Conferencia de Moscú (1942)

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Conferencia de Moscú
Nombre clave: BRACELET

País anfitrión Unión Soviética

Fecha 12/08/1942 - 17/08/1942

Lugar (es) Moscú Kremlin

Ciudades Moscú

Participantes José Stalin (URSS), Winston Churchill (UK) y Averell

Harriman (USA)

Previa Conferencia de Moscú (1941)

La Segunda Conferencia de Moscú (Nombre clave: BRACELET) [1] entre las

potencias Aliadas de la II Guerra Mundial tuvo lugar del 12 de agosto de 1942 al
17 de agosto de 1942.[2][3]

Contenidos

 1 Preludio
 2 Moscú
o 2.1 12 de agosto de 1942
o 2.2 13 de agosto de 1942
o 2.3 14 de agosto de 1942
o 2.4 15 de agosto de 1942
 2.4.1 Apartamento de Stalin
o 2.5 16 de agosto de 1942
 3 Ver también
 4 Referencias

Preludio[edit]
El 30 de Julio de 1942, el Secetario de Asuntos Exteriores Anthony Eden pasó un
mensaje al Primer Ministro Winston Churchill del Embajador británico en la Unión
Soviética, Sir Archibald Clark Kerr. El cual decía: -[3]
Aunque Molotov profesa haber pasado fielmente al Gobierno Soviético todo lo
que le dijeron en Londres y se le dio por escrito...ahora parece como si hasta
cierto punto no hubiera podido interpretar a Stalin la mente del Primer Ministro.

— Sir Archibald Clark Kerr

El embajador sugirió que sería ventajoso que Churchill y el líder soviético Stalin se
reunieran. Eden anotó en su diario, Llevé el telegrama a Winston...y saltó sobre
él'. Churchill propuso a Stalin viajar a través de El Cairo para reunirse con el
en Astrakhan 'o un lugar de reunión convenient similar '. Stalin respondió con una
invitación formal para reunirse, pero afirmó que Moscú era el único lugar
adecuado. Esto se debía a que ni él ni su plana mayor se sentían capaces de
dejar la capital durante el período de 'intensa lucha'. [3]
Eden expresó su preocupación por la salud del Primer Ministro. Cuando Eden le
contó los planes del Primer Ministro, Oliver Harvey escribió, 'Pero que galantería
del anciano, partiendo a los 65 años a través de África en pleno verano!' [3]
Churchill dejó de lado las preocupaciones de salud, sintiendo que era su deber
hacer el viaje. Él, junto con Sir Alexander Cadogan del Ministerio de Relaciones
Exteriores quien iba a viajar con él, fueron sometidos a pruebas en Farnborough el
31 de Julio para vuelos a gran altura. Fueron expuestos al equivalente de volar a
15,000 pies mientras usaban máscaras de oxígeno y se ponían en forma. [3]
Churchill y su grupo partieron de la estación RAF Lyneham poco después de la
medianoche del 1 de agosto de 1942 en un bombardero Liberator (número
AL504),[4]  Comando con nombre en código y pilotado por William J. Vanderkloot.
[5]
 Llegando a Gibraltar al amanecer, ellos pasaron el día ahí antes de viajar a El
Cairo.[3]
La esposa de Churchill Clementine quien había visto su partida, later wrote to her
husband -[3]
I think much of you my Darling & pray that you may be able to penetrate & solve
the problem of the Middle East stultification or frustration or what is it? This first
part of your journey is less dramatic & sensational than your visit to the Ogre in his
Den; but I should imagine it may be more fruitful in results.

— Clementine Churchill, Letter to Winston Churchill

Churchill arrived in Egypt on 4 August, where he stayed at the British Embassy in
Cairo. While in Egypt he took the decision to relieve Claude Auckinleck as
Commander-in-Chief. The command split, creating Near East and Middle East
commands. Auckinleck was to be replaced by Harold Alexander as C-in-C Near
East. Lieutenant-general William Gott was to become Commander of the Eighth
Army. However, when he was killed the decision was made to appoint Bernard
Montgomery. While in Egypt he inspected troops and positions before departing
for Tehran after midnight on 10 August.[3]
After meetings in the city, the journey was continued to Moscow on August 12. The
party arrived at 17.00 the same day after a 10 and a half hour flight. [3]

Moscow[edit]
Moscow Conference, August 12–17, 1942. Left to right, foreground: V. M. Molotov, Peoples’ Commissar
for Foreign Affairs; W. Averrell Harriman, representing President Franklin D. Roosevelt; Prime Minister
Winston Churchill, while reviewing troops at Moscow Civil Airport while other Russian officials look on.
Immediately behind Churchill is Admiral Miles, Chief, of the British Military Mission to the Soviet Union.
Office of War Information Photograph. (2016/01/15).

12 August 1942[edit]
The British delegation led by Churchill and Cardogan was met by Foreign
Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and Chief of Staff, Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov.
Upon arrival Churchill and American representative Averell Harriman inspected
an honour guard. Churchill then addressed the assembly saying,[3]
...we will continue, hand in hand, whatever our sufferings, whatever our toils, we
will continue hand in hand, like comrades and brothers until every vestige of the
Nazi régime has been beaten into the ground, until the memory only of it remains
as an example and a warning for a future time.

— Winston Churchill
State Villa No. 7 was allocated to Churchill [3] while Harriman stayed at the US
Embassy.[6] Of the villa, Churchill wrote, 'Everything was prepared with totalitarian
lavishness'. He was supplied with an aide-de-camp and 'a number of veteran
servants in white jackets and beaming smiles'.[6]
Churchill was collected from the villa at 19.00 and taken to the Kremlin and his first
meeting with Stalin. The initial meeting was had by only a small party consisting of
Churchill, Major Charles Dunlop (Embassy Interpreter),[7] Clark Kerr and Harriman.
This was due to the aeroplane carrying the rest of the delegation having to return
to Tehran because of a technical fault. [3]
Churchill reported back to London that the first two hours 'were bleak and sombre'.
Stalin reported grave problems on the Eastern Front and that the Germans were
making 'a tremendous effort to get to Baku and Stalingrad'. The conversation
moved on to the possibility of a Second Front in 1942, which the Soviets were
hoping for. Churchill reported that after an 'exhaustive Anglo-American
examination', the western allies did not feel able to launch an attack across
the English Channel in September 1942. However, he was able to report that
preparations were in hand for a landing by 48 divisions in 1943. Churchill added
that even by the time the 1943 operation was ready it was conceivable that the
Germans may be able to field a stronger force to oppose them. At this
the minutes of the meeting note, 'Stalin's face crumpled into a frown'. [3]
After further conversation regarding a Second Front in France, Stalin said that the
British 'should not be so afraid of the Germans'. He went on to ask, 'Why were we
[the British] so afraid of the Germans?' Churchill offered 1940 and the German
failure to land troops as a comparable situation, saying that Hitler 'was afraid of the
operation'. Stalin disagreed but consented to allow the respective Generals to go
into the details of the operation.[3]
Churchill turned to the subject of bombing Germany, stating "If need be, as the war
went on, we hoped to shatter almost every dwelling in almost every German city".
This improved Stalin's mood and Churchill to the subject of a Second Front in
1942. He relayed to Stalin that the Western Allies had decided on another
operation, as France was not the only area to attack. He had been authorised to
share this secret by President Roosevelt with Stalin. At this, the minutes record, 'M.
Stalin sat up and grinned'. Churchill then proceeded to outline the details of the
Anglo-American landings in French North Africa, Operation Torch.[3]
The British were nervous that Stalin and Hitler might make separate peace terms;
Stalin insisted that would not happen. Churchill explained how Arctic convoys
bringing munitions to Russia had been intercepted by the Germans; There was a
delay now so that future convoys would be better protected. He apologetically
explained there would be no second front this year—no British-American invasion
of France—which Stalin had been urgently requesting for months. The will was
there, said Churchill, but there was not enough American troops, not enough tanks,
not enough shipping, not enough air superiority. Instead the British, and soon the
Americans, would step up bombing of German cities and railways. Furthermore,
there would be Operation Torch in November. It would be a major Anglo-American
invasion of North Africa, which would set the stage for an invasion of Italy and
perhaps open the Mediterranean for munitions shipments to Russia through the
Black Sea. The talks started out on a very sour note but after many hours of
informal conversations, the two men understood each other and knew they could
cooperate smoothly.[8]
Once Churchill had completed his explanation of the Operation Torch and the
strategy to open up the Mediterranean, Stalin said, "May God help this enterprise
to succeed". The minutes record that at this point Stalin's 'interest was now at a
high pitch'.[3]
The conversation continued until this first meeting of Stalin, Churchill and Harriman
drew to a close at 22.40 after three hours and forty minutes. Churchill later
signalled to his deputy in London, Labour leader Clement Attlee - [3]
He [Stalin] knows the worst, and we parted in an atmosphere of goodwill.

— Winston Churchill, Signal to Clement Attlee

13 August 1942[edit]
Moscow Conference, August 12–17, 1942. Left to right, foreground: Prime Minister Winston Churchill;
Premier Joseph Stalin; and W. Averrell Harriman, representing President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Office of
War Information Photograph. (2016/01/15).

On the second day Churchill began with a meeting at the Kremlin with Commissar
for Foreign Affairs, Molotov. Churchill took Molotov over the various operations in
the West. Across the abandoned Operation Sledgehammer and Operation Round-
Up to the buildup of American forces in Britain, Operation Bolero. The discussion
took in the upcoming Operation Torch and the possibilities for Operation Jupiter,
the proposed Anglo-Soviet landing in Norway. Churchill, in a telegraph to London,
said 'He [Molotov] listened affably but contributed nothing'. [3] As he was leaving
Churchill turned to Molotov and said, "Stalin will make a great mistake to treat us
roughly when we have come so far". To which Molotov replied, "Stalin is a very
wise man. You may be sure that, however he argues, he understands all. I will tell
him what you say".[6]
The aircraft carrying the remainder of the British delegation arrived at 17.00 and
they joined Churchill for his second meeting with Stalin at 23.00. Stalin opened the
meeting with an aide-memoire attacking the abandoning of plans for a Second
Front in 1942. Churchill listened to the document being translated and stated he
would reply in writing but that 'we [Britain and America] have made up our minds
upon the course to be pursued and that reproaches were vain'. Stalin attacked the
British military effort, "You British are afraid of fighting. You should not think the
Germans are supermen. You will have to fight sooner or later. You cannot win a
war without fighting". Harriman passed Churchill a note urging him not to take
Stalin's words seriously, as he had behaved in the same way during the Moscow
Conference in 1941.[3]
Churchill called for Colonel Ian Jacob to enter the room and take down what was
being said. Churchill expressed his 'disappointment that Stalin should apparently
not believe the sincerity of his statements, and distrust his motives'. Churchill then
launched into what Harriman described as 'the most brilliant' of his wartime
speeches. Even the translator 'got so enthralled by Winston's speech that he put
his pencil down'. So swept up in the moment Churchill didn't leave space for the
interpreter to relay the last part and Dunlop was not able to relay them verbatim.
Stalin laughed, not having heard much of the speech, and said - [3]
Your words are not important, what is vital is the spirit

— Joseph Stalin, addressing Winston Churchill

Churchill got Dunlop to get the precise wording from Jacob's minutes and relay it to
Stalin. Churchill wrote to Attlee of the encounter, 'I repulsed all his contentions
squarely but without taunts of any kind. I suppose he is not used to being
contradicted repeatedly but he did not become at all angry or even animated. On
one occasion I said, "I pardon that remark only on account of the bravery of the
Russian troops."'[3]
14 August 1942[edit]
After having lunch with guests including General Brooke and US
Ambassador William H. Standley, Churchill retired for his usual afternoon rest. He
returned to the Kremlin at 21.00 for his third meeting with Stalin. [3]
They went straight into a dinner of around 100 guests. Shortly after sitting, Molotov
made a toast to Churchill's health. Churchill in turn replied with a toast to Stalin and
he toasted President Roosevelt's heath, as well as that of Harriman. The toasts
continued with Stalin going over to click glasses with those whose health he had
toasted. This left the Prime Minister without opportunity for conversation with the
Soviet leader.[3]
After nearly four hours, Stalin took Churchill into a neighbouring room
for coffee and liquors. They were also photographed together and with Harriman.
Stalin proposed a film screening but at this Churchill retired to his allocated villa to
rest. As he telegraphed to Attlee he, 'was afraid we should be drawn into a lengthy
film and was fatigued'.[3]
After shaking hands with Stalin, Churchill took his leave. Stalin hurried after his
guest and escorted him through the halls of the Kremlin to the front door, where
they again shook hands. Ambassador Clark Kerr reported to Eden - [3]
This long walk, or rather trot, for he [Stalin] had to be brisk in order to keep pace
with Mr. Churchill, is, I understand, without precedent in the history of the Soviet
Kremlin in so far as we have impinged upon it.

— Sir Archibald Clark Kerr

15 August 1942[edit]
Churchill called for Colonel Jacob at 09.00 to discuss the stormy encounter of 13
August. He had second thoughts about the meeting, wondering if Stalin, 'had
perhaps not meant to be as insulting as he [Churchill] first thought'. Jacob
recommended another meeting, one-to-one. However, given the importance of the
discussion and that Dunlop had been found wanting, Jacob suggested 'we [the
British] should fit him [Churchill] out' with a bilingual member of the British Military
Mission. Major Arthur Herbert Birse was recommended to which Churchill agreed. [3]
[9]

Born in St. Petersburg to British parents in 1891, Birse had native fluency in
Russian which came from his schooling in the country. This was contrary to the
practice of other British families there who sent their children back to the UK for
their education. He joined the British Military Mission in Russia in 1917 as an
interpreter. However, following the Bolshevik Revolution he moved to the UK and
worked for a bank. This saw him sent to Poland and Italy where he learned those
languages too. He returned to the military with the outbreak of war and was sent to
Russia following the German invasion.[9]
The Prime Minister's car entered the Kremlin just before 19.00 and the pair were
escorted to a large conference room to meet Stalin. The four, Churchill, Birse,
Stalin and his interpreter Vladimir Pavlov sat at the head of the table. Churchill
thanked Stalin "for all the courtesy and hospitality" before stating - [3]
I realised that what I had to say about the opening of a second front would be very
painful to our Russian friends and so I thought it would be my duty to come myself
to see you, Premier Stalin - that it would be more friendly and proof of my sincere
feelings if I came myself - rather than communicate through our Ambassador or by
exchange of telegrams.

— Winston Churchill, noted by interpreter Major Birse

Stalin replied that their "personal exchange of views has been of the most
importance" and that "the fact that we have met is of very great value". While
acknowledging that they have had some disagreement he felt that in meeting "the
ground has been prepared for future agreement". The discussion moved onto the
American buildup of troops in the UK, which in August 1942 stood at 85,000,
against a target of 1 million. They then moved on to Operation Torch and the
benefits to Russia, which Churchill acknowledged would be affected 'indirectly'.
Churchill also explained a planned 'reconnaissance in force' which was the
approaching Dieppe Raid. This was described as an action to "make Germany
anxious about a attack from across the Channel" with "some 8,000 men with 50
tanks". Stalin then took Churchill over the situation on the Eastern Front along with
plans to defend the Caucasus and block the German drive towards the Baku
Oilfields. The discussions left Churchill feeling, as he explained in a telegram to
Attlee, that there was 'an even chance' of the Caucasus being held but General
Brooke 'will not go as far as this'.[3]
Stalin's Apartment[edit]
Churchill rose to leave, he was due to dine with General Władysław Anders of
the Polish Armed Forces in the East to discuss their deployment to the Middle
East. Stalin asked when he and Churchill would meet again. To this Churchill
explained that he would be leaving at dawn. Stalin met this news with the question,
"Why do you not come over to my apartment in the Kremlin and have some
drinks?" Churchill consented and Stalin led the way to his apartment, which
Churchill described as being 'of moderate size, simple, dignified, and four in
number'. They were joined by his daughter Svetlana and Molotov. When Churchill
realised he was to stay for a dinner and not just drinks he instructed Birse to
telephone to his villa and let Anders know. The party dined and from 2.30 until 2.30
the following morning [16 August]. The discussions were wide-ranging, covering
topics from the supply of lorries to the Red Army, the Napoleonic Wars, the Duke
of Marlborough and the introduction of Collective Farms in the Soviet Union. Sir
Alexander Cadogan entered at around 01.00 [16 August] with the draft
communiqué from the conference. At this moment a suckling pig arrived, Codogan
declined Stalin's invitation to join him and Stalin ate the pig by himself. [3]
Cadogan described the scene in a letter to Lord Halifax -[10]
There I found Winston and Stalin, and Molotov who has joined them, sitting with a
heavily-laden board between them: food of all kinds crowned by a sucking pig, and
innumerable bottles. What Stalin made me drink seemed pretty savage: Winston,
who by that time was complaining of a slight headache, seemed wisely to be
confining himself to a comparatively innocuous effervescent Caucasian red wine.
Everyone seemed to be as merry as a marriage bell.

— Sir Alexander Cadogan, Letter to Lord Halifax

The Soviet leader then went to an adjoining room to receive reports from the front.
When he returned at around 2.30 the final communiqué had been agreed and
Churchill took his leave. He had a 30 minutes drive to the villa, General Anders to
meet and a 'splitting headache, which for me [Churchill] was very unusual'. After
this there was the long drive back to the airport for his return to the UK. [3]
16 August 1942[edit]
Churchill finally made it back to State Villa No. 7 at 03.15 on the morning of 16
August. General Anders was still awaiting the Prime Minister along with the
British Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) General Brooke. Churchill said,
"Ah! my poor Anders. I have been detained by M. Stalin and now I must fly off, but
you come along to Cairo and we shall have a talk there". Anders had already flown
to Moscow from Tashkent and made preparations to carry on to Cairo as if, as
General Brooke recalled, 'it was in the next street'. [3]
Churchill bathed and then relayed the content of his discussions to Ambassador
Clark Kerr and Colonel Jacob. Jacob recorded that, 'The Prime Minister was very
tired and lay talking with his eyes shut. Nevertheless, he was very satisfied with the
way things had gone, and felt that his visit had turned out a great success'. [3]
Molotov arrived at the villa at 04.30 to escort the party to the airfield where they
arrived by 05.00. As dawn was breaking a band played Internationale, God Save
the King and the Star Spangled Banner as the Prime Minister stood to attention
and saluted. The party departed in a formation of four Liberator bombers at 05.30
after ceremonies were completed.[3]
Churchill telegraphed to Attlee -[3]
On the whole I am definitely encouraged by my visit to Moscow. I am sure that the
disappointing news I brought could not have been imparted except by me
personally without leading to a really serious drifting apart.

— Winston Churchill, Telegram to Clement Attlee

Returning via Tehran and Cairo, where he held further meetings, Churchill arrived
back at RAF Lyneham to be greeted by Clementine on the evening of 24 August
1942.[3]
The Times of 18 August reported the talks. They were described as being done 'in
an atmosphere of cordiality and complete sincerity'. [11]