863.01/9–844
The Secretary of State to
the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
No. 4535
Washington, September 14,
1944.
The Secretary of State encloses herewith a copy of a memorandum received
from the Combined Chiefs of Staff together with its enclosure entitled
“Directive from the Combined Chiefs of Staff to Supreme Allied
Commander, Mediterranean.” The directive concerns the planning for
military government in Austria and, in compliance with the request of
the Combined Chiefs of Staff, the Ambassador is instructed to present it
to the European Advisory Commission for information.
[Enclosure]
Memorandum by the Combined Chiefs of
Staff80
Washington, 8 September,
1944.
In the absence of agreed instructions from the European Advisory
Commission, the Combined Chiefs of Staff have forwarded the enclosed
directive to the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean, for
purposes of planning for military government in Austria. The Supreme
Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force,81 has been furnished a copy of
this directive.
The Combined Chiefs of Staff request that a copy of this directive be
transmitted to the European Advisory Commission for information.
For the Combined Chiefs of Staff:
A. T. Cornwall-Jones,
Brigadier
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A. J. McFarland
Brigadier General, U.S.A.
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Combined Secretariat
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[Subenclosure]
Directive From the Combined
Chiefs of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander,
Mediterranean Theater (Wilson)
- 1.
- The Governments of the U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. have at
present under consideration proposals for the military
government of Austria in the post-surrender period. It is
possible that Rankin “C”82
conditions may obtain in Austria before you have received a
directive
[Page 461]
containing
policies agreed upon by the three governments. In view of this
contingency, you are now directed to prepare a plan for the
military government of Austria.
- 2.
- As a basis for planning until further material is made
available by tripartite planners in London, you should work on
the pre-surrender directive for Germany and Austria83 issued to
SCAEF84 in C.C.S. 551 and C.C.S.
551/2, of which papers copies are being forwarded to you
separately. The financial guide in C.C.S. 551/2 does not apply
to Austria. A financial guide on Austria will be transmitted to
you separately.
- 3.
- You will also assume as a basis for planning that:
-
a.
- In the period immediately following the cessation of
hostilities, you will have the supreme authority in
those parts of Austria occupied by forces under your
command. You will exercise control of the administration
through your civil affairs organization.
-
b.
- In the subsequent period of tripartite central
military government, supreme authority will be
transferred to a tripartite Allied Commission in Vienna.
Initially, this Allied Commission will be military and
will consist of the three Allied Commanders. As soon as
any department of an acceptable central Austrian
Administration has been sufficiently established, that
department should take over its particular function in
Austria and the Allied Commission would then work
through it.
-
c.
- Ultimately, when an Austrian Government acceptable to
the three powers is established, it may progressively
take over functions performed by the Allied Commission
which will retain only indirect control.
-
d.
- The tripartite planning organization which it is hoped
to be set up in London will be responsible for the
planning of control by military government at the
national level. The American and British groups of this
organization are being assembled. Pending Russian
concurrence to the setting up of this tripartite
organization and provision of the Russian group, the
American and British groups will proceed with this work
and will prepare combined plans for the approval of the
Combined Chiefs of Staff. This paragraph is subject to
any subsequent instructions that may be issued by the
Combined Chiefs of Staff.
-
e.
- The frontiers of Austria should be taken as those of
31 December 1937.
-
f.
- A clear administrative separation of Austria from
Germany should be effected as soon as possible.
-
g.
- In the period immediately following the cessation of
hostilities and subject to the absolute power over the
whole of Austria vested
[Page 462]
in the three powers by the
unconditional surrender of Germany and pending the
arrival of Russian forces, supreme authority in Austria
will be vested in and will be exercised by you as the
Commander in Chief of the occupation forces.
-
h.
- In the subsequent period of tripartite central
military government the control of Austria at the center
will be on a tripartite basis irrespective of
nationality and relative strength of the occupying
forces.
- 4.
-
a. With respect to U.S. participation in
Austria, the U.S. policy is that U.S. personnel will participate
equally at the national level with U.S.S.R. and Great Britain in
a tripartite control of Austria with the understanding that the
U.S. occupational forces will be on a token basis similar to the
size of the force planned for Berlin.
-
b. The British intention is that all
British civil affairs personnel now attached to Allied Military
Government and Allied Control Commission in Italy, and with
civil affairs Middle East less those in settled British military
administrations should be pooled and re-distributed as necessary
to meet the requirements of control in Italy and in Austria and
for British military administration in the Dodecanese and for
the Balkans. In the event of a shortage or surplus of British
civil affairs personnel after meeting such requirements you
should notify the War Office.
- 5.
- With reference to paragraph one of Naf 749 you will receive
instructions separately.
- 6.
- Political, Financial, Economic and Relief Guides will be
transmitted to you at a later date.
