Office of the Historian

868.00/7–2245

No. 1076
Memorandum by Prime Minister Churchill1
[Extract2]
secret P. (Terminal) 25

Greece

Memorandum by Mr. Churchill

In view of the reference to Greece in the Soviet Memorandum,3 I circulate the following two papers to the Conference. The first* is the report of Field Marshal Alexander.…

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

W[inston] S. C[hurchill]
Potsdam , 22nd July, 1945.
[Annex I]
Report by Field Marshal Alexander

With reference to the Soviet Memorandum on Greece, the following points are submitted for the Prime Minister:—

1.
The general feeling of the great mass of the Greek people is one of relief from terror, due to the presence of British troops.
2.
We have in Greece a Headquarters under General Scobie, and two British Empire Divisions, i. e., the 4th British and 4th Indian, spread about throughout the country for the purpose of keeping law and order, and, as is well-known, British troops do their duty.
3.
UNRRA is now functioning in Greece, which they were unable to do during the ELAS–EAM terror.
4.
As regards the alleged Greek threat to Albania and Bulgaria, I must point out that the Greeks have so far only one Division, and this Division does not finish its training until October: while the 2nd and 3rd Divisions are only in cadre form and have not yet been formed. They will be ready in March, 1946. The National Guard are in process of being disbanded, and are gradually being replaced by a gendarmerie. Against this, the Yugoslavs have 52 Divisions, of which some 8 are in the area of Skoplje and the Greek frontier. The Bulgarians have an Army of some 18 Divisions, and the Albanians have 7 Divisions, of which 2 appear to be in Yugoslav Macedonia in close proximity to the Greek frontier. With regard to the relative forces facing each other, any suggestion of a Greek threat is unfounded.
5.
The situation however is aggravated by a strong propaganda campaign by Press and radio emanating from Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria.

H. R. Alexander
,
F. M.
[ Babelsberg ,] 21st July, 1945.
  1. Printed from the mimeographed text circulated at the Sixth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 23. See ante, p. 287.↩
  2. For the full text of this memorandum, see document No. 1066.↩
  3. See document No. 1073.↩
  4. Annex i. [Footnote in the original.]↩