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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 the diary of the plenipotentiary representative of the USSR in the Turkish republic ca. Vinogradova

Sent to comrade Molotov, comrade Vyshinsky, general secretariat

March 25, 1941 secret

Coming to me, Papen announced that he had come to congratulate me on ʺa wonderful act published today.ʺ he further stated: “I think that the Soviet‐Turkish declaration is a very good thing. Such an act is always a valuable contribution to the relations between the two countries. I greet her all the more because our policy has always boiled down to limiting the front of the war. ʺ

I thanked for the congratulations.

Phalen then asked me: ʺand who raised the question mentioned in this declaration, not you, Mr. Ambassador?ʺ

I replied that all negotiations on this declaration took place in Moscow. As can be seen from the text of the declaration, the Soviet government responded to an inquiry addressed to it in connection with the rumors circulating about this.

Papen said: ʺthe Turks claim that it was not they who raised this question.ʺ

I noticed that the Turks, apparently, in any case, should be well aware of who he came from.

Papen then said: “I hope that by making such a declaration the Soviet government did not think that Germany was going to attack Turkey? You are well aware of my policy towards Turkey and the assurances that we gave the Turks that Germany has no aggressive intentions against their country. ʺ

I replied that I had really heard such statements from the ambassador. I then asked what, in his opinion, the impression made by the published communiqué on foreign diplomats, and in particular on the British? Papen said: “the British, of course, outwardly in their press will declare that they are very pleased with this act, which, in their opinion, shows a rapprochement between the Soviet Union and Turkey. But it is unlikely that they can actually be happy, since this declaration essentially turned against them. ʺ

Then Papen said: “you probably know that the tripartite pact will be signed by Yugoslavia today in Vienna. In this connection I would like to note that all rumors circulating in the foreign press about the passage of German troops through Yugoslavia, etc. Completely untrue. We have never made demands on Yugoslavia that would contradict its position. The last step of the Yugoslav government is on our part only a logical consequence of our policy. I very much regret that a misunderstanding has arisen in relations between our countries ‐ I cannot call it otherwise ‐ on the issue of the entry of our troops into Bulgaria. We have repeatedly stated that we have no interests here. Our task is to defeat the British, and our actions against Bulgaria are a consequence of our fulfillment of these tasks. When we began the struggle with the British and French and you took part in it, the goal of this struggle was clear to both of us ‐ it was a victory over the British. During this struggle you earned no less than we did: half of Poland, the Baltic states, Bessarabia. Now we want to beat the British wherever they are: both in the Balkans and in England itself. Therefore, the introduction of our troops into Bulgaria was inevitable. I believe that your disapproval of this step is based only on a misunderstanding. I am sure that we will win the war only by walking hand in hand with you.

ʺ

I noticed that the Soviet Union, for its part, did nothing that could spoil the relations established between our countries.

Papen again began to assure that the German action in the Balkans was also in no way directed against the interests of the Soviet Union and that, on the contrary, they would be backed by Germany.

I noticed that, nevertheless, it should be admitted that, introducing its troops into Bulgaria, Germany chose a path that affects the interests of our security.

Papen repeated again: “the interests of the Soviet Union in the Balkans are well known. Germany has no interests in the Balkans. She has only one goal here: to defeat the British. I had to say about the same to the Turks, to whom I pointed out that, having completed this main task, Germany would evacuate its troops from the Balkans. I am sure about thatʺ.

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

Comrade Zhegalova was present during the conversation.

Plenipotentiary of the USSR in Turkey Vinogradov avp rf, f. 0132, on. 24a, p. 236, d. 7, l. 223‐226.