740.00119 European War 1939/1893: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:34 p.m.]
6370. Confidential reports received early last week which may have sufficient basis to merit attention and checking against those from other sources and against future developments, predicted German approach to Moscow with proposals for separate German–Russian peace.
Nazi Party leads in this movement sponsored by Himmler,64 Bormann,65 [Page 709] Goebbels,66 Görlitzer67 and Goering,68 last named at instance of Russophile generals. Military circles increasingly favor it.
Germans would be prepared to evacuate all occupied Russian territory, all Baltic States and Balkan districts and abandon Finland. Japan mentioned as intermediary.
Startling is statement that Hitler is being debated by Nazis themselves as possible sacrificial goat and that he is unaware of debates taking place on subject.
Leading Nazis are now convinced that unless cessation hostilities with Russia achieved they and their regime are lost. On other hand freed of Russian menace they would wipe out England, inflicting long promised vengeance and would smash Allies in Italy. Development their policies and plans from these premises simplicity itself it is interesting to compare foregoing with Stockholm quotations 8th from Social Demokraten and with reported simultaneous Ankara version (not published here) of alleged Nazi-Russian exploratory conversations. In these press reports surrender of Hitler idea is attributed to Russian origin rather than to Nazis themselves.
The alleged party deliberations, as reported to this Legation, were timed with headlong German retreat toward Dnieper when Germans retained confidence ability stand on Dnieper line evidently expecting Soviet halt offensive for at least 2 months. Thus Germans still maintained advantage of occupation Russian territory and Nazis felt able propose terms containing elements of generous compromise. If such considerations inspired Nazis in their alleged councils Russian surprise attack, week-end, and advance across strategic points on Dnieper must have filled them with consternation and indignation.
Without placing complete credence either in reports received here in confidence or in published stories at Stockholm and Ankara it would not be unreasonable to suspect that Nazi party leaders now contemplate their situation with some measure of desperation and may actually be thinking along lines indicated. There is even possibility that they had launched trial balloon.
- Heinrich Himmler, Commander in Chief of the Nazi Black Guards (Schutzstaffel), Chief of the German Police, Reich and Prussian Minister of the Interior.↩
- Martin Bormann, Reichsleiter (highest rank) of the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party.↩
- Josef Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda.↩
- Artur Görlitzer, Deputy District Leader (Gauleiter) of Berlin; Prussian State Councilor.↩
- Hermann Wilhelm Göring, Field Marshal, Reich Minister for Air, Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe, etc.↩