Bohlen Collection
British Proposal Regarding the Austrian-Yugoslav Frontier1
British Statement on Austro-Yugoslav Frontier
If the British proposals for the allocation of zones of occupation in Austria are approved, the whole length of the Austro-Yugoslav frontier will be a British responsibility. This may involve us in difficulties with Yugoslavia because though the Yugoslav Government have not so far asked for any alteration of the Styrian portion of this frontier they have advanced claims to Klagenfurt and those parts of Carinthia which they failed to obtain under the plebiscite held in 1919. Action may be required to resist Yugoslav efforts to assert these claims and to secure the withdrawal of Yugoslav partisans who in the course of operations may well advance into Carinthia and establish control over it. It would be invidious for H. M. G. to be solely responsible for such action and after our experiences in Greece we must try to prevent British troops from becoming involved in fighting with Allied partisans. We hope, therefore that an agreement might be reached between the three powers for the maintenance of the 1937 Austro-Yugoslav frontier pending the final territorial settlement and for joint measures to ensure its maintenance and observance by Yugoslavia.
It is therefore suggested we should agree at the present conference:
- (a)
- that pending the final peace settlement the 1937 frontier between Austria and Yugoslavia shall be restored.
- (b)
- that the integrity of this frontier is the joint interest of the three powers, and that the U. S. S. R. and the U. S. A. will support any action which H. M. G. may see fit to take to preserve its integrity.
- (c)
- that the three powers should jointly inform the Yugoslav Government of decisions (a) and (b) above and request the Yugoslav Government to give an undertaking to preserve this frontier.