The TEHRAN YALTA & POTSDAM CONFERENCES
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The TEHRAN YALTA & POTSDAM CONFERENCES Documents PROGRESS PUBLISHERS MOSCOW TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN TETEPAH — 5IJ1TA — HOTCflAM CEOPHHK AOKVMEHTOB Ha amAuucKOM nsuKe First printing 1969 Printed in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics CONTENTS Introduction........................................................................................... 5 The Tehran Conference (November 28 to December 1, 1943) The First Sitting of the Conference of the Heads of Government 7 Conference of Military Representatives..................................... 16 The Second Sitting of the Conference of the Heads of Gov ernment ........................................................................................ 25 The Third Sitting of the Conference of the Heads of Gov ernment ................................................................................. : 38 The Fourth Sitting of the Conference of the Heads of Gov ernment ........................................................................................ 40 Communique on the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Allied Countries—the U.S.S.R., the United States and Great Britain—Held in Tehran.................................................... 51 The Crimea Conference (February 4-11, 1945) First Sitting.................................... 54 Second Sitting..................................................................................... 65 Third Sitting.................................................................................. 80 Fourth Sitting..................................................................................... 97 Fifth Sitting....................................................................................... 104 Sixth Sitting....................................................................................... 114 Seventh Sitting............................................................. 125 Eighth Sitting.................................................................................... 129 Communique on the Crimea Conference of the Heads of Gov ernment of the Soviet Union, the United States and Great Britain.............................................................................................133 Protocol of Proceedings of the Crimea Conference.......................140 1* 3 The Potsdam Conference (July 17-August 2, 1945) First Sitting................................................................................ 147 Second Sitting....................................................................................158 Third Sitting..................................................................................... 168 Fourth Sitting.................................................................................... 184 Fifth Sitting............................................. 198 Sixth Sitting.......................................................................................214 Seventh Sitting........................................ ■ • 229 Eighth Sitting.................................................................................. 240 Ninth Sitting................................................................................ 254 Tenth Sitting....................... .................................. 259 Eleventh Sitting................................. • ........................271 Twelfth Sitting................... .................................. 293 Thirteenth (Final) Sitting..................................................................307 Communique on the Tripartite Conference of Berlin .... 317 Protocol of Proceedings of the Berlin Conference.......................334 INTRODUCTION The Tehran (November 28th to December 1st 1943), Crimea (Yalta, February 4th to 11th 1945) and Potsdam Conferences of the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United States of America and Great Britain occupy a special place in the history of the Second World War. At these Confer ences the leaders of the three Great Powers debated and adopted concerted decisions on the basic military and polit ical questions connected with waging war against Hitler’s Germany and post-war arrangements. These Conferences and their concrete decisions were vital to the formation of an anti-nazi coalition, the co-ordination of military efforts and the mobilisation of all peoples, for the defeat of nazi Germany. The Second World War and the Tehran, Yalta and Pots dam Conferences vividly proved the possibility of co-opera tion between countries with different socio-economic systems in the struggle against a common aggressor and the possi bility of a mutually acceptable decision on topical ques tions. Here we do justice to the leaders of the Western coun tries which during the war entered into military and politi cal co-operation with the Soviet Union against the common enemy, nazi Germany. The decisions of the “big three” at these Conferences have topical significance today and are closely related to the prob lems being wrestled with in modern Europe. Among these decisions particularly important are the Potsdam Agreements aimed at smashing militarism and revanchism in Germany and obviating the threat of a new war for the peoples of Europe and the whole world. The socialist countries and all the peace-loving forces of Europe are pressing for the imple mentation of the Potsdam decisions, for only scrupulous 5 observance of them can obviate the danger hanging over Europe and the whole world as a result of the rebirth in West Germany, with the support and connivance of the United States of America and other Western powers, of the forces which had already plunged the world into the abyss of the most devastating war in the history of mankind. We present here the text of Soviet records made during the sittings of the three Conferences (no agreed records were made at the Conferences; each delegation made its own records independently). They bear out the Soviet Union’s loyalty to the ideas of peace, democracy and progress and its tireless campaign for a just settlement of post-war prob lems in the interests of peoples, for achieving European se curity, creating the conditions rendering impossible the rebirth of militarist forces in Germany and a repetition of aggression and for the development of international co operation and securing the right of every people to deter mine its destiny independently. The documents in the book were published in the journal International Affairs over the period 1961-1966. THE TEHRAN CONFERENCE (November 28 to December 1, 1943) The First Sitting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the U.S.S.R., the United States and Great Britain Tehran, November 28, 1943 Opened: 16.00; Closed: 19.30 Roosevelt-. As the youngest head of Government present here I should like to take the liberty of speaking first. I should like to assure the members of the new family—the members of the present, conference gathered around this table—that we are gathered here for one purpose, for the purpose of winning the war as soon as possible. I should also like to say a few words about the conduct of the conference. We do not intend to make public any thing that will be said here, but we shall address each other as friends, openly and candidly. I think that this conference will be a success, and that our three nations, which united in the course of the present war, will strengthen their ties and will create the prerequisites for the close co-operation of future generations. Our staffs can discuss military matters, and our delegations, although we do not have any fixed agenda, can discuss other problems as well, such, for exam ple, as problems of the post-war settlement. If, however, you do not wish to discuss such problems, they can be left aside. Before beginning our work I should like to know if Mr. Churchill wishes to say a few general words on the impor tance of this meeting, and what this meeting means to humanity. Churchill-. This is the greatest concentration of world forces that ever existed in the history of mankind. We hold 7 the solution o£ the problem of reducing the length of the war, the winning of victory, the future of mankind. I pray that we may be worthy of this remarkable opportunity grant ed to us by God, the opportunity of serving mankind. Roosevelt-. Would Marshal Stalin like to say anything? Stalin-. In greeting this conference of the representatives of the three Governments I should like to make a few re marks. I think we are being pampered by history. She has given us possession of very big forces and very great opportunities. I hope that we shall do everything at this conference to make due use, within the framework of our co-operation, of the power and authority that our peoples have vested in us. Let us now begin our work. Roosevelt-. May I start with a general review of the war and the requirements of the war at the present time. Of course, I shall speak of this from the standpoint of the U.S.A. We, like the British Empire and the Soviet Union, hope for an early victory. I should like to start with a re view of that part of the war which concerns the United States rather than the Soviet Union and Great Britain. I mean the war in the Pacific Ocean, where the United States bears the brunt of the war, receiving help from the Austra lian and New Zealand forces.... Taking up the more important question, which is of great er interest to the Soviet Union—the operation across the Channel—I should like to say that we have been drawing up our plans for the last year and a half, but because of the shortage