea Conference providing detailed arrangements for the protection, maintenance and repatriation of prisoners of war and civilians of the British Commonwealth, Soviet Union and United States liberated by the Allied forces now invading Germany.

Under these arrangements each ally will provide food, clothing, medical attention and other needs for the nationals of the others until transport is available for their repatriation. In caring for British subjects and American citizens the Soviet Government will be assisted by British and American officers. Soviet officers will assist British and American authorities in their task of caring for Soviet citizens liberated by the British and American forces during such time as they are on the continent of Europe or in the United Kingdom, awaiting transport to take them home.

We are pledged to give every assistance consistent with operational requirements to help to ensure that all these prisoners of war and civilians are speedily repatriated.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:03pm

U.S. Delegation List of Tripartite Decisions at Yalta

February 11, 1945, 4:20 p.m.

List of Decisions Arrived at by the Three Heads of Government at the Crimean Conference

To include the word “dismemberment” in the German terms of surrender.
To appoint a committee composed of Mr. Eden, Ambassador Winant and Ambassador Gousev to study the question of dismemberment.
To adopt proposal of the United States with respect to the voting procedure in the Security Council of the proposed world organization.
To hold a United Nations Conference on April 25, 1945, in the United States, to prepare the charter of the proposed world organization.
To authorize the United States, on behalf of the three powers, to consult the Government of China and the Provisional Government of France, with respect to decisions 3 and 4.
That the five Governments which will have permanent seats on the Security Council should consult each other prior to the United Nations Conference on providing machinery in the world charter for dealing with territorial trusteeships which would apply only to (a) existing mandates of the League of Nations; (b) territory to be detached from the enemy as a result of this war; (c) any other territory that may voluntarily be placed under trusteeship.

It was agreed it would be a matter of subsequent agreement as to which territories within the preceding categories would actually be placed under trusteeship and that no discussions of specific territories are contemplated now or at the United Nations Conference.
The United States and the United Kingdom to support at the United Nations Conference, the Soviet request that the Ukraine and White Russia be admitted as initial members of the world organization.
To issue the statement on Poland agreed to at the Conference.
That there should be immediately established in Moscow a Commission on German reparations composed of Mr. Molotov, Sir Archibald Clark Kerr and Mr. Harriman, which would be guided by the following agreed principles: (a) Germany must pay in kind for losses caused by it to the Allied Governments; (b) the amount of the reparations to be paid by Germany should be considered by the Moscow Reparations Commission and reported by it to the three Governments; (c) the three Governments will submit to the Commission their proposals and data relating to the question of German reparations.
To issue the Declaration on Liberated Europe agreed to at the Conference.
To accord to the Provisional Government of France a German zone of occupation, and representation on the German Control Commission.
To send a joint telegram to Marshal Tito and Dr. Subasic, the text of which was agreed to at the Conference.
To hold periodic meetings of the three Foreign Ministers, the first meeting to be held in London in June, 1945.
That, at their first meeting, the three Foreign Ministers will consider revision of the Montreux Convention.

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:04pm

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France

Top secret
ARGONAUT 149

Secret and personal for the Ambassador from Secretary of State Stettinius.

You should concert with your British and Soviet colleagues and arrange to deliver to General de Gaulle the following two telegrams from the three heads of Government as soon as possible after 8:30 p.m. Paris time, Monday, February 12.

Quote: You will observe that the communiqué which we are issuing the end of this Conference contains a Declaration on Liberated Europe. You will also see that, in the last paragraph of the Declaration, we express the hope that your Government may be associated with us in the action and procedure suggested. Had circumstances permitted we should have greatly welcomed discussion with you of the terms of this Declaration. The terms are, however, less important than the joint obligation to take action in certain eventualities; and we feel that it is of the highest importance, in the interests of Europe, that the Provisional Government of the French Republic should agree, jointly with her three allies, to accept such an obligation. Signed Winston S. Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and I. V. Stalin. Unquote and end of first telegram.
Quote: We have been considering the question of the control of Germany after her defeat and have come to the conclusion that it will be highly desirable for the Provisional Government of the French Republic, if they will, to accept responsibility for a zone of occupation and to be represented on the Central Machinery of Control. We should be glad to learn that the French Government are prepared to accept those responsibilities. Signed Winston S. Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and I. V. Stalin. Unquote and end of second telegram.

ARGONAUT, February 11, 1945

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:05pm

Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt

Yalta, February 11, 1945

My Dear Franklin, I have given consideration to your letter of February 10 about the political difficulties which might arise in the United States in connection with the ratification by the Senate of the Dumbarton Oaks Agreement because of the fact that the United States alone among the three Great Powers will have only one vote in the Assembly.

Our position is that we maintained the long-established representation of the British Empire and Commonwealth; that the Soviet Government are represented by its chief member, and the two republics of the Ukraine and White Russia; and that the United States should propose the form in which their undisputed equality with every other Member State should be expressed.

I need hardly assure you that I should do everything possible to assist you in this matter.

Yours very sincerely,
WINSTON CHURCHILL

NormanStewart · February 11, 2024, 6:06pm

760H.6315/2-1145

The British Foreign Secretary to the Soviet Foreign Commissar

Alupka, 11 February, 1945

Owing to lack of time there are a few questions on which we were not able to conclude our discussions during the Crimea Conference. These were
(a) the Austro-Yugoslav frontier,
(b) the Italo-Yugoslav frontier (Venezia Giulia)

You kindly undertook to study the suggestions on these questions contained in the papers which I circulated at the Foreign Secretaries meeting on February 10. With regard to (a) you will remember that the United States Delegation experienced certain doubts regarding the phraseology of our proposal. I therefore attach a redraft of my note which I would ask you to substitute for the one in your possession.

(c) At our meeting on February 10 I mentioned our attitude towards a pact between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, and suggested that an indication of our views might be conveyed to the Bulgarian and Yugoslav Governments. You said that you would consider my suggestion.

I also circulated at our meeting on February 10 papers on the subject of
(d) Greek claims upon Bulgaria, more particularly in regard to reparations;
(e) the Allied (Soviet) Control Commission in Bulgaria;
(f) Oil equipment in Roumania.

I should be grateful if you would consider the points raised in the foregoing three papers.

May I also ask you to give favourable consideration to the proposals regarding
(g) Relief Supplies for Europe, contained in a paper which I enclosed in a separate letter today, and

(h) the despatch of personnel to the Soviet component of the Control Commission for Germany in London, in regard to which I attach a memorandum.

Monsieur V. M. MOLOTOV

NormanStewart · February 12, 2024, 2:15am

U.S. State Department (February 11, 1945)

740.0011 EW/2-1145

Communiqué Issued at the End of the Conference

Report of the Crimea Conference

For the past eight days, Winston S. Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, and Marshal J. V. Stalin, Chairman of the Council of Peoples’ Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have met with the Foreign Secretaries, Chiefs of Staff and other advisors in the Crimea.

In addition to the three Heads of Government, the following took part in the Conference:

For the United States of America:

Edward R. Stettinius Jr., Secretary of State
Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, USN, Chief of Staff to the President;
Harry L. Hopkins, Special Assistant to the President;
Justice James F. Byrnes, Director, Office of War Mobilization;
General of the Army George C. Marshall, USA, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army;
Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, USN, Chief of Naval Operations and Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet;
Lieutenant General Brehon B. Somervell, Commanding General, Army Service Forces;
Vice Admiral Emory S. Land, War Shipping Administrator
Major General L. S. Kuter, USA, Staff of Commanding General, U.S. Army Air Forces;
W. Averell Harriman, Ambassador to the USSR;
H. Freeman Matthews, Director of European Affairs, State Department;
Alger Hiss, Deputy Director, Office of Special Political Affairs, Department of State;
Charles E. Bohlen, Assistant to the Secretary of State, together with political, military and technical advisors.

For the Soviet Union:

V. M. Molotov, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR
Admiral Kuznetsov, People’s Commissar for the Navy
Army General Antonov, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army
A. Ya. Vyshinski, Deputy People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR
I. M. Maisky, Deputy People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR
Marshal of Aviation Khydyakov
F. T. Gousev, Ambassador in Great Britain
A. A. Gromyko, Ambassador in USA

For the United Kingdom:

Anthony Eden, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Lord Leathers, Minister of War Transport
Sir A. Clark Kerr, H.M. Ambassador at Moscow
Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Sir Edward Bridges, Secretary of the War Cabinet
Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham, First Sea Lord
General Sir Hastings Ismay, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defense,

together with

Field Marshal Alexander, Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theatre
Field Marshal Wilson, Head of the British Joint Staff Mission at Washington
Admiral Somerville, Joint Staff Mission at Washington together with military and diplomatic advisors.

The following statement is made by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the President of the United States of America, and the Chairman of the Council of Peoples’ Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the results of the Crimean Conference:

I. The defeat of Germany

We have considered and determined the military plans of the three allied powers for the final defeat of the common enemy. The military staffs of the three allied nations have met in daily meetings throughout the Conference. These meetings have been most satisfactory from every point of view and have resulted in closer coordination of the military effort of the three Allies than ever before. The fullest information has been interchanged. The timing, scope and coordination of new and even more powerful blows to be launched by our armies and air forces into the heart of Germany from the East, West, North and South have been fully agreed and planned in detail.

Our combined military plans will be made known only as we execute them, but we believe that the very close working partnership among the three staffs attained at this Conference will result in shortening the war. Meetings of the three staffs will be continued in the future whenever the need arises.

Nazi Germany is doomed. The German people will only make the cost of their defeat heavier to themselves by attempting to continue a hopeless resistance.

II. The occupation and control of Germany

We have agreed on common policies and plans for enforcing the unconditional surrender terms which we shall impose together on Nazi Germany after German armed resistance has been finally crushed. These terms will not be made known until the final defeat of Germany has been accomplished. Under the agreed plan, the forces of the Three Powers will each occupy a separate zone of Germany. Coordinated administration and control has been provided for under the plan through a central Control Commission consisting of the Supreme Commanders of the Three Powers with headquarters in Berlin. It has been agreed that France should be invited by the Three Powers, if she should so desire, to take over a zone of occupation, and to participate as a fourth member of the Control Commission. The limits of the French zone will be agreed by the four governments concerned through their representatives on the European Advisory Commission.

It is our inflexible purpose to destroy German militarism and Nazism and to ensure that Germany will never again be able to disturb the peace of the world. We are determined to disarm and disband all German armed forces; break up for all time the German General Staff that has repeatedly contrived the resurgence of German militarism; remove or destroy all German military equipment; eliminate or control all German industry that could be used for military production; bring all war criminals to just and swift punishment and exact reparation in kind for the destruction wrought by the Germans; wipe out the Nazi party, Nazi laws, organizations and institutions, remove all Nazi and militarist influences from public office and from the cultural and economic life of the German people; and take in harmony such other measures in Germany as may be necessary to the future peace and safety of the world. It is not our purpose to destroy the people of Germany, but only when Nazism and Militarism have been extirpated will there be hope for a decent life for Germans, and a place for them in the comity of nations.

III. Reparation by Germany

We have considered the question of the damage caused by Germany to the Allied Nations in this war and recognized it as just that Germany be obliged to make compensation for this damage in kind to the greatest extent possible. A Commission for the Compensation of Damage will be established. The Commission will be instructed to consider the question of the extent and methods for compensating damage caused by Germany to the Allied Countries. The Commission will work in Moscow.

IV. United Nations Conference

We are resolved upon the earliest possible establishment with our allies of a general international organization to maintain peace and security. We believe that this is essential, both to prevent aggression and to remove the political, economic and social causes of war through the close and continuing collaboration of all peace-loving peoples.

The foundations were laid at Dumbarton Oaks. On the important question of voting procedure, however, agreement was not there reached. The present conference has been able to resolve this difficulty.

We have agreed that a Conference of United Nations should be called to meet at San Francisco in the United States on April 25, 1945, to prepare the charter of such an organization, along the lines proposed in the informal conversations at Dumbarton Oaks.

The Government of China and the Provisional Government of France will be immediately consulted and invited to sponsor invitations to the Conference jointly with the Governments of the United States, Great Britain and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. As soon as the consultation with China and France has been completed, the text of the proposals on voting procedure will be made public.

V. Declaration on liberated Europe

We have drawn up and subscribed to a Declaration on liberated Europe. This Declaration provides for concerting the policies of the three Powers and for joint action by them in meeting the political and economic problems of liberated Europe in accordance with democratic principles. The text of the Declaration is as follows:

The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the President of the United States of America have consulted with each other in the common interests of the peoples of their countries and those of liberated Europe. They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert during the temporary period of instability in liberated Europe the policies of their three governments in assisting the peoples liberated from the domination of Nazi Germany and the peoples of the former Axis satellite states of Europe to solve by democratic means their pressing political and economic problems.

The establishment of order in Europe and the rebuilding of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of Nazism and Fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice. This is a principle of the Atlantic Charter – the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live – the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprived of them by the aggressor nations.

To foster the conditions in which the liberated peoples may exercise these rights, the three governments will jointly assist the people in any European liberated state or former Axis satellite state in Europe where in their judgment conditions require (a) to establish conditions of internal peace; (b) to carry out emergency measures for the relief of distressed people; (c) to form interim governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishment through free elections of governments responsive to the will of the people; and (d) to facilitate where necessary the holding of such elections.

The three governments will consult the other United Nations and provisional authorities or other governments in Europe when matters of direct interest to them are under consideration.

When, in the opinion of the three governments, conditions in any European liberated state or any former Axis satellite state in Europe make such action necessary, they will immediately consult together on the measures necessary to discharge the joint responsibilities set forth in this declaration.

By this declaration we reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, our pledge in the Declaration by the United Nations, and our determination to build in cooperation with other peace-loving nations a world order under law, dedicated to peace, security, freedom and the general well-being of all mankind.

In issuing this declaration, the Three Powers express the hope that the Provisional Government of the French Republic may be associated with them in the procedure suggested.

VI. Poland

We came to the Crimea Conference resolved to settle our differences about Poland. We discussed fully all aspects of the question. We reaffirm our common desire to see established a strong, free, independent and democratic Poland. As a result of our discussions we have agreed on the conditions in which a new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity may be formed in such a manner as to command recognition by the three major powers.

The agreement reached is as follows:

A new situation has been created in Poland as a result of her complete liberation by the Red Army. This calls for the establishment of a Polish Provisional Government which can be more broadly based than was possible before the recent liberation of western Poland. The Provisional Government which is now functioning in Poland should therefore be reorganized on a broader democratic basis with the inclusion of democratic leaders from Poland itself and from Poles abroad. This new Government should then be called the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity.

M. Molotov, Mr. Harriman and Sir A. Clark Kerr are authorized as a Commission to consult in the first instance in Moscow with members of the present Provisional Government and with other Polish democratic leaders from within Poland and from abroad, with a view to the reorganization of the present Government along the above lines. This Polish Provisional Government of National Unity shall be pledged to the holding of free and unfettered elections as soon as possible on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot. In these elections all democratic and anti-Nazi parties shall have the right to take part and to put forward candidates.

When a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity has been properly formed in conformity with the above, the Government of the USSR, which now maintains diplomatic relations with the present Provisional Government of Poland, and the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the United States will establish diplomatic relations with the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, and will exchange Ambassadors by whose reports the respective Governments will be kept informed about the situation in Poland.

The three Heads of Government consider that the eastern frontier of Poland should follow the Curzon Line with digressions from it in some regions of five to eight kilometres in favor of Poland. They recognize that Poland must receive substantial accessions of territory in the north and west. They feel that the opinion of the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity should be sought in due course on the extent of these accessions and that the final delimitation of the western frontier of Poland should thereafter await the Peace Conference.

VII. Yugoslavia

We have agreed to recommend to Marshal Tito and Dr. Subasic that the Agreement between them should be put into effect immediately, and that a new Government should be formed on the basis of that Agreement.

We also recommend that as soon as the new Government has been formed, it should declare that:

(i) The Anti-fascist Assembly of National Liberation (Avnoj) should be extended to include members of the last Yugoslav Parliament (Skupschina) who have not compromised themselves by collaboration with the enemy, thus forming a body to be known as a temporary Parliament; and
(ii) legislative acts passed by the Anti-Fascist Assembly of National Liberation (AUNOJ) will be subject to subsequent ratification by a Constituent Assembly.

There was also a general review of other Balkan questions.

VIII. Meetings of Foreign Secretaries

Throughout the Conference, besides the daily meetings of the Heads of Governments and the Foreign Secretaries, separate meetings of the three Foreign Secretaries, and their advisers have also been held daily.

These meetings have proved of the utmost value and the Conference agreed that permanent machinery should be set up for regular consultation between the three Foreign Secretaries. They will, therefore, meet as often as may be necessary, probably about every three or four months. These meetings will be held in rotation in the three Capitals, the first meeting being held in London, after the United Nations Conference on world organization.

IX. Unity for peace as for war

Our meeting here in the Crimea has reaffirmed our common determination to maintain and strengthen in the peace to come that unity of purpose and of action which has made victory possible and certain for the United Nations in this war. We believe that this is a sacred obligation which our Governments owe to our peoples and to all the peoples of the world.

Only with continuing and growing co-operation and understanding among our three countries and among all the peace-loving nations can the highest aspiration of humanity be realized – a secure and lasting peace which will, in the words of the Atlantic Charter, “afford assurance that all the men in all the lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want.”

Victory in this war and establishment of the proposed international organization will provide the greatest opportunity in all history to create in the years to come the essential conditions of such a peace.

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL
FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT
И. СТАЛИН

February 11, 1945

NormanStewart · February 12, 2024, 3:35am

Protocol of the Proceedings of the Crimea Conference

The Crimea Conference of the Heads of the Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which took place from February 4 to 11 came to the following conclusions.

I. World organisation

It was decided:

that a United Nations Conference on the proposed world organisation should be summoned for Wednesday, 25 April, 1945, and should be held in the United States of America.
the Nations to be invited to this Conference should be:
(a) the United Nations as they existed on the 8th February, 1945 and

(b) such of the Associated Nations as have declared war on the common enemy by 1 March, 1945. (For this purpose by the term “Associated Nation” was meant the eight Associated Nations and Turkey). When the Conference on World Organization is held, the delegates of the United Kingdom and United States of America will support a proposal to admit to original membership two Soviet Socialist Republics, i.e. the Ukraine and White Russia.
that the United States Government on behalf of the Three Powers should consult the Government of China and the French Provisional Government in regard to the decisions taken at the present Conference concerning the proposed World Organisation.
that the text of the invitation to be issued to all the nations which would take part in the United Nations Conference should be as follows:

Invitation

The Government of the United States of America, on behalf of itself and of the Governments of the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the Republic of China and of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, invite the Government of _____________ to send representatives to a Conference of the United Nations to be held on 25 April, 1945, or soon thereafter, at San Francisco in the United States of America to prepare a Charter for a General International Organisation for the maintenance of international peace and security.

The above named governments suggest that the Conference consider as affording a basis for such a Charter the Proposals for the Establishment of a General International Organisation, which were made public last October as a result of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, and which have now been supplemented by the following provisions for Section C of Chapter VI:

C. Voting

Each member of the Security Council should have one vote.

Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters should be made by an affirmative vote of seven members.

Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters should be made by an affirmative vote of seven members including the concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions under Chapter VIII, Section A and under the second sentence of paragraph 1 of Chapter VIII, Section C, a party to a dispute should abstain from voting.

Further information as to arrangements will be transmitted subsequently.

In the event that the Government of _____________ desires in advance of the Conference to present views or comments concerning the proposals, the Government of the United States of America will be pleased to transmit such views and comments to the other participating Governments.

Territorial trusteeship

It was agreed that the five Nations which will have permanent seats on the Security Council should consult each other prior to the United Nations Conference on the question of territorial trusteeship.

The acceptance of this recommendation is subject to its being made clear that territorial trusteeship will only apply to (a) existing mandates of the League of Nations; (b) territories detached from the enemy as a result of the present war; (c) any other territory which might voluntarily be placed under trusteeship; and (d) no discussion of actual territories is contemplated at the forthcoming United Nations Conference or in the preliminary consultations, and it will be a matter for subsequent agreement which territories within the above categories will be placed under trusteeship.

II. Declaration on liberated Europe

The following declaration has been approved:

The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States of America have consulted with each other in the common interests of the peoples of their countries and those of liberated Europe. They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert during the temporary period of instability in liberated Europe the policies of their three governments in assisting the peoples liberated from the domination of Nazi Germany and the peoples of the former Axis satellite states of Europe to solve by democratic means their pressing political and economic problems.

The establishment of order in Europe and the re-building of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of Nazism and Fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice. This is a principle of the Atlantic Charter – the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live – the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprived of them by the aggressor nations.

To foster the conditions in which the liberated peoples may exercise these rights, the three governments will jointly assist the people in any European liberated state or former Axis satellite state in Europe where in their judgment conditions require (a) to establish conditions of internal peace; (b) to carry out emergency measures for the relief of distressed peoples; (c) to form interim governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishment through free elections of governments responsive to the will of the people; and (d) to facilitate where necessary the holding of such elections.

The three governments will consult the other United Nations and provisional authorities or other governments in Europe when matters of direct interest to them are under consideration.

When, in the opinion of the three governments, conditions in any European liberated state or any former Axis satellite state in Europe make such action necessary, they will immediately consult together on the measures necessary to discharge the joint responsibilities set forth in this declaration.

By this declaration we reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, our pledge in the Declaration by the United Nations, and our determination to build in co-operation with other peace-loving nations world order under law, dedicated to peace, security, freedom and general well-being of all mankind.

In issuing this declaration, the Three Powers express the hope that the Provisional Government of the French Republic may be associated with them in the procedure suggested.

III. Dismemberment of Germany

It was agreed that Article 12 (a) of the Surrender Terms for Germany should be amended to read as follows:

The United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall possess supreme authority with respect to Germany. In the exercise of such authority they will take such steps, including the complete disarmament, demilitarisation and the dismemberment of Germany as they deem requisite for future peace and security.

The study of the procedure for the dismemberment of Germany was referred to a Committee, consisting of Mr. Eden (Chairman), Mr. Winant and Mr. Gousev. This body would consider the desirability of associating with it a French representative.

IV. Zone of occupation for the French and Control Council for Germany

It was agreed that a zone in Germany, to be occupied by the French Forces, should be allocated to France. This zone would be formed out of the British and American zones and its extent would be settled by the British and Americans in consultation with the French Provisional Government.

It was also agreed that the French Provisional Government should be invited to become a member of the Allied Control Council for Germany.

V. Reparation

The following protocol has been approved:

Germany must pay in kind for the losses caused by her to the Allied nations in the course of the war. Reparations are to be received in the first instance by those countries which have borne the main burden of the war, have suffered the heaviest losses and have organised victory over the enemy.
Reparation in kind is to be exacted from Germany in three following forms:

a) Removals within 2 years from the surrender of Germany or the cessation of organised resistance from the national wealth of Germany located on the territory of Germany herself as well as outside her territory (equipment, machine-tools, ships, rolling stock, German investments abroad, shares of industrial, transport and other enterprises in Germany etc.), these removals to be carried out chiefly for purpose of destroying the war potential of Germany.

b) Annual deliveries of goods from current production for a period to be fixed.

c) Use of German labour.
For the working out on the above principles of a detailed plan for exaction of reparation from Germany an Allied Reparation Commission will be set up in Moscow. It will consist of three representatives—one from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, one from the United Kingdom and one from the United States of America.
With regard to the fixing of the total sum of the reparation as well as the distribution of it among the countries which suffered from the German aggression the Soviet and American delegations agreed as follows:

The Moscow Reparation Commission should take in its initial studies as a basis for discussion the suggestion of the Soviet Government that the total sum of the reparation in accordance with the points (a) and (b) of the paragraph 2 should be 20 billion dollars and that 50% of it should go to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The British delegation was of the opinion that pending consideration of the reparation question by the Moscow Reparation Commission no figures of reparation should be mentioned.

The above Soviet-American proposal has been passed to the Moscow Reparation Commission as one of the proposals to be considered by the Commission.

VI. Major war criminals

The Conference agreed that the question of the major war criminals should be the subject of enquiry by the three Foreign Secretaries for report in due course after the close of the Conference.

VII. Poland

The following Declaration on Poland was agreed by the Conference:

A new situation has been created in Poland as a result of her complete liberation by the Red Army. This calls for the establishment of a Polish Provisional Government which can be more broadly based than was possible before the recent liberation of the Western part of Poland. The Provisional Government which is now functioning in Poland should therefore be reorganised on a broader democratic basis with the inclusion of democratic leaders from Poland itself and from Poles abroad. This new Government should then be called the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity.

M. Molotov, Mr. Harriman and Sir A. Clark Kerr are authorised as a commission to consult in the first instance in Moscow with members of the present Provisional Government and with other Polish democratic leaders from within Poland and from abroad, with a view to the reorganisation of the present Government along the above lines. This Polish Provisional Government of National Unity shall be pledged to the holding of free and unfettered elections as soon as possible on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot. In these elections all democratic and anti-Nazi parties shall have the right to take part and to put forward candidates.

When a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity has been properly formed in conformity with the above, the Government of the USSR, which now maintains diplomatic relations with the present Provisional Government of Poland, and the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the USA will establish diplomatic relations with the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, and will exchange Ambassadors by whose reports the respective Governments will be kept informed about the situation in Poland.

The three Heads of Government consider that the Eastern frontier of Poland should follow the Curzon Line with digressions from it in some regions of five to eight kilometres in favour of Poland. They recognise that Poland must receive substantial accessions of territory in the North and West. They feel that the opinion of the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity should be sought in due course on the extent of these accessions and that the final delimitation of the Western frontier of Poland should thereafter await the Peace Conference.

VIII. Yugoslavia

It was agreed to recommend to Marshal Tito and to Dr. Subasic:

(a) that the Tito-Subasic Agreement should immediately be put into effect and a new Government formed on the basis of the Agreement.

(b) that as soon as the new Government has been formed it should declare:

(i) that the Anti-Fascist Assembly of National Liberation (AUNOJ) will be extended to include members of the last Yugoslav Skupstina who have not compromised themselves by collaboration with the enemy, thus forming a body to be known as a temporary Parliament and
(ii) that legislative acts passed by the Anti-Fascist Assembly of National Liberation (AUNOJ) will be subject to subsequent ratification by a Constituent Assembly; and that this statement should be published in the communique of the Conference.

IX. Italo-Yugoslav frontier, Italo-Austria frontier

Notes on these subjects were put in by the British delegation and the American and Soviet delegations agreed to consider them and give their views later.

X. Yugoslav-Bulgarian relations

There was an exchange of views between the Foreign Secretaries on the question of the desirability of a Yugoslav-Bulgarian pact of alliance. The question at issue was whether a state still under an armistice regime could be allowed to enter into a treaty with another state. Mr. Eden suggested that the Bulgarian and Yugoslav Governments should be informed that this could not be approved. Mr. Stettinius suggested that the British and American Ambassadors should discuss the matter further with M. Molotov in Moscow. M. Molotov agreed with the proposal of Mr. Stettinius.

XI. South-Eastern Europe

The British Delegation put in notes for the consideration of their colleagues on the following subjects:
(a) the Control Commission in Bulgaria
(b) Greek claims upon Bulgaria, more particularly with reference to reparations.
(c) Oil equipment in Roumania.

XII. Iran

Mr. Eden, Mr. Stettinius and M. Molotov exchanged views on the situation in Iran. It was agreed that this matter should be pursued through the diplomatic channel.

XIII. Meetings of the three Foreign Secretaries

The Conference agreed that permanent machinery should be set up for consultation between the three Foreign Secretaries; they should meet as often as necessary, probably about every three or four months.

These meetings will be held in rotation in the three capitals, the first meeting being held in London.

XIV. The Montreux Convention and the Straits

It was agreed that at the next meeting of the three Foreign Secretaries to be held in London, they should consider proposals which it was understood the Soviet Government would put forward in relation to the Montreux Convention and report to their Governments. The Turkish Government should be informed at the appropriate moment.

The foregoing Protocol was approved and signed by the three Foreign Secretaries at the Crimean Conference, February 11, 1945.

E R STETTINIUS JR
В МОЛОТОВ
ANTHONY EDEN