n Thieme, Ulrike (2010) Armed Peace: the Foreign Office and the Soviet Union, 1945-1953. PhD thesis http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1735/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Armed Peace: The British Foreign Office and the Soviet Union, 1945 to 1953 Ulrike Thieme BA (Hons.), M. Litt. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History Faculty of Arts University of Glasgow November 2009 © Ulrike Thieme, November 2009 Abstract This thesis examines the role of the Northern Department of the British Foreign Office and its perception of, and attitude towards, the Soviet Union between 1945 and 1953. In these formative years after World War II many assumptions and policies were shaped that proved decisive for years to come. The Northern Department of the Foreign Office was at the centre of British dealings with the Soviet Union after 1945 in an atmosphere of cooling diplomatic relations between both camps. Keeping channels of communications open in order to exploit every opportunity for negotiation and the settlement of post-war issues, officials built up an extensive expertise of Soviet domestic and foreign policy. Their focus on all aspects of Soviet life accessible to them, for example, Soviet domestic and international propaganda, revealed in their view a significant emerging future threat to British interests in Europe and worldwide. This view provided the basis of the analysis of new information and the assessment of the best possible policy options for the British government. The Northern Department tried to exploit those traits of Soviet policy that could persuade the USA and Western Europe to follow British foreign policy initiatives vis-à-vis the Soviet Union in the early Cold War while attempting to balance those weaknesses that could harm this effort. The focus of the Department often varied as a result of Soviet action. Some issues, like the Cominform were of momentary importance while other issues, like the Communist threat and the issue of Western European defence remained on the agenda for many years. A realistic approach to foreign policy allowed officials to exploit and counter-act those Soviet foreign policies seen as most threatening to Britain and those most likely to aid Britain’s recovery of her much desired world role. While the initial optimism after 1945 soon faded and consolidation on both sides was followed by confrontation, officials in London and the embassy in Moscow tried to maintain diplomatic relations to aid Western recovery efforts and support the new foreign policy doctrine of containment. When by the early 1950s entrenchment was speeding up in East and West, the Northern Department nevertheless utilised the available information to support British foreign policy worldwide as well as strengthen the domestic effort to explain the increasing international tension to the British people. Realism on the part of officials, and awareness of the information and options available to them meant that a Britain closely allied to the USA but one that continued to talk to the Kremlin was seen as the best way to achieve a continued world role for Britain and a safe Europe. 2 Contents Page Acknowledgements 5 Declaration 6 List of Abbreviations 7 Part 1. Introduction 9 Part 2. Cooperation and Opportunism, 1945 to 1947 44 Chapter One: Institutions and personnel: The FO, the ND, and 46 the Moscow Embassy, 1945 to 1947 Chapter Two: The ND view of the Soviet Union and Soviet 61 foreign policy, 1945-1947 Chapter Three: ND input into FO policy, 1945-1947 68 3.1 Taking stock 68 3.2 Discussing options and policies 75 Part 3. Consolidation and Confrontation, 1948 to 1950 94 Chapter Four: Institutions and personnel: The FO, the ND, and 96 the Moscow Embassy, 1948-1950 Chapter Five: The Soviet Union and Soviet foreign policy, 100 1948-1950 Chapter Six : The ND view of the threat from Communist 107 Ideology 6.1. Communist ideology 108 6.2. The Cominform 116 6.3. The Peace Campaign 120 Chapter Seven: The ND and Soviet policy in Eastern Europe 129 7.1. The Soviet orbit 129 7.2. Germany, Berlin and the Soviet Occupied 135 Zone 7.3. Yugoslavia 144 Chapter Eight: ND input into FO policy, 1948-1950 151 8.1. Evaluating Britain’s position in international 152 Politics 8.2. The risk of war 158 8.3. Rollback 166 3 Part 4. Entrenchment, 1951 to 1953 175 Chapter Nine: Institutions and personnel: The FO, the ND, and 177 the Moscow Embassy, 1951-1953 Chapter Ten: The ND view of the Soviet Union, Soviet foreign 181 policy, and the likely succession to Stalin, 1951-1953 Chapter Eleven: The ND and ‘Cold Warfare’ 189 Chapter Twelve : The ND on Germany and Western European 197 Defence Chapter Thirteen: ND input into FO policy, 1951-1953 206 13.1. Assessing Britain’s interests and policies 206 13.2. Discussing options 218 13.3. Implementing British foreign policy 225 Part 5. Conclusion 236 Biographical information on Foreign Office staff 243 Bibliography 251 4 Acknowledgements This thesis could not have been written without the help and encouragement of many people. Most importantly, my parents Dr. Hartwig and Mrs Gudrun Thieme, brother Oliver, and godmother Dr. Jutta Mohr, were unquestioning in their faith that I would successfully finish this work. They were always unwavering in their support of me to find out ‘was die Welt im Innersten zusammenhält ’. This thesis is dedicated to them in the hope that one day I will be able to repay my debt to them. An especially big thank you goes to Benjamin for helping me through the times when I thought that I would never finish. His encouragement and laughs were just what I needed. A final word goes to Prof. Robert McKean and Prof. George Peden who encouraged me in the first place. My main debt at the University of Glasgow is to my supervisor Professor Evan Mawdsley. Patient, all-knowing and always interested he saw the bigger picture when I nearly got lost in the details. I am very grateful for all the help and support extended to me over the past few years. Staff at the National Archive in London Kew were very helpful and quietly efficient in providing me with hundreds of files for my work. 5 Declaration This thesis comprises my own work, unless otherwise acknowledged, and has not previously been submitted for examination in any other form. Signed…………………………………………………………. 6 List of Abbreviations The following abbreviations are used in the references and the bibliography: Primary sources: DBPO Documents on British Policy Overseas TNA The National Archives Additional Abbreviations: ACC Allied Control Council in Germany AUS Assistant Under-Secretary CCGC Control Council for Germany College CFM Conferences of Foreign Ministers CMEA Council for Mutual Economic Assistance COS Chiefs of Staff DUS Deputy Under-Secretary EAC European Advisory Commission EDC European Defence Community ERP European Recovery Programme FO Foreign Office FORD Foreign Office Research Department FRG Federal Republic of Germany GDR German Democratic Republic IDC Imperial Defence College IRD Information Research Department JIB Joint Intelligence Bureau JIC Joint Intelligence Committee KPD Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, German Communist Party MOD Ministry of Defence ND Northern Department OMG Office of the Military Governor in Berlin PHPS Post Hostilities Planning Staff PRC People’s Republic of China PUS Permanent Under-Secretary PUSC Permanent Under-Secretary’s Committee PUSD Permanent Under-Secretary’s Department PWE Political Warfare Executive RC Russia Committee RST Review of Soviet Tactics SBZ Soviet Occupied Zone of Germany SCC Staff College Camberley SED Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands , the East German Communist Party SISFP Summary of Indications of Soviet Foreign Policy SMAD Soviet Military Administration in Germany SOE Special Operations Executive SPD Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands , German Social Democratic Party SWWPI Soviet Worldwide Policy and Intentions TCP Trends in Communist Policy UNO United Nations Organisation 7 Journal Titles: AAAG Annals of the Association of American Geographers AJPS American Journal of Political Science CBH Contemporary British History CWH Cold War History DS Diplomacy and Statecraft EAS Europe-Asia Studies EEH Explorations in Economic History EEQ East European Quarterly HJ Historical Journal HT History Today INS Intelligence and National Security IA International Affairs IS International Security ISQ International Studies Quarterly JCH Journal of Contemporary History JIA Journal of International Affairs JIS Journal of International Studies JMGS Journal of Modern Greek Studies JMH Journal of Military History JMH The Journal of Modern History MES Middle Eastern Studies PAPS Proceedings of the Academy of Political Science PHR Pacific Historical Review PS Political Psychology RIS Review of International Studies RP Review of Politics RR Russian Review SL Slavic Review SS Soviet Studies TCBH Twentieth Century British History 8 Part One. Introduction 9 The Foreign Office in the historiography Detailed study of the Northern Department of the British Foreign Office in the crucial years after World War II offers a fascinating insight into the work of a Foreign Office department that was little known yet highly influential. This was a time when Britain as well as the USA and the Soviet Union tried to understand, and exploit, their place in the new post-war world order.