860F. 01/6–2345

The Acting Czechoslovak Minister for Foreign Affairs (Strànský) to the American Chargé in Czechoslovakia (Klieforth)22

Monsieur le Chargé d’Affaires: I have the honour to inform you of the following:

After the cessation of military operations the Czechoslovak Republic, in harmony with the ardent desires of all the Czech and Slovak peoples and in agreement with her Allies, resumed her public life as an entirely sovereign and independent member of the United Nations. The foremost task of the Czechoslovak Government was from the beginning to ensure the safety of the State with their own forces and to attain a speedy return to normal life in the country.

In agreement with these aims the Czechoslovak Government is carrying out a partial mobilisation of the Czechoslovak Armed Forces as well as a reconstruction of public life, in local government, finances, supplies, transport, etc.

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The Czechoslovak Government in pursuing this programme of reconstruction have to surmount great difficulties, arising mainly from the fact that the Czechoslovak territory is practically divided into two areas, American and Soviet. The Soviet area again has been divided into three zones under the command of Marshals Koniev, Malinovsky and Army General Yeremenko23 respectively.

In order to solve as soon as possible all these problems, the Czechoslovak Government entered into negotiations with the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and with the High Command of the Soviet Armed Forces. It has been already agreed that the Soviet Armed Forces, which for the time being still remain on the territory of the Czechoslovak Republic, will be under the central command of Marshal Koniev, and that Liaison Officers of the Soviet Armies will mostly reside in Prague, so that all urgent problems can be speedily solved in the seat of the Government. Moreover, it has been agreed that in all areas where Soviet units will remain, local governments will be in the hands of Czechoslovak authorities. Finally, the Czechoslovak Government has decided that the frontiers in these areas will be occupied entirely by Czechoslovak troops, as demands the sovereignty of the State. This is already being done simultaneously with the partial mobilisation of the Czechoslovak Armed Forces.

Even after this agreement with the Soviet authorities has been reached the reconstruction of the country is greatly hampered by the fact that the territory of the Czechoslovak State is divided into two zones, and within them these two Allied Armies are often guided by different point of views. If this state of affairs should be allowed to continue for a considerable time, the reconstruction of the country might be endangered, the more so because the Government have to solve very important and urgent problems of local administration, currency, customs, reconstruction of transport, supplies, industry and agriculture, all concerning the whole of the Czechoslovak territory. It is hoped therefore that the Government of the United States of America will understand the desire of the Czechoslovak Government to have the area still under the control of the American Armed Forces once more under Czechoslovak administration and Czechoslovak local governments, so as to be able to solve all financial, monetary, economic, transport and military questions.

Furthermore, the Czechoslovak Government desires to protect all sections of the frontiers of Czechoslovakia by units of the Czechoslovak Army. It is the wish of the Czechoslovak Government to be able to [Page 462] secure the State frontiers also in the area still under the control of the Armed Forces of the United States, by their own forces, on the same pattern as in the Soviet zone. The strength of these forces could be increased so that the units of the American Armed forces in the American zone could be released for other tasks.

I hope that the Government of the United States will, as always, understand the great problems Czechoslovakia has to face, and that by helping the Czechoslovak Government once more, will only strengthen the deep friendship and administration the Czechoslovak people feel towards the United States of America.

I beg you to be good enough to transmit the view of the Government of the United States on this question to the Czechoslovak Government.

Avail myself [etc.]

Dr. Jaroslav Stránský
  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Chargé” in Czechoslovakia in his despatch 30, June 23; received July 2. The Chargé also sent the text of this note in telegram 37, June 24, 1945, from Prague (not printed).
  2. Gen. Andrey Ivanovich Yeremenko, Commander of the Fourth Ukrainian Front during the last month of the war and, afterward, Commander of the Carpathian Military District.