Draft of a Letter of N. S. Khrushchev to A. Fanfani, Prime Minister of Italy, on the Question of the Signing of a Peace Treaty with Germany, and the Status of West Berlin

Draft of a letter of N. S. Khrushchev to A. Fanfani, Prime Minister of Italy, on the question of the signing of a peace treaty with Germany, and the status of West Berlin.

18 August 1961

With great pleasure I have familiarized myself with the report of our Ambassador in Rome in which he reports about a conversation he had with you.

I deeply value your efforts and that you came to our country and we had a conversation with you and a frank exchange of opinions⁹³. And this openness not only did not worsen our relations, but I feel that you correctly understand us and we also understand you. This openness has brought us closer together, although we spoke about quite pointed questions which touch upon the lives and existence of our countries.

What you have done since your return from Moscow is very useful work, and I express to you my sincere respect for your energy and your purposefulness.

I have already expressed our position to you and I actually have nothing to add to this, I only wanted to again repeat to you, Mr. Prime Minister, that we are ready to conclude a peace treaty and we will conclude it. We would be glad if all the countries which fought concluded a peace treaty which would put an end to the state of war, that is, the borders which developed as a result of the defeat of the Nazi army, and the creation of a free city.

I have already told you that I have developed the impression that you understand our position, but all the same I want to again repeat that we will sign a peace treaty. I would like for the Western countries, our former allies, to also sign the peace treaty. If they refuse we will sign a peace treaty with the GDR.

We have already declared, and I repeat again, that access to West Berlin will be preserved, and there will be no blockade, but this access and the rights of all peoples and countries to access to West Berlin should be based not on the condition of an occupation regime, because after a war one cannot talk about the rights ensuing from an occupation regime; accordingly, this is non-recognition of the very fact of a peace treaty and consequently ignoring it. We cannot accept this. Not only we, no one is  able to understand this.

Therefore we have said and repeat that it is necessary to ensure the rights of all countries of the world which want to have access to West Berlin, but it is obligatory to gain the right to this access from government through whose territory over which the access routes to West Berlin lie. Without recognition of this we think that is an ultimatum, that we are concluding a peace treaty, but they are threatening us with war or an outright war to again discard the achievements and results of signing a peace treaty to reject by war and to impose a state of war on us. This is no longer the preservation of the status of what was, but the launching of a new war. How can people of common sense say this?

I have already told you that if our enemies are blinded and embittered by the existence of the socialist countries and this anger has deprived them of a healthy understanding of the reality which we have created, then we have no other .way than to subordinate ourselves to fate, that is, to accept what they impose on us – a war. Everyone understands that we are able to properly respond to aggressors if they impose a war on us, but this would be a catastrophe, and first of all a catastrophe for the countries which impose this war on us.

I again present our position to you so that you better understand. All the same I hope for the reason, the wisdom of government leaders. I think that they will understand that in our time one cannot treat the Soviet Union as a third-class power and impose on it what is to one’s benefit. These times have sunk into eternity.

We treat our partners with respect, and therefore we think that it is necessary to guarantee non-interference in the affairs of West Berlin. We are ready to guarantee this with the participation of our troops together with the forces located in West Berlin, the troops of France, Britain, and the US. We will not encroach on either West Berlin or its social system. This is the business of the people themselves. And this point of view relates not only to the resident of West Berlin, but also to the peoples of all countries. This is our position, I repeat.

I express my appreciation for what you reported about the agreement to negotiations and to begin negotiations and your efforts. But if negotiations are held only to deceive the public, then this will disappoint the peoples. Nevertheless I believe in the common sense of our partners and that we will pass the line of tension – we will sign a peace treaty, and after this we will have no more questions which divide us and which cause us to clash if we regard with understanding the fact that two systems of government exist in the world, the socialist and capitalist. This is already a fact with which it necessary to reckon and should not be an object for aggravations, clashes, etc.

Let it be written like this. Let them work and prepare, but not delay.

Memo: Dictated by N. S. Khrushchev on 18 August 1961.

RGANI. F. 52. Op. 1. D. 636. L. 153-156. Original. Typescript