https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/04018a38ab5f58f59a3f57b55b328868.pdf 63ab4236dede97aa189422597e959c27 PDF Text Text ,---- Af(t5 to Information Act ,THIS ' coPYQiilitm~rot1~~lt t~ PU _,.,.,occes a l'informorion DEPARTMENTOF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS,. CANADA. DESPATCH TO:t~HE ( DUPLICATE) ·SECRET· SECRETARY. .OF STATEFOR .EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, OTTAWA,CANADA.· No:. I O i I•. I I I I I I 0 I I I I I I I I I I I I I • June· ·23, 19 53o THE_CANADIANAMBASSADOR, BONN,:..?ERMANY • FROM;................ • ......................... ....•..... ; .... :. Date:.... :-............................. . • . : ... •........ . ·.-:. . ·.-.-.:.. ·.·;', .. •.... •.• ... ,·,. .. :: .. : .-, ..... Noo 545 of.June My Despatch Reference: ......... :., ... ; ...... Future_of &Jt,ject: I I I I·. I - ,- I-.~~ I.·. I I I I I 1,1 I I I I I•,• I I I I I•·• I I.·:·. I• I I I I I I~-·.-··. I I I I I I I t I I• t ft I IC I I I ii' t It . - -. - P9st File No: ...... 0 I • • e. I I I 1· I 1 I t t t t t t I I I I I t It I - I I I •. Internal Circulation Distribution • to Posts _ .......,_ I I I I It• I I I I I I i, I I I t t t t t I It• t I• I I I t tt I I I I t t t I I I ; .• -~~• I I .. I t t t t &. t t t t I• I I. It I I I a I ' .. ' .. .:. :·..... -,.- ..... _,_, .. • , .. , ..... ,_..... ; .. :,·,.,.·-·, .. , .. Ottawa File No, I . In my ·de-spatch under refer~nce I .reported on events and impressions formed ·by me:rns a r·esult of rhy recent visit toBerlino As indicated-therein, I ani wri'ting-this separate despatch which·covers another bran.ch of the same p~oblem. : • - . Germany is ·atjd still r~mains~th~ bentral pr6blem in relation to world tensions between Russia and the rest of thE;J world.. Korea_, . Austria, the Middle East, all are· relativelyunimportant. in· relation to this grea_te_r problem. Is Getmany to • be reurii ted? Are her bor.ders ·to be. ;finally agreed· upon resultant from ·a peaqe treaty? Is the peace. • treaty to be a dictat·ed _one or a nego.tiated one? Are· there to be free ·-secret·· election-s for a unified Germany? Is· the :final Germany to be -free to make_ such defensive alli~nces as she may decide to _participate in? Is she· to· be entitled to· rearm ·.ror purely defensive purposes? These and others are ·the issues surrounding the whole question of the ·fqture of Germany and, as _I" hav~ said, until these are finall-y settled and agreed· to_ there can be ·no real peac.e ·in the wor'ld o . • • ~o 3o The all-important factor at_ t·he moment is what type of government is to ·emerge in West Germany: .as a result of the· forthcoming West German-federal el_ectionso Such a government to a great-degree will hold the key to the·solution of the Ge~man problem. The Government of the Chancellor has pursued and is pursuing a d'efini te: line_ or· policy.. That policy is _· the rearmament of Germany within the framework of. the EDC and the alignment o( West Germany with the West., The Chancellor seems to feel that until the.se two • things have-taken.place that no real ·progress .can be made in negotiations .. with Russia o - The other major . party in West Germany is the SPD and tl;lis party urges delay in d~cisions with respect to ·rearmament and, association with the·West until four-:-power talks.have taken place,. Germany·, ha_s-been reunified, a .freely elected government·_ therefor has be.en chosen and· a peace treaty agreed· upon.. • . 4o RU$Sia kno_ws, of course,; that there is no chance of a Communist government. in West_ Germany at ,the moinent and she is thus faced. with either a return Ext, 180C (Rev, 2/52) I •.. References London, --• Paris, NATO, Paris, . The. Hague Brussels·, Moscow I . ·,.'. ... '.; .. 19,5],o,, • Air or Surface Mail:.,., .. ;·......... I Germany - I . I . :- • knclosures:- .. .·: .... , ...... 22~ •• I 000906 �r Documen't disc/psed under the·Access to'/nformotion Act • • ,- d1vulgue --· ..: - -. -Document .· ~- ..... - -:·-en vertu . -de.../o--t:oi ---s~r.J'occes a /'information ' 2 = ;.of. the p~esent .Adenauer administration or. the emergence. of an SPD governmento /1-s.between these two, she clearly has. indicated that she prefers ani': SPD government as that party supports her . policy of four powe·r negotiationso 5.. .\ . ··l.. think that .. i..t therefc;,Fe foll9ws tha 'I;; Russia Will • do: evety~in~1.1:). ~:e,·tqW:e:r.~-to qd:iL ttte' S'PDanp, to p,ef ea-c the CDlT-FDP=DPetc o. coili tion.. : • i -6-o . • . It thus seems to me. that Russia now wants a.bove all '· else· either to have four-power discuss:i9ns going on and ~unning over the el~ction date or to make:_t·:b.e :question of the prior • holding thereof the -prime issue in the forthcoming election. • I . 7o ·-ner. int.ractable. and in.~:r;a;nsigent att~ t.ud~ hitherto displayed under Stalin seemed to mc1ke it clecl_r that.. the Chancellor·' s policy was the; only .. one. I thin.k that; the whole •change in the Russian line has taken place to affe·ct the .forthcoming election r~sul ts. . • • . \ 8 ... . Hitherto the si i;;uat'ion in West G'ermany- and;· iil East Germany.in the field of occupational control and. also of government .have materially differedo Here in the West·a German nation. has been created with .o.emocratic governmental instit'utions.· In the West military occupatioli con.tr_ol has been separated from civilian occupational contro:J,._o The ·Allied occupation f'orces . have~been under separate military commando Civilians h~ve. • • headed tn.e civilian .control commissions by way 6f'-civili.an High· Commissioners·. The fullest amount of jurisdiction in the field of government, consistent with the fact that no peace· -treaty has·beeh;_as yet, made with Germany·has been granted. In the East a so-called government. has .been set ,up.. The Russians have accredited an.Ambassador thereto _a.s·though a peace treaty- had been signed and Rus·sia and German.y were. • independent.nations o At the same· time the mili fa'rf. commander of the occupation forces,has also in fact been in-control of the governmento • • ..._, • 9., I think that Russia in order to affect 'ther forthcoming election decided· that at the appropriate time it was going to suggest a meeting of the four High Comnii1ssf.oner·s to discuss the.problem of Germa.I'.J.unity, free elections and a peace treatyo C • 10.,. In· order effectively so 4o· do ,it had first' ·to bring the situation in Eastern Germany into line with.that preV#iling in the West·.,· It had ·to have a High Commis.sioner ~- It had' to .• _have separate mili tar'y command ·and contrcil .: The, Ambassador had to be withdrawn and dispensed with., The East German Government had to be made to appear· something 1,ike the one •irf''the West o The fariatical Comriiunist element therein had to be .disposed of and more reasonable men had ,to replace them in oi-defr to . create the impression in the West that Russia was 'now in a • mood to ne·g·oti'ate a p.eace treaty o • , i . ·l . •/ ·l 1 • 11 o , Not only ha~ ~liese gh~nges }i~' g'e made in th·e military, governmental and pol1.t1.cal field but· some attempt had-to be made to get into reverse in the .economic field. 12., The controJ_ ·command as betwe~n the mil:i. tary and. ciyilian was brought. into line-with the We.st o ·The Anibassado~ disappearedo Steps were taken to alter the form of governmento The most drastic.change came-in !the.field of economic poltcJo For some _strange reason the sovietization of the I • 000907 �,- ----------------------,--_ """',...,...._ -. -....----::,-Do-cu_m __ en--,-t"""'di,.,..sc/,-os-ed.,,-. u-nd-,-er-t'"",e""'"A",..,.cffi=ess,-_ ...-a l,---nr-,,--,,-at-::-ion-A,---ct- a 1'1nformat,an • : .Oa~um;nt d1vuigue·;;,, uertw de /a~La/sv,!'a~ce, • -~ -·-· •• , --·; • • -- '~ : • - • - .: : _-- ~--: ; ~- - - 1 • .:,: •, '. , ' . ..• \•'· , ·,··.· .. • .' '\ ,,, • t " ' ' . . --":- 3. - ,..:«stern .Z.~ne·has ;e.~n mater"ially· stepp'e<;:i tip' :in .the'ia-~t few' .n;i0nths_o. Repr'essive,measure·s of._all·'type·s were ,followed_~ •.Tb.e·-'· • .. Evangelical ,Church was· o.ppressed ..><r_a:rms.,were >collE3cti vrz~d ~hcl- . so..;C!_~iled kulaks. l:iquida ted o •• -Taxes· were increased,o •• Properties '. • ,-·w~r,e. na.tionaiized o·_\_Little· pusinessmen a,.nd professional men were·..,· · d-;riven out:-of business.,· Ration ·card·s·.were wi.thdraw_n_o .Every_· .. · .• •de.vice known•-to::communi·s:m:7for the creation of a. Communist .. state was app1ie··a:.~•..'.!?:he··r~sults_ wer.e·__ d'i.sastrqus. as· _evidE3nced 'by the •.. wholesale fl_ight .of fa_rmers, •..e·tc·o The ,E;3conomic situatim:i. bec~me progre·s~(ively· worse_.'.•• ~hen,_' all_ e>f a:, sudc;i'en,- oye:rnight ,- .th,e. _·_·.' East German Government·.·and the Soviet Con.trol .a.uthori ties •• ·' ~nnounced -that they were wrong and<·that'; J;he·,.'whol_e:-economy h~_d : ·":_·to be ;re•stored largely ·as it. was: ~d.er _:'.privite eriterJ>~ise a,·. Eoth . _.-admi tteq. ·gutl t but •there ·was no a-ttempt •to apport:lon -such ·guilt : as .be~weeh self:corif~'ssed ·wl'.'ongdoers'o .: :.· •• ., •• 0 • , 1-, .. 13 ... ·-: 'No pne wiLl; ·I 'exp~c:t:/"·evei:ri'n~ o,ut -~~hat" caus··~d :·thi-s . v:ol te face.g- .Was·.1t. ':fo.r politica;F:- reasons ..o~. wa~ i,t· dictated· .•• . ,-_.by hard economic.- fa'cts such-: ~s ~brea tened,. fa.mine ,_arid':· w~olesale . E:iCdnomic collaP,S~, •. •,-,I--p:ersonall:v,, think that :both ·causes brought •. ··tlie change _but ·tha-t· _the p'ri,rp.(;3_ ;reason WJ:(s.poli :tica1."·'·In· ,p_ursuit_· : of '.its at~eriipt .t·o. ib;fluenq_e ·_.the' forthcoming elect·:fon;" I feel" i- • ., , .that :Rus·sJa: was going ..t'? ·try- \to ge:t .~n.tq ·the. good graces· ,of. thEf .. Germ·ap.s by adopting a more reasqnable a.tti,tude.. •rt _·_vias· .go'ing ,._. - . to prove .th,at· ft>clid -not ih_sist. on th,e· ·introduction<of. ·communi•s-t,':t • • .-economic policies::.:_:f:.ip.to Germanyo. _T};le.whole wa~· a;n,at-tempt:_ ·to> • · ::,... ·_sof,'tan -1:lPthe :yoters_..o{ Weist_Jlermq!J.Y-~ • :I think that· it ~as goip.g · •. tb. be made yery :evident· as things ,went --~long -that· aussia • ·· deal .w·i.th ah 'SPD governme·nt to ,the ·-sa,.i!isf.ac.tion- of· the '.German· ,: -~e~ple'o The ·_Rus·s~9:ns ..m_~deit ~evi4ep.t.'·_th~t 'p°ublic:.e1:1emy_:No.":1 .. ' was -Ad?nauer:· ._Thar 11;ave,~~en:. conce~~:'a~ing. c,n. !11.m~-:;The.Yh~ve-. done little .:i,.n,., ~riticism or·the-_GDUJ1s _a· .-· . 1the-way lately··of party, th~ ·othE3~rco~l;itio~ parti'?s or: anyone -else.- •Adena tier ·is: ..·. •the- agent .of the __ American 'imperiq'.11$.ts~ and·· he must b.e gotten ·:· r:Ld _of o Russia can _make:a satisfa'e:tory deal with: anf·West ,. • • G.erman governrnen t· •.provideg. it· is not headed·, by· the Chancellor o· : • • ... ' 0 •• -· ·_ .. '_": ' ·~ . .• -\ ' . ... ! . ' ' ' . ·14.. .. . This ~olidy<·se.emed tb· !~19i t'o hav~---~-9me.-chanhe· ·Of ',. •. success al though not much~- •·The evolutio_n of .-ev~Jits- a-l;orie .-_ could - tell. the ·.tale:o . • •• ·.:.. _.,-... , ·15.o •. Now.·overn·:tght it ·s~eins. to ,._·m~ _that -the·• props ~ave . , been. cut· right· fr:om· under Russia IS. feet ,They carr bl:ame the • West as ·much as they-\like ·ror recent events in- Berlin-. arid• • .. elsewhere: i1;1 tp.eir lz<;>p.e but the.- fa,ct remains that .at'· long. -1-asj~ ,.: ' 1 ·: ••the German- ·-i>e:ople·hay:~.clearly ind,icated •that they--·w_ant-•• : • /,_,~:· - ··:··:·-.· . .nothing to do e~th~r· '·With Russia or ··Communismo •• ' , : · •. . ••'', ; .. ,, · O, • I. • • ; f • r::.:~ • . -~· . . , - . 16-o. . •Brissia mJJ\\ry-: to r.ecove~ - thi_s· lost g'r.ound by easing •.• •. -••,. ·' ·tensio_,ns, wi thdrawihg •m:i.lita:i;-y :_forcefs.·_back,to_ mili_t.a'ry __-positions 1_· • by bringing·_ int·o th~ !'Government -moderates ;:\!!ho',at -least, can, .. __ • •preserit a· facade of ~r,µod:eratiori,. by ·restoring -Jarmers -:to ·their ,tands, me-rch,ants-,to: :their busine~ses;· allowing 'th~·-.churches to_ 1 • .operate, .easlng:, tax·~s, releas:i:ng •poli'tical prf~oner_s,r: etc_o· .· •. •• ··But ...the fa_c.t. remain~} tllat it. will- 'J)e ·-hard to -m¤lke ther:";:East .. ·,Germans· or·._ahy Germ1$s be~ieve .that fqrc.es-which ca:n··r·eve·rse : themselves -tq ~he :.cfe'gree that has· been done--.in the ·ras-t. two • weeks _cannot •j·ust. a~- rapidly revers,e back _again,-~ 9nce· their -:..ends ·have been. ·served o : · • -:'< · •.,.· . • · .. . ·. .. · · ,.· ,• ·~. ·• :• ._ , ,.: < ' L _, '\ 1: •• • 17 ...-. ·.,The•,next ~hort time.will tell ••the tale.but i'think that: the •even.ts·,of l'ast Tuesday ;and Widitesday·. have ..done more to· ensure·. the·· ret·urn -to power o:tt Aden;auer than ·any ·other - .: . ,r ·- factor o • • • • • • ·• • • • .... _ ;.. 000908 ) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDBC00353 Title A name given to the resource "Future of Germany," Bonn to SSEA, despatch no. 546 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 23-Jun-53 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "BERLIN. Political Situation. Relations between West and East Berlin," RG25-A-3-c, Volume 8506, File number: 10937-40, File part: 2.3, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource LAC ATIP A-2024-01457 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Berlin Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English