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  Selected Secret Documents from Soviet Foreign Policy Documents Archives - 1919 to 1941

Concentrated on 1st and  2nd WW Correspondence and Meetings related to Turkey, Balkans and Iran, with some additions from Afghanistan and India.

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From: talk of the peopleʹs commissioner for foreign affairs of USSRV. M. Molotov with the German nose in the USSR by F. Schulenburg

November 25, 1940

Top. Secret special stick

.............

In accordance with the above, the draft protocol to the treaty of four powers, presented by Mr. Ribbentrop, on the delimitation of spheres of influence in the spirit of determining the center of gravity of the USSR aspiration south of Batum and Baku in the general direction to the Persian gulf, should be changed.

In the same way, the draft protocol outlined by Mr. Ribbentrop should be changed ‐ the agreement between Germany, Italy and the USSR on Turkey in the spirit of ensuring the military and naval base of the USSR near the Bosporus and the Dardanelles on the basis of a long‐term lease with a guarantee of 3 powers of independence and the territory of Turkey in case Turkey agrees to join the four powers.

This protocol should provide that in the event of Turkeyʹs refusal to join the four powers, Germany, Italy and the USSR agree to develop and implement the necessary military and diplomatic measures, about which a special agreement should be concluded.

Equally, the following must be adopted: the third secret protocol between the USSR and Germany on Finland; the fourth secret protocol between the USSR and japan on Japan’s renunciation of coal and oil concessions in northern Sakhalin; the fifth secret protocol between the USSR, Germany and Italy, recognizing that Bulgaria, due to its geographical position, is in the security sphere of the black sea borders of the USSR, in connection with which it is considered politically necessary to conclude a pact of mutual assistance between the USSR and Bulgaria, which in no way should not affect either the internal regime of Bulgaria, or its sovereignty and independence.

Archive of the president of the Russian federation, f. 3, on. 64, d.675, l. 108‐116.

 

 Telegram of the secretary general of the NKID USSR Sobolov to peopleʹs commissioner for foreign affairs of the USSRV. M. Molotov

November 25, 1940

Out of line especially important

Today at 11:30 am I, together with Lavrishchev, were received by the chairman of the council of ministers Filov, to whom I orally stated the content of my statement to the tsar (the meeting with the tsar was scheduled for 5:30). Filov listened with great attention and outwardly calmly. He asked to repeat only the last point ‐ on Bulgariaʹs joining the pact of three. When I asked if everything was clear to him, Filov confirmed that everything was clear, except for the point where it was said that the USSR was renewing its proposal for a mutual assistance pact with Bulgaria. Filov does not remember that the USSR made such a proposal to Bulgaria in September 1939. I reminded him of your conversation with Antonov in September and of Kyoseivanov’s reply in November 1939 to Lavrentiev *. Filov said that the Soviet governmentʹs proposal is very important and will take some time to study. He further noted in passing the complexity of the situation in Bulgaria and said that they knew about the hostile ʺmoodsʺ in Turkey. When I replied that it was not only about him, Filov agreed that there were indeed military preparations by Turkey against Bulgaria. Neither Germany nor Italy were ever mentioned in the conversation.

Filov said that instructions were sent to Stamenov on Saturday to respond to the USSRʹs proposal on guarantees for Bulgaria. The Bulgarian government thanks the Soviet government for the friendly feelings shown towards Bulgaria but does not see the need to accept the USSR guarantee at this time, since no one threatens Bulgaria.

Filov agrees that the Soviet proposal, set out in my statement, raises the whole question in a new way and requires special study.

Sobolev, avp rf, f. 059, on. 1, p. 331, d. 2272, l. 167‐168.