AVERELL HARRIMAN'S MISSION TO MOSCOW V. O. Pechatnov verell Harriman holds a special place in Affairs, V. M. Molotov, to communicate his the ranks of important American diplomats government's desire to appoint Averell Harriman of the twentieth century who represented the new ambassador to Moscow. The visitor Athe U.S. in Moscow, not only thanks to hisinquired whether the customary biographical personal qualities, but also because the years of his sketch would be necessary in this instance. ambassadorship coincide with what was perhaps “Harriman,” replied Molotov, “is well known to the most critical period in Soviet-American the Soviet government and he is also widely relations: the conception of a military and political known among the people of the USSR.”3 *Indeed, * * alliance that came into being in the monumental by this time Harriman had made his mark and was fight against a deadly enemy. Harriman, a welcome figure in Moscow. Roosevelt's trusted emissary, highly esteemed by The history of Harriman's special relations both the Kremlin and Whitehall, became an with the USSR date back to the 1920s and the eyewitness and active participant in political signing of the “Concession Agreement between decisions that were to affect the fate of millions of the Government of the USSR and W. A. Harriman people. Although Harriman's Moscow mission has & Co., Regarding Manganese Deposits in been thoroughly chronicled by the ambassador Chaituri,” the largest transaction of its kind himself,1 and has also been studied by several between the U.S. and Soviet Russia, totaling some Russian and American historians,2 the release of 4 million dollars. Harriman's concession, his new archival documents in Russia and the U.S. arrival in the USSR in 1926 and his negotiations occasions a new reading of many pages from this with Leon Trotsky and other Soviet leaders of the historic diplomatic mission. time are well-documented facts. Far less known is the exceptional political significance that the Soviet government attached to the transaction and A Promising Beginning its relations with the chief partner of this On September 27, 1943, M. Hamilton, the agreement. Thus, in the spring of 1926, when acting charge d'affaires for the U.S. in the USSR, difficulties began with the concession as a result of paid a visit to People's Commissar for Foreign rival mining operations of manganese ore in the Nikopol region, G. V. Chicherin, the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, addressed a 1 W. A. Harriman with E. Abel, Special Envoy to special letter to all members of the Politburo and Churchill and Stalin, 1941-1946 (New York, 1975). his colleagues in the Commissariat (NKID), in 2 A. Iu. Borisov, SSSR i SshA: soiuzniki v gody voiny, which he warns: 1941-1945 (Moscow, 1983); V. Batiuk and V. Evstaf'ev, Pervye zamorozki. Sovetsko-amerikanskie Harriman's concession has garnered a great otnosheniia v 1945-1950 gg. (Moscow, 1995); V. deal of attention in America and a break with Iungbliud, Era Ruzvel'ta: Diplomaty i diplomatiia (St. Petersburg, 1996); D. Dunn, Caught Between Roosevelt and Stalin. America's Ambassadors to Moscow 3 Arkhiv vneshnei politiki RF [Archive of Foreign (Lexington, 1998); D. Mayers, The Ambassadors and Policy of the Russian Federation], f. 06, p. 29, d. 332, l. America's Soviet Policy (New York, 1995). 9. Henceforth AVP RF. THE HARRIMAN REVIEW him will have exceedingly unfavorable obligation, even during the most difficult period of consequences for our further relations with the war (until July 1943), making regular America. In addition, we must take into payments on their debt in gold equivalent. As a consideration the importance of Harriman result, Harriman realized a profit, and received 5.8 himself, who ought to be met halfway, million dollars,7 which probably made a big considering the benefit that we can still impression on the financier who had acquired, as derive from him... He is the son of a famous the European papers wrote, a personal interest “in father, who might yet outstrip his father. He the fact that in the USSR everything took its is a young man with enormous energy, talent, normal course so that the solvency of the Soviet exceptional prospects and ambition. He government would not fall even lower.”8 understood the colossal significance of future But if the concession episode had left a bitter interrelations between the USSR and the U.S. taste on both sides, Harriman's next appearance on and has set himself the goal, so to speak, of the Soviet scene fully satisfied all parties involved. opening up the USSR for America, and I am referring to the well-known mission of building his historic career on the foundation Harriman and Beaverbrook to Moscow in of these interrelations. It would be the September-October 1941—the first meeting of height of absurdity to deprive ourselves of representatives of the three great powers, which this highly useful tool by antagonizing him; marked the beginning of large-scale aid to the this question should be approached not with Soviet Union on the part of the U.S. and England. near-sighted bureaucratic measures, but with Harriman took an active role in the mission's a broad view of the significance of the preparations and during the course of the pertinent facts.4 negotiations. Vying with the venerable Beaverbrook, he secured for himself the role of The signing in the following year, 1927, of representing the “chief supplier,” by combining compromise alterations to the agreement in order firmness in defending the U.S. position with an to avert a “breach” was regarded in the Politburo understanding of the questions from the Soviet as a very important factor in maintaining the side. Moreover, his self-possession and composure reputation of the USSR in U.S. business circles.5 allowed the Anglo-Saxons to withstand Stalin's When continuing the concession became psychological pressure—all of which made a great impossible for Harriman, the NKID did everything impression on the Soviet leadership and helped to possible to make it look like an amicable parting. secure the mission's success. Stalin thanked In February 1928, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Roosevelt for entrusting the negotiations to “such resolved “that the GKK [State Concessions an authoritative person as Mr. Harriman, whose Commission—V.P.] take into account the participation in the work of the Moscow extraordinary political importance, within the conference of the three powers was so bounds of reason, and meet Harriman halfway in productive.”9 And although these negotiations his claims on us so as to avert a break with him were difficult, and the aid promised by the Allies and to deprive him of the possibility of prosecuting afterwards proved to be far from the total amount, us.”6 It is not surprising that the final conditions this did not change the main political point that for the dissolution of the agreement proved to be was achieved in the eyes of Moscow—henceforth highly favorable for Harriman—the Soviet the USSR would really not be alone in its deadly government pledged to return in the course of 12 struggle. “Now we will win!” exclaimed the years (beginning in 1931) 3.45 million of the 4 emotional Maxim Litvinov who had returned from million capital that had been expended, paying 7 disgrace under pressure from the Allies; Molotov percent annually on the remaining debt and an expressed the same thought in words that for him additional loan of 1 million dollars from were unusually impassioned: “the pulling together Harriman—the first major American loan to Soviet on joint efforts that has taken place before our eyes Russia. The Soviets scrupulously fulfilled this 7 Account of Soviet Notes to August 1943, Library of Congress, W. A. Harriman Papers (henceforth WAHP), 4 AVP RF, f. 0129, op. 4, p. 112, d. 153, l. 35. Special Files, Georgia Manganese Company, Cont. 724. 5 See A. I. Mikoyan's memorandum, “Ob otnosheniiakh 8 “Obzor inostrannoi pechati informotdela GKK ot s Amerikoi [On relations with America],” dated July 27, 5.11.1928: AVP RF, f.0129, op. 4, p. 112, d. 153, l. 89. 1927: Arkhiv Prezidenta RF [Archive of the President of 9 Perepiska Predsedatelia Soveta Ministrov SSSR s the Russian Federation], f. 3, op. 66, d. 284, l. 50. prezidentami SShA i prem'er-ministrami Velikobritaniia Henceforth AP RF. vo vremia Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny 1941-1945 gg. 6 AVP RF, f. 0129, op. 4, p. 112, d. 153, l. 63. [henceforth Perepiska], vol. 1 (Moscow, 1957), p. 11. 2 THE HARRIMAN REVIEW to a large extent will determine our ultimate would later recall that he left with the impression success in our fight against Hitler.”10 that the best chances for achieving mutual On his part, Harriman also fully realized the understanding in the war and afterwards would be historical significance of what had taken place, through direct interaction with Stalin.13 No wonder although he invested it with a somewhat different Harriman was proud of the beginnings of his and more personal meaning. As Robert personal contact with the all-powerful dictator and Meiklejohn, Harriman's faithful secretary, wrote the role that he had played in establishing ties in his diary, the boss “came back about eleven between Stalin and Roosevelt, having suggested to o'clock from his meeting at the Kremlin looking them both the idea of corresponding with each like the cat that swallowed the mouse... he said other regularly.14 that he has accomplished the most important thing After this first trip to Moscow, Roosevelt and he has ever done.”11 It was not only that he, Hopkins first proposed to Harriman that he take Harriman, had facilitated an historic breakthrough the place of the unpopular U.S.