MAIN DECISIONS OF THE BERLIN CONFERENCE 1945

Here in extracts from the text of the report signed in Berlin on August 2^nd 1945, by Generalissimo J.V. Stalin, President S. Truman, and the RT. Hon.  . . . R. Attlee, are the principal decisions taken at the conference to decide on Germany’s future which met at Potsdam on July 17^th.

Council of Foreign Ministers.

1.     There shall be established a Council composed of the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, China, France, and the United States. (2) (ii)  The first meeting shall be held in London not later than September 1^st 1945.

3. (I )    As its immediate important task, the Council shall be authorized to drew up, with a view to their submission to the United Nations, treaties of peace with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland, and to propose settlements of territorial questions outstanding on the termination of the war in Europe. The Council shall be utilized for the preparation of a peace settlement for Germany, to be accepted by the Government of Germany when a government adequate for the purpose is established. (ii) For the discharge of each of these tasks the Council will be composed of the members representing those States which were signatory to the terms of surrender imposed upon the enemy State concerned. For the purpose of the peace settlement for Italy. France shall be regarded as a signatory to the terms of surrender for Italy. Others members will be invited to participate when matters directly concerning them are under discussion.

Allied Policy Towards Germany.

It is not the intention of the Allies to destroy or enslave the German people.

1.     Supreme authority in Germany is exercised on instructions from their respective Governments, by the commanders in chief of the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the French Republic, each in his own zone of occupation, and also jointly, in matters affecting Germany as a whole, as members of the Control Council.

2.     So far as is practicable, there shall be uniformity of treatment of the Germany population throughout Germany.

3.     The purposes of the occupation of Germany by which the Control Council shall be guided are ( i)  The complete disarmament and demilitarization of Germany and the elimination or control of all German industry that could be used for military production. ( ii) To convince the German people that they have suffered a total military defeat and that they cannot escape responsibility for what they have brought on themselves, since their own ruthless warfare and the fanatical Nazi resistance have destroyed German economy and made chaos and suffering inevitable  ( iii ) To destroy the National Socialist Party and its affiliated and supervised organizations, to ensure that they are not revived in any form.  ( iv ) To prepare for the eventual reconstruction of German political life on a democratic basis.

9.     The administration of affairs in Germany shall be directed towards the decentralization of the political structure and the development of local responsibility. To this end ( i) local self government shall be restored throughout Germany on democratic principles, and in particular through elective councils, as rapidly as it consistent with military security and the purposes of military occupation, ( ii ) all democratic political parties  with rights of assembly and of public discussion shall be allowed and encouraged throughout Germany, ( iii ) representative and elective principles shall be introduced into regional, provincial and state ( Land ) administration as rapidly as may be justified by the application of these principles in local self government, ( iv) for the time being no central Germany government shall be established. However certain essential central German administrative departments, headed by State Secretaries, shall be established, particularly in the fields of finance, transport, communications, foreign trade, and industry.

10.  Subject to the necessity of maintaining military security, freedom of speech, Press, and religion shall be permitted. Subject likewise to the maintenance of military security, the formation of free trade unions shall be permitted.

14. During the period of the occupation Germany shall be treated as a single economic unit.

15. Allied controls shall be imposed upon the German economy, but only to the extent necessary ( a ) to carry out programmes of industrial disarmament and demilitarization of reparations, and of approved exports and imports, ( b) to assure the production and maintenance of  goods and services required to meet the needs of the occupying forces and displaced persons in Germany, and essential to maintain in Germany average living standards not exceeding the average of the standards of living of all European countries, excluding the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, ( c ) to ensure in the manner determined by the Control Council the equitable distribution of essential commodities between the several zones, so as to produce a balanced economy throughout Germany and reduce the needs for imports, ( e) to control all German public or private scientific bodies, research and experimental institutions, laboratories, ect, connected with economic activities.

19. Payment of reparations should leave enough resources to enable the German people to subsist without external assistance.

German Reparations

1.     Reparation claims of the U.S.S.R. shall be met by removal from the zone of Germany occupied by the U.S.S.R. and from appropriate German external assets.

2.      The U.S.S.R. undertakes to settle the reparation claims of Poland from its own share of reparations.

3.     The reparation claims of the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries entitled to reparations shall be met from the western zones and from appropriate German external assets.

[In addition to reparations from the Soviet zone of occupation, the U.S.S.R. was also to receive 15 per cent of capital equipment of certain categories from the western zones in exchange for an equivalent value of agreed commodities and 10 per cent of such capital equipment without payment.]

Konigsberg.

The conference has agreed in principle to the proposal of the Soviet Government concerning the ultimate transfer to the Soviet Union of the city of Konugsberg.

War criminals

The three Governments reaffirm their intention to bring major war criminals to swift and sure justice.

Poland’s Western Frontier

The three heads of Government reaffirm their opinion that the final delimitation of the western frontier of Poland should await the peace settlement and agree that, pending the final determination of Poland western frontier, the shall be under the administration of the Polish State and for such purpose should not be considered as part of the Soviet zone of occupation in Germany.

Membership of United Nations

The three Governments will support applications for membership of the United Nations from those States which have remained neutral during the war and which fulfil the qualifications set out [in Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations]. The three Governments feel bound, however to make it clear that they would not favour any application for membership by the present Spanish Government.

Transfer of German Populations

The three Governments recognize that the transfer to Germany of German populations, or elements thereof, remaining in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary will have to be undertaken. They agree that any transfers that take place should be affected in an orderly and humane manner.