Office of the Historian

740.00119 EW/4–2945: Telegram

Mr. Alexander C. Kirk, Political Adviser on the Staff of the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater, to the Acting Secretary of State

Caserta, April 29, 1945—midnight.
[Received April 30—11:47 a.m.]

1806. The German plenipotentiaries signed the terms of unconditional surrender50 as contained in telegram Naf 89751 to Combined Chiefs of Staff (see our 1175 of March 2652) with certain minor changes. They left here this afternoon. Instrument is to go into effect on May 2nd. Refer our 1754 of April 27 and Rome’s 1073, April 29 to Department.53

Kirk
  1. German plenipotentiaries representing the German Commander in Chief Southwest and the Supreme Commander of the SS in Italy signed an instrument of local surrender at Caserta, April 29, 8 a.m., Washington time. The territory surrendered included all of Italy, except that portion of Venezia Giulia east of the Isonzo River, and all of western, and portions of central Austria.↩
  2. This telegram from Field Marshal Alexander, March 23, outlined the brief instrument of surrender which he proposed to have the Germans sign. (Copy obtained from the Department of the Army files.) The instrument of local surrender of German forces in Italy, and the minutes of the four meetings between Allied officers and the German plenipotentiaries are printed in Department of State, The United States and Italy, 1936–46. Documentary Record (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1946), pp. 127–152. See also statements issued by President Truman and Acting Secretary of State Grew on May 2, and messages sent by President Truman to Field Marshal Alexander and to General Mark W. Clark, ibid., pp. 125–127.↩
  3. Not printed; it described the draft surrender directives with regard to German prisoners of war (740.00119 EW/3–2645).↩
  4. Latter not printed; it reported that the surrender discussions had reached a successful conclusion (740.00119 EW/4–2945).↩