Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume IV

740.00119 Control (Germany)/5–645: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

Paris, May 6, 1945—8 p.m.
[Received May 6—7:25 p.m.]

2420. For the Acting Secretary from Murphy.

1. We understand that Stalin has replied favorably to the Prime Minister’s suggestion⁸⁰ regarding cooperation and coordination of the Allied and Red Armies as they develop contact throughout Germany and has issued instructions to Red Army commanders that as they contact Allied forces they should work out the definition of temporary tactical demarcation lines for the two forces.⁸¹ In addition, Soviet commanders have been instructed to suppress any offensive action by German forces within the provisional demarcation lines.

2. With respect to the general line dividing AEF and Red Army forces, General Eisenhower’s proposal⁸² that Allied forces should continue in the south beyond the Karlsbad–Pilsen–Budweis Line as far as the Moldau and upper Elbe, if such an advance seemed desirable has been countered in a communication from General Antonov⁸³ in which he points out that the Russians had agreed to an extension of the Allied forces across the lower Elbe as far as the Wismar-Schwerin Line but preferred the Karlsbad–Pilsen–Budweis Line to be maintained in Czechoslovakia.

3. General Eisenhower has informed the CCS⁸⁴ of Soviet agreement to his proposal regarding surrender of remaining German forces that AEF should take surrender of those divisions facing west and Bed Army of those facing east. [Murphy.]

Caffery

80. See Prime Minister Churchill’s message 18 of April 27 to President Truman, vol. iii, p. 245, footnote 79.
81. See Marshal Stalin’s message of May 2 to President Truman, vol. iii, p. 259.
82. See communication from General Eisenhower to the United States Military Mission, Moscow, May 4, 1945, Department of State Bulletin, May 22, 1949, p. 666.
83. General of the Army Alexey Innokentyevich Antonov, Chief of Staff of the Soviet Army. See the message from the United States Military Mission, Moscow, to SHAEF, May 5, 1945, Department of State Bulletin, May 22, 1949, p. 666.
84. Combined Chiefs of Staff, the U.S.-British agency for the high-level control of military operations. See Pogue, The Supreme Command, p. 37.