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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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Telegram of the plenipotentiary representative of the USSR in the kingdom of Afghanistan Mikhailov in the NKID of the USSR

August 14, 1940

Comrade Molotovʹs report *, published in full by Islah, made a great impression on the afghans. The major successes of Stalinʹs foreign policy strengthen the USSRʹs arrogance here. It should be noted, however, that the widespread Anti‐Soviet agitation of the mullahs in Afghanistan has its effect. It is reliably known that among the afghan semi‐proletariat there are the following conversations: ʺeverything is good in the USSR; one thing is bad ‐ why is religion oppressed.ʺ

The afghan government expected that comrade Molotov would at least mention the conclusion of a Soviet‐afghan trade agreement136. The afghans prepared for this by publishing a number of articles known to you. By the fact that comrade Molotovʹs report did not even mention Afghanistan, the afghan government, which is still oriented toward England, has learned a corresponding lesson. The afghan government consoles itself with the fact that comrade Molotov did not put Afghanistan on a par with Turkey and Iran. The British and Turks, with the support of the afghan government, have widely spread among afghans that the German white paper is false sewing. The facts about the mysterious planes reported in the report of comrade Molotov once again exposed the Turks and Iranians.

According to reliable information of the lawyer, Zahir Shah sent a personal letter with his ambassador to raze shah in June this year, in which he stressed that Afghanistan cannot imagine its existence without the closest ties with Iran.

Mikhailov

Avp rf, f. 059, on. 1, p. 322, d. 2216, l. 15‐16.