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Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union in the United Nations Commission of Investigation in Greece, January – May 1947

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2008

Thanasis D. Sfikas
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Extract

(The Melians to the Athenians, 416/15 BC)

We see that you have come prepared to judge the arguments yourselves.… If we surrender, then all our hope is lost at once, whereas, so long as we remain in action, there is still a hope that we may yet stand upright.… We put our trust … in the help of men – that is of the Spartans.

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Articles
Information
Contemporary European History , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , November 1993 , pp. 243 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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References

1 ‘Letter from the Acting Chairman of the Delegation of Greece to the Secretary-General, Dated 3 December 1946, and Enclosed Memorandum’, no. 18181, FO 371/58891 (thereafter FO 371/5889r), Foreign Office Records, Public Record Office, London. Johnson (US Acting Representative, UNO) to Secretary of State, 19 Dec. 1946, Foreign Relations of the United States (1946) (thereafter FRUS (1946), Vol. vii (Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1969), 284–5Google Scholar.

2 Bullock, Alan, Ernest Bevin: Foreign Secretary 1945–1951 (thereafter Bullock, Bevin) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985), 13–16Google Scholar; Gaddis, John Lewis, The Long Peace: Inquiries into the History of the Cold War (thereafter Gaddis, Peace) (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), 23–4Google Scholar; Thomas, Hugh, Armed Truce: The Beginnings of the Cold War 1945–1946 (London: Sceptre, 1988), 260–9.Google Scholar

3 Stavrakis, Peter J., Moscow and Greek Communism 1944–1949 (thereafter Stavrakis, Greek Communism) (Ithaca/London: Cornell University Press, 1989), 144.Google Scholar

4 See the following works: Sarlis, Dimitris, I Politiki tou KKE ston Agona kata tou Monarachofasismou 1929–1936, 3rd edn (Athens: Synchroni Epochi, 1987)Google Scholar; Mavrogordatos, George, Stillborn Republic: Social Conditions and Party Strategies in Greece, 1922–1936 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983)Google Scholar; Hondros, John Louis, Occupation and Resistance: The Greek Agony 1941–1944 (New York: Pella, 1983)Google Scholar; Papastratis, Prokopis, British Policy towards Greece during the Second World War 1941–1944 (London: Cambridge University Press, 1984)Google Scholar; Richter, Heinz, British Intervention in Greece: From Varkiza to Civil War, February 1945 to August 1946 (London: Merlin Press, 1986).Google Scholar

5 Memorandum by Bevin, 13 March 1946, no. 40, CAB 131/2/DO (46) (thereafter CAB 131/2/DO (46)), Cabinet Records, Public Record Office, London. Minute by Hayter, 21 Feb. 1946, no. 3032, FO 371/58676. Minute by Warner, 23 Feb. 1946, no. 2713, FO 371/58676. Minute by Hayter, 8 March 1946, no. 3496, FO 371/58678.

6 Sir Orme Sargent to Leeper (private letter), 9 Nov. 1945, no. 10, FO 800/vol. 276/GREECE/1945, Sargent Papers (thereafter FO 800/276/GRE/45), Public Record Office, London.

7 UK Delegation (Paris) to Foreign Office, 27 Apr. 1946, no. 6382, FO 371/58687. Memorandum of a Conversation between Byrnes and Bevin (Paris), 27 Apr. 1946, FRUS (1946), vii. 148–9.

8 Inverchapel to Foreign Office, 31 Aug. 1946, no. 2657, FO 371/51609. Memorandum by Joint COS: ‘Basis for the Formulation of a US Military Policy’, 27 March 1946, FRUS (1946), i. 1160–5. Joint COS to Secretary of State: ‘Foreign Policy of the US’, 29 March 1946, FRUS (1946), i. 1165–6. Memorandum by Matthews to State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee, 1 Apr. 1946, FRUS (1946), i. 1167–71.

9 Minute by Selby, 16 Oct. 1946, no. 14984, FO 371/58710. Minute by Warner, 20 Oct. 1946, no. 15733, FO 371/58712. Draft Brief for Secretary of State by M. S. Williams, 19 Dec. 1946, no. 18501, FO 371/58659. For the re-evaluation of US policy towards Greece see Acheson to MacVeagh, 15 Oct. 1946, FRUS (1946), vii. 235–7. Memorandum by the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs of the State Department, 21 Oct. 1946, FRUS (1946), vii. 240–5.

10 Memorandum by the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs of the State Department, 21 Oct. 1946, FRUS (1946), vii. 242.

11 Bevin to Foreign Office, 6 Dec. 1946, no. 17677, FO 371/58891. Interview between Bevin and Tsaldaris, 6 Dec. 1946, no. 18531, FO 371/58892. Bevin to Foreign Office, 7 Dec. 1946, no. 17689, FO 371/58891. Warner to Williams, 11 Dec. 1946, no. 18129, FO 371/58891. Record of Conversation between Bevin and Molotov, 9 Dec. 1946; minutes of a Conference between Bevin and Byrnes, 9 Dec. 1946; note by Dixon, 10 Dec. 1946; minute by McCarthy, 19 Dec. 1946, no. 18129, FO 371/58891.

12 Smith, Ole L., ‘The problems of the Second Plenum of the Central Committee of the KKE, 1946’, Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, Vol. 12, no. 2 (1985), 43–64Google Scholar; ibid., ‘Self-Defence and Communist Policy 1945–1947’, in Baerentzen, Lars, Iatrides, John, Smith, Ole L., (eds.), Studies in the History of the Greek Civil War 1945–1949 (thereafter Baerentzen, et al., Studies) (Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 1987), 59–177Google Scholar; , Stavrakis, Greek Communism, 104–7, 110–12, 120–1, 123–6Google Scholar.

13 ibid.., 48–51, 125–8, 139–40.

14 ibid.. 143–4; Wittner, Lawrence, American Intervention in Greece 1943–1949 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1982), 59.Google Scholar

15 Barker, Elizabeth, ‘The Yugoslavs and the Greek Civil War of 1946–1949’, in , Baerentzen et al. , Studies, 301–2.Google Scholar

16 Memorandum by the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs of the State Department, 21 Oct. 1946, FRUS (1946), vii. 241.

17 Memorandum by Sargent, , 11 July 1945, Documents on British Policy Overseas (thereafter DBPO), Vol. 1, no. 102 (London: HMSO, 1984).Google Scholar See also Bullock, Bevin, 5–6, 110.

18 ‘The Foreign Situation’, Memorandum by Bevin, 8 Nov. 1945, no. 14, FO 800/vol. 478/ MISCELLANEOUS/1945, Bevin Papers, Public Record Office, London.

19 Hansard, Parliamentary Debates, 5th series, 430 House of Commons Debates (thereafter 430 H.C. Deb. 5s), cols 525–94; The Times (London), 18, 19 Nov. 1946.

20 Minute by Selby, 9 Jan. 1947, no. 420, FO 371/66995.

21 Interview between Harvey and Aghnidis, 28 Dec. 1946, no. 33, FO 371/66994. Inverchapel to Foreign Office, 1 Jan. 1947, no. 77, FO 371/66994. Norton to Bevin, 28 Dec. 1946, no. 143, FO 371/66994. Norton to Tsaldaris, 3 Jan. 1947, no. 520, FO 371/67049. Tsaldaris to Norton, 10 Jan. 1947, no. 832, FO 371/67049. Foreign Office to Norton, 8 Jan. 1947, no. 113, FO 371/67049. Foreign Office to Norton, 19 Jan. 1947, no. 715, FO 371/66996. MacVeagh to Marshall, 11 Jan. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 4–7. Marshall to MacVeagh, 21 Jan. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 9–11.

22 Rizospastis (Athens), 19 Jan. 1947 (Rizospastis was the KKE daily newspaper). Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240.

23 Lascelles to Foreign Office, 20 Jan. 1947, no. 858, FO 371/66997.

24 Lascelles to Foreign Office, 21 Jan. 1947, no. 924, FO 371/66997.

25 Memorandum by Bevin, ‘Policy towards Greece and Turkey’, 25 Jan. 1947, no. 34, CAB 129/16/CP (47). See also CAB 128/9/CM 14 (47), 30 Jan. 1947.

26 Lascelles to Foreign Office, 25 Jan. 1947, no. 1138, FO 371/66997. Norton to Bevin, 28 Dec. 1946, no. 143, FO 371/66994.

27 Rizospastis (Athens), 22, 23 Jan. 1947; 6, 12 Feb. 1947.

28 Gaddis, Peace, 53. Morgan, Kenneth O., Labour in Power 1945–1951 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985), 34 71.Google Scholar

29 Rizospastis (Athens), 31 Jan., 1 Feb. 1947. Norton to Foreign Office, 5 Feb. 1947, no. 1809, FO 371/66999. Peck to Chancery (Athens), 5 Feb. 1947, no. 2096, FO 371/67062.

30 Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240. Peck (Thessaloniki) to Athens, 5 Feb. 1947, no. 2096, FO 371/67062.

31 MacVeagh to Marshall, 7 Feb. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 817–18. Marshall to MacVeagh, 8 Feb. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 818–20. Norton to Foreign Office, 10 Feb. 1947, no. 1850, FO 371/66999.

32 Permanent UK Delegation to UNO (New York) to Foreign Office, 9 Feb. 1947, no. 1791, FO 371/66999. Norton to Foreign Office, 10 Feb. 1947, no. 1869, FO 371/66999. Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240. Norton to Foreign Office, 6 Feb. 1947, no. 1753, FO 371/66999. Norton to Foreign Office, 10 Feb. 1947, no. 1801, FO 371/66999.

33 Windle to Foreign Office, 10, 16 Feb. 1947, no. 1972, FO 371/67062.

34 Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240. MacVeagh to Marshall, 7 Feb. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 817–18.

35 Norton to Foreign Office, 12 Feb. 1947, no. 1975, FO 371/67000.

36 Minutes by Selby and Williams, 17–19 Feb. 1947, no. 1975, FO 371/67000.

37 Minutes by Selby, Williams and Warner, 12, 13, 15 Feb. 1947, no. 1591, FO 371/67013. Norton to Foreign Office, 24 Feb. 1947, no. 2548, FO 371/67062.

38 Norton to Foreign Office, 14 Feb. 1947, no. 2091, FO 371/67062.

39 Rizospastis (Athens), 18 Feb. 1947. Archives of the Greek Communist Party of the Interior (thereafter KKE (es.) Archives), published in the Athens daily Avgi, 20 Jan. 1980: Extracts from the unpublished memoirs of Michalis Kyrkos. See also the exchange of telegrams between the KKE leaders and Georgi Dimitrov, Aug.–Dec. 1946 in KKE (es.) Archives, Avgi (Athens), 2 Dec. 1979.

40 Norton to Foreign Office, 24 Feb. 1947, no. 2548, FO 371/67062.

41 Minute by Warner, 5 March 1947, no. 2733, FO 371/67000.

42 Windle to Foreign Office, 11 March 1947, no. 3266, FO 371/67063. Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240. Rizospastis (Athens), 26 Feb. 1947.

43 Windle to Foreign Office, 18 March 1947, no. 3656, FO 371/67064. Report by Mrs Fothergill-Payne, 20 March 1947, no. 4206, FO 371/67064. Statement of the Democratic Army Headquarters, 23 March 1947, in Greek Communist Party (KKE), Episima Keimena, Vol. 6 (Athens: Synchroni Epochi, 1987), Appendix, 437–9Google Scholar. Rizospastis (Athens), 15 May 1947; Vafiadis, Markos, Apomnimonevmata, Vol. 5 (Athens: Papazisis, 1992), 347–71.Google Scholar

44 Report by Mrs Fothergill-Payne, 20 March 1946, no. 4206, FO 371/67064. Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240. The Democratic Army Memorandum has recently been published as Etsi Archise o Emfylios: I Tromokratia Meta ti Varkiza 1945–1947. To Ypomnima tou DSE ston OIE (Athens: Glaros, 1987). The figures in 14, 395.

45 Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240.

46 Ethridge to Marshall, 17 Feb. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 820–1. Norton to Bevin, 18 Feb. 1948, Annual Report (1947), no. 2576, FO 371/72240.

47 Stavrakis, Greek Communism, 159. Norton to Bevin, 5 Feb. 1947, no. 1809, FO 371/66999.

48 British Consul-General (Thessaloniki) to Athens, 12 March 1947, no. 3663, FO 371/67063.

49 Extracts from the unpublished memoirs of Michalis Kyrkos, in KKE (es.) Archives, Avgi (Athens), 20 Jan. 1980.

50 Windle (Geneva) to Foreign Office, 18 Apr. 1947, and Foreign Office to Windle, 23 Apr. 1947, no. 5291, FO 371/67065. Clutter (Geneva) to Williams, 8 May 1947, no. 6644, FO 371/67068.

51 Windle to Foreign Office, 24 Apr. 1947, no. 5556, FO 371/67065.

52 Foreign Office to Paris, 26 Apr. 1947, no. 5556, FO 371/67065.

53 Inverchapel to Foreign Office, 29 Apr. 1947, no. 5742, FO 371/67066. Marshall to Ethridge, 1 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 837–8.

54 Ethridge to Marshall, 8 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 845–8. Marshall to Ethridge, 10 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 848–9.

55 Draft Recommendations of US Delegation, 2 May 1947, no. 6129, FO 371/67066. Ethridge to Marshall, 2 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 838–9.

56 Marshall to Ethridge, 3 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 840. Marshall to Ethridge, 7 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 840–3. Foreign Office to UK Delegation (Geneva), 10 May 1947, and Norton to Foreign Office, 8 May 1947, no. 6226, FO 371/67003.

57 Norton to Foreign Office, 10 May 1947, no. 6345, FO 371/67067.

58 Foreign Office to UK Delegation (Geneva), 10 May 1947, no. 6226, FO 371/67003.

59 Inverchapel to Foreign Office, 10 May 1947, no. 6368, FO 371/67003. Foreign Office to Norton, 13 May 1947, no. 6345, FO 371/67067. Inverchapel to Foreign Office, 13 May 1947, no. 6749, FO 371/67067. See also FRUS (1947), v. 174–5.

60 Ethridge to Marshall, 12 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 850–60. Ethridge to Marshall, 20 May 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 863–4. The Report of the UNO Commission in no. 7244, FO 371/67069 and UNO/SC Official Records, Second Year, Special Supplement no. 2.

61 Marshall to Austin, 9, 26 June 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 865–8.

62 Marshall to Austin, 7 July 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 869–70. Marshall to the US Embassy in Colombia, 9 July 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 870–1.

63 FRUS (1947), v. 874–5, notes 1 and 2. Marshall to Johnson, 30 July, 5 Aug. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 875–8. A Decade of American Foreign Policy: Basic Documents, 1941–1949 (thereafter Decade) (Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1950; reprint, 1968), no. 138.Google Scholar

64 Austin to Marshall, 6 Aug. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 879–80.

65 The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions, 9 Aug. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 880–2.

66 The Acting Secretary of State to the Legation in Syria, 18 Aug. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 882–3.

67 The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Missions, 29 Aug. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 883–5.

68 The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State, 23 Sept. 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 886–8. See also editorial note in FRUS (1947), v. 888–9. Decade, no. 141.

69 Drew to Secretary of State, 3 Feb. 1948, FRUS (1948), iv. 225–6. The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Australia, 5 Feb. 1948, FRUS (1948), iv. 226–8.

70 Minute by Hankey, 29 May 1947, no. 3634, FO 371/63195.

71 438 H.C. Deb. 5s, col. 2341.

72 Memorandum by Black, 21 July 1947, FRUS (1947), v. 872–4.

73 Stavrakis, Greek Communism, 126.