The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States has published a large array of declassified archival documents: 275 summaries of American intelligence reports, which each day fell on the table of President Harry Truman in 1946. The Cold War has not yet begun, but the interests of the victors of Nazi Germany diverge more and more: Washington divides Europe with Moscow and intensively spies on yesterday's ally, suspecting him of claims to world domination.
Rumors, gossip, "keyhole"
On July 3, 1946, intelligence reported to President Truman about the resignation of the commander-in-chief of the ground forces, Marshal Georgy Zhukov.
“It is possible that rumors that Marshal Zhukov was recently relieved of his post as commander-in-chief of the USSR ground forces and appointed to command the Odessa military district are confirmed. According to available information, Zhukov told Stalin that he could not remain in the post of head of the ground forces, since the leader did not agree with him on fundamental issues,”the document says, citing the American military attaché in Moscow.
A message in a summary of intelligence reports for US President Harry Truman on July 3, 1946, which refers to the resignation of Marshal Georgy Zhukov from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.
The dismissal of the illustrious military leader, who held several important government posts, was a significant event. However, the information was almost a month late - Zhukov was removed from office on June 9. Marshal was accused of misappropriation of many trophies and inflating personal merit in defeating the Nazis. Rumors that the commander fell victim to his own obstinacy and dared to object to Stalin did circulate for a long time.
It is noteworthy that in its report to the president, the Central Intelligence Service (CIG, the predecessor of the CIA) relied on rumors.
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And sometimes - just on speculation, free interpretation of data from open sources.
“Ambassador Smith in Moscow reports that photographs in the Soviet press published in connection with the death of former President Kalinin once again underscore the importance of Georgy Malenkov, Lavrenty Beria and a small group in the Politburo in the Soviet hierarchy (we are talking about Vyacheslav Molotov, Andrei Zhdanov, Anastas Mikoyan, Nikolay Bulganin and, of course, Joseph Stalin. - Ed.). Smith believes that Stalin considers the current period "one of the crisis for the regime," requiring vigorous internal control and guarantees of protection from foreign subversive influences, "the report of June 27 reports.
American intelligence, which at that time did not have reliable informants in party and state bodies, had to analyze photographs in Soviet newspapers. The quality of such "analytics" left much to be desired, but all this fell into the hands of the President - Harry Truman. And on this basis the American policy towards the USSR was built.
The Soviets Strive for World Domination
No more reliable are the assumptions of the intelligence officers that, having won the war, the USSR is striving to become world leaders. Often, reports do not contain any references to primary sources at all and are based only on someone's opinion. Like, for example, the message from London, also included in the President's brief for April 18th.
“According to the (US - Ed.) Embassy in London, the British Foreign Office no longer believes that the Soviets are primarily interested in ensuring their own security and then focus on internal development. British diplomats believe that the Soviets "are motivated by the idea of world domination, which must be achieved indirectly through the propaganda of the communist doctrine and directly through pressure on other countries," the document notes.
Messages from various countries are in the same spirit. For example, in the report dated May 8, it is stated that the French communists, with the support of the USSR, are preparing a coup in the country, and even a specific date is named: May 12. From Turkey April 23: "The Soviet Union intends to take control of the Mediterranean straits." From Hungary May 10: "The Soviets intend to seize the entire Danube." On the same day from Syria and Lebanon: "Soviet influence is gaining strength every day."
Five days later, the president is informed: The Soviets are establishing full control over the Romanian economy. And from distant Argentina they warn that "a future conflict between the Western powers and the Soviet Union is almost inevitable." There are complaints from Brazil about the sharp intensification of "communist agitation" to the president.
The "red infection" is spreading even to the most remote corners of the planet. So, the report of March 29 states that the USSR was targeting the Micronesian Islands in Oceania.
“This article emphasizes (a) the strategic importance of Micronesia in maintaining a stable peace and (b) the danger these islands have presented in the hands of aggressive powers such as Germany and Japan. The naval attaché notes that … this points to a propaganda plan against the US as an aggressive imperialist power,”the report says.
Russian spies are everywhere
Spy mania is developing. The commander of the US occupation forces in Austria, General Mark Clark, reports on March 14 that "the Soviet command will use any pretext to extend the stay of its repatriation mission in the US zone." According to the general, "intelligence work in the US zone is a small part of its activities."
Another general, the commander of the US forces in Europe and the commander-in-chief of the US occupation forces in Germany, Joseph McNerney, draws attention to the "serious intensification of Soviet espionage in the Berlin area." According to him, "Soviet intelligence methods include threats and bribes to German civilians employed by the US Army."
The report of March 27 contains a report from Baghdad, in which it was suspected that among the pilgrims performing the Hajj, many spies from the USSR arrived in the country with the task of "Soviet agitation among the Shiites."
The military attaché assesses this information as probably true,”informs the report of June 20.
Hard times
The worst war in history ended quite recently, the economies of many countries are destroyed, and Europe is threatened with famine.
At some point, the Pentagon proposes, in the interests of the American budget, to stop grain deliveries to Germany - intelligence warns the White House that this may cause unrest in the occupied territories.
“In response to the proposal of the military department to stop all wheat supplies to Germany, General Clay (Lucius Clay - the head of the administration of the American zone of occupation in Germany. - Ed.) Says that to maintain a diet of 1,380 calories will require up to 46 thousand tons of wheat in month to September, before harvest. This will make up half of the diet - the minimum necessary to prevent hunger and unrest,”- said in a summary dated March 21.
At the same time, the scouts report on how the USSR is providing assistance to the population of the countries of the Soviet zone of occupation. And they associate this with Moscow's intentions to increase its influence on the policies of these states.
“The US delegation in Budapest reports that Moscow authorized Marshal Tolbukhin to provide the Romanian government and Romanian peasants with mechanized equipment, horses, and troops from Soviet troops in Romania to help“in the agricultural campaign”. The delegation notes that such a step will allow the Soviets and the government of Groza (Petro Groza, Prime Minister of the Hungarian coalition government. - Ed.) To put pressure on the conservative peasantry for the upcoming elections, intelligence reports to the President on March 18.
“US Ambassador to Prague Steinhardt has learned from a reliable source that the Soviets have promised the Czechoslovak government up to 30,000 tons of wheat by May 15th. Steinhardt points out that the Soviet pledge is clearly intended to strengthen the Communist Party in the May 26 elections and the arrival of Soviet wheat will be widely reported by the Communist-controlled Czech Ministry of Information,”the May 1 newsletter notes.
"The American military attaché in London has learned from a reliable source that a three-month drought in Ukraine will lead to the loss of half of the planned grain harvest," Truman was informed on May 31.
And one of the reports even suggests that the USSR is in no hurry to reduce its troops in Europe, because "there is nothing to feed them at home."
Peaceful atom
By the summer of 1946, the United States is the only state in the world with a nuclear weapon. In August 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And Washington is doing its best to maintain the status of a nuclear power.
US President Harry Truman. January 1, 1945.
“The State Department has extended an invitation to all members of the UN Atomic Energy Commission (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, the USSR, and the United Kingdom) to send one press and two government officials to witness the test an atomic bomb on Bikini Atoll in July and August,”intelligence reports on May 6.
The same report mentions the allocation of warships for these tests.
The USSR is speeding up its atomic project. American intelligence guesses this, but does not have detailed information.
"The military attaché in Paris heard the recent Soviet directive that the Soviets would master the technology and partly the ability to use the atomic bomb by mid-1947," the president was reported on May 29.
The first Soviet charge for an atomic bomb was tested at the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan on August 29, 1949.
War of words
President Truman is advised in every possible way to launch a powerful propaganda campaign against the Soviet Union.
“Ambassador to the USSR Smith reports that he is worried about the recommendation of the Senate Appropriations Committee to suspend publication of the magazine America on the basis of its limited distribution in the USSR. According to Smith, the termination of the release of "America" is highly undesirable, "- said in the summary dated April 15.
A week later, also referring to Ambassador Walter Smith, one of the intelligence reports cited the opinion that it is necessary to organize radio broadcasting from the United States in Russian, and this task can only be entrusted to a state company.
A year later, in 1947, a broadcasting department in Russian will be created at the Voice of America radio station.
… About a thousand typewritten pages tell about the secrets of seventy-two years ago. Many items are labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret".
Vladimir Ardaev