Stalin’s Big Bluff The story of the Stalin Note of 10 March 1952 as reflected in the documents of the Soviet leadership
Remembrance and Justice, Vol. 14 No. 1 (2009), pages: 269-304
Publication date: 2009-12-30
Abstract
Many contemporaries considered both German states as temporary arrangements. In 1952, there appeared a chance of reunifi cation and towards the end of the year a debate started whether Stalin’s note, dated 10 March 1952, which contained
a proposal to create a united and neutral Germany was a real alternative. The files of the Soviet leadership, which were first analysed by the author, provide a clear answer: Stalin’s proposal was a manoeuvre against the rearmament of West Germany. Till the end of the “battle of notes”, the Soviet Union was not ready for
a policy of neutrality even in relation to Austria. Thanks to the presented documents, the long-standing dispute over Stalin’s note is now settled.