A document telling about the plans of France and Britain to attack the USSR and capture Leningrad has been declassified

A document from 1940 has been declassified, which tells about the plans of Britain and France to start a war against the USSR. The date of publication of the document is January 13, 1940, that is, before the attack on France by Nazi Germany. Publishes historical document Presidential Library of the Russian Federation.

The document is a message from the head of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, Lavrentiy Beria, to the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, about the decision of Paris and London to start a war against the Soviet Union.

The message indicates that before the start of the war, an active anti-Soviet propaganda campaign was launched in the press of these states. It is also noted that the decision taken by London and Paris entailed the resignation of Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for Military Affairs (in fact, Minister of Defense) of Britain. His resignation was accepted on January 5, 1940. He stated that he opposed the attack on the USSR.

From the document:

The ardent supporters of the war are generals Weygand, Gamelin, Gort. Ironside.

For reference: Edmund Ironside participated in the military intervention in Russia back in 1918-19. He commanded the interventionists during their occupation of the Arkhangelsk region. He was not only an active opponent of the USSR, but also an anti-Semite. It is noteworthy that in 1941 he was granted the title of baron, which sounded like this - Baron Ironside of Arkhangelsk.

Based on past campaigns against Russia, those hatching plans for a new war again set their eyes on the Russian North. IN declassified The note states that the “allies” planned to involve a Canadian division in the war against the USSR with the aim of taking control of the Finnish port of Petsamo for subsequent military operations against Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.

One of the targets of the attack on the USSR by Britain and France was Leningrad. Its capture, in the opinion of Paris and London, was supposed to deal a serious blow to the Soviet Union.

Comments

[Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov]

“A document telling about the plans of France and Britain to attack the USSR and capture Leningrad has been declassified” -

“They haven’t abandoned such plans even now...

[Ross xnumx]

This is how we learn from Soviet secrets that it was not only the Italians who sought treasures in Leningrad. Northern Palmyra haunted GB and France.
* * *
Why do we learn about the subhumanity of famous countries eighty years later? Has anyone been hoping all this time to “see Paris and die”, having breathed in the air of “Foggy Albion” before that?

[Coward]

Someone all this time hoped to “see Paris and die”

Beria, Stalin, Khrushchev, Malenkov, Brezhnev? Or are you hinting at Putin?

[Ross xnumx]

Quote: Coward

Someone all this time hoped to “see Paris and die”

Most likely, EBN and his entourage can be added to this. It was during his reign that a mass flight from the “hated” Soviets took place.
I SIMPLY DO NOT WANT to talk about Putin or his circle, because of the two-faced individuals in the party that supports his policies and the unscrupulous people in his circle.
I believe that devotion to a specific body is not the standard of devotion to the country (Russia). I am close to the spirit of those warriors who give their lives for their people, for the well-being of their country.

[blackGRAIL]

GDP cannot be viewed and assessed in isolation from Putin's team. Just like Stalin, with all his achievements, is nothing without his team. The famous "personnel decides everything."

[Vasily_Ostrovsky]

This is true, but there is a nuance...

Stalin constantly formed and reorganized his team, although he used non-herbivorous methods...

Putin has mothballed his team; there is no influx of healthy and talented “encirclement” and is not expected. Even with catastrophic mistakes and direct crimes of those around them.
His well-known principle is “He doesn’t abandon his own”... But who is “his own”? Mediocrities, scoundrels and swindlers? The people are not included in this “inside”, it seems...

[blackGRAIL]

Everything is absolutely true, that’s exactly what we’re talking about. It is impossible to close your eyes indefinitely and separately admire the GDP and blame all the troubles on scoundrels and swindlers. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is human nature, and even team members who were talented, noble and honest at the start will not always be so.

[Vasily_Ostrovsky]

Mediocrity can build a system only in the image and likeness of its understanding... and this fits perfectly into the image of the system that is being built.
It’s sad that it cannot be updated, or, God forbid, modernized, in principle. No one has ever been able to bypass these systemic laws.
And all 25 years of this is a clear example of this.

It was the system that gave birth to both Serdyukov and his follower. It was this system that gave birth to Prigozhin and brought him and the country to the brink of disaster, miraculously rolled back... the system draws conclusions only when there is a real threat to the system itself.
Not to the people, the country, the prestige of the state, the future - no, only when there is a threat to the system itself and the people who make it up.

[GGV]

It’s strange that this became news for you. I remember from my school curriculum (and I studied under the USSR) that France and the World Bank supported Finland in the war and threatened (discussed) declaring war on the USSR.

[carpenter]

Quote: GGV

It’s strange that this became news for you. Even in the school curriculum (and I studied under the USSR) I remember that France and the World Bank supported Finland

Those who studied in the 60s and earlier remember this, but then this topic was covered up.

[Alemax]

Well, I went to school in the 70s and 80s. I also remember this topic very well.

[Seal]

Quote: ROSS 42

Why do we learn about the subhumanity of famous countries eighty years later?

Hmmm, I’m also interested in why you will learn about the subhumanity of these countries eighty years later? After all, we in the USSR have been writing about the fact that England and France just barely had time to launch a military operation against the USSR, since the Red Army broke through the Mannerheim Line and Finland capitulated. After which the Allies did not abandon the attack on the USSR, but they had to change their plans. But while they were developing a new plan, Germany switched to active actions in France (but they didn’t write about this, otherwise it turned out somehow ugly). They also wrote about intelligence data. Only, under J.V. Stalin, they did not mention specific documents, and after the death of I.V. Stalin, it is clear that they wrote without mentioning Comrade. L.P. Beria and without even mentioning which department this intelligence belonged to. They simply wrote “Soviet intelligence officers managed to obtain information.”

[Grancer81]

In fact, on April 9, ahead of the English Expeditionary Force by 1 day, the Third Reich launched Operation Weserubung, beginning the landing of Wehrmacht units in Denmark and Norway.

[sdivt]

Quote: ROSS 42

Why do we learn about the subhumanity of famous countries eighty years later?

And not only countries. Sometimes - persons.
I have already written on the pages of this forum, I am 101% sure that the archives contain a lot of interesting things:

Quote from sdivt

An interesting detail.
These kinds of facts emerge from the archives carefully at the right period of time. Well, this does not raise questions; the meaning of the appearance of accusations is clear.
But it makes you wonder how much more of this is stored in the archives of everyone else?
What will come to light if we part ways, for example, with China? Or with Belarus?
And not even with countries, but with individual historical figures?
I am sure that there is a lot in the archives that can not only surprise us, or shock us, but even change our views on what is happening, and on history in general.

And, of course, we must not forget about falsification.
Falsification of documents, falsification of history itself
Today, when there is a trend not to check primary sources, but to take on faith any document that is similar to the original, falsification has flourished wildly.

[Vasily_Ostrovsky]

Here we can also add the thesis about the global destruction of archives, which, although they were “cleaned” during the Soviet period, have simply assumed catastrophic proportions in the last 10-15 years.

[Andrei Nikolaevich]

It’s not entirely clear to me: why wasn’t this document made public earlier? Taking into account this information, it was possible for France to be thrown out of the victorious countries with a scandal, like a pissing cat. And in 2014, they finally “gave birth” to the truth about Khatyn - who exactly burned it. A teaspoon per hour. I understand that history is a corrupt girl of politics, but not to the same extent...And now let’s clear up the dirt between official and unofficial history..

[Blackmokona]

The document was published on January 13, 1940, that is, before the attack on France by Nazi Germany.

France declared war on Germany in 1939. Therefore, the plan is pure nonsense. How will they even get through Denmark in this regard?
How can all this ridiculous supply be supplied through the Baltic Sea, which was tightly controlled by Germany?

[Dutchman Michel]

France declared war on Germany in 1939. Therefore, the plan is pure nonsense. How will they even get through Denmark in this regard?

Denmark was not yet occupied at that time

[Blackmokona]

However, it was not long before its occupation, and as we know, the British read the correspondence of the Germans. Therefore, they knew very well about Hitler’s future plans

[Dutchman Michel]

The British read the correspondence of the Germans

Didn't read it at that time

[Volodin]

There's nothing particularly funny here. It also talks about plans for the Russian North. Through the same Arkhangelsk, theoretically, they could reach Leningrad.

And what does Germany and Denmark have to do with it, especially considering that the Nazis would have supported with both hands the invasion of other countries into the USSR, so that they could then complete what they started. Western "allies" - this is such a thing...

[Blackmokona]

Because there was a war between the Reich and the Allies, and at that moment there was friendship between the USSR and the Reich.

[vkfriendly]

Why don’t we want to tell you about “friendship”? But because the so-called former Entente did not want to have anything to do with us and turned a blind eye to all our exhortations to conclude an alliance in the hope that Hitler would trample on us, and they would, as always, watch from the sidelines and rub their hands. Yes, they miscalculated a little. Hitler decided to stick them in first.

[GGV]

So who forbade them to conclude a peace treaty with the USSR? Stalin was the first to suggest that they do THIS and only then was forced to conclude a pact with Germany, and so these figures screwed themselves.

[Dutchman Michel]

Because there was a war between the Reich and the Allies

It was a "strange war". They sat in the trenches and looked at each other. Sometimes they even played football in no man's land

[solar]

Western "allies" - this is such a thing...

At that time, they were not our allies; the USSR politically and economically supported Germany, with which England and France were at war. There was a formal treaty of friendship with Germany in addition to the non-aggression pact, there were political statements condemning England and France for waging war against Germany, there was trade. There was also the German raider Komet, who drank the blood of the British and was led through the Northern Sea Route.
England and France at that time considered the USSR as an ally of Germany, this has long been no secret. Plans to bomb Baku to disrupt oil supplies to Germany have been known for a long time.
The situation changed only on June 22, 1941, when Hitler attacked the USSR contrary to existing agreements.

[dmi.pris1]

Most likely, one of the pre-war mistakes of strategic analysis. But if this document is not fake. Yes, there is always someone there who is itching. But the above-mentioned characters at that time no longer had weight...

[Blackmokona]

Either fake, or written by some senile ignoramus. Well, or at the request of some senile politician, with the conclusion that achieving the goals of the plan is impossible. Similar to Operation Unthinkable

[your1970]

Well, or at the request of some senile politician, with the conclusion that achieving the goals of the plan is impossible
Who are you referring to" - "A senile politician" - if the document was written here in 1940?

[Kerensky]

Either fake, or written by some senile ignoramus.

For those who have not worked with archival documents of this level, this is a fake! Made in a circle... well, where they sew the sleeves to the pants.

[Dart2027]

Quote: BlackMokona

France declared war on Germany in 1939.

Do you mean the Strange War? Well, she announced it. True, she began to fight only after Hitler himself attacked her.

[Blackmokona]

Quote: Dart2027

Do you mean the Strange War? Well, she announced it. True, she began to fight only after Hitler himself attacked her.

It is a myth

The Saar Offensive is a ground offensive operation of the French ground forces in the Saar, organized at the beginning of World War II and lasting from September 7 to 16, 1939. The purpose of the operation was to divert the German forces and provide indirect assistance to the Polish Army, which at that time unsuccessfully tried to provide organized resistance to the German troops.

However, despite superior numbers of troops and armored vehicles, the French troops suffered heavy losses and hastily retreated. This operation is the only armed conflict between Poland’s allies and the German army before the start of the so-called “Phantom War”.

[Dart2027]

Quote: BlackMokona

It is a myth

Really?

Quote: BlackMokona

This operation is the only armed conflict between Poland’s allies and the German army before the start of the so-called “Phantom War”.

That is, after a minor skirmish (losses of 2000 people by the standards of the 20th century are not even funny), the French army, having an overwhelming advantage, immediately retreated and the soldiers were forbidden to approach the German positions. Am I the only one who thinks something is wrong here?

[solar]

(losses of 2000 people by the standards of the 20th century are not even funny)

They did not yet know about the level of casualties in the Second World War, and barely caught their breath after the First. And they did not have an overwhelming advantage - outdated weapons from the First World War, an army that did not want to fight, and the population was not delighted to see a repeat of the First World War.

[Dart2027]

Quote from solar

and barely caught their breath after the First

In which the Germans had no losses?

Quote from solar

obsolete weapons from the First World War

Well, with the Germans everything was completely new. Everyone had enough outdated weapons, though not WWII, but newer ones.

[solar]

In addition to losses, the Germans had a strong desire for revenge. The French didn't have it. As for weapons, after the First World War the Germans had none left, but the French had quite a lot. Therefore, they didn’t spend much money on new things.

[Dart2027]

Quote from solar

As for weapons, the Germans didn’t have any left after the First World War, but the French had quite a lot

But the French had a surviving military industry, while the Germans somehow restored it and with weapons everything was far from brilliant.

Quote from solar

The French didn't have it

That is, they had a desire to give the Germans the opportunity to recover?

[Dutchman Michel]

The Saarland Offensive was a ground military offensive operation by French ground forces in the Saarland.

The French just stuck their nose out from behind their line, and immediately stuck it back

[Blackmokona]

Quote: Dutchman Michel

The French just stuck their nose out from behind their line, and immediately stuck it back

Bandage the nose scraps. The ratio of the quality of the army and the command was too striking to storm the powerful defensive line across the river at a fast pace. The Allies had no choice but to sit on the defensive, hoping that Germany would be exhausted from the blockade.

[Ratmir_Ryazan]

France declared war on Germany in 1939. Therefore, the plan is pure nonsense. How will they even get through Denmark in this regard? wassat

How did they land in Arkhangelsk with tanks in 1918-1919?

France and Britain, although they declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, did not conduct military operations against it and allowed the Germans to capture Poland, hoping that Hitler would then go to war against the USSR, while they would sit behind the Majeno Line.
But everything did not go according to plan, on May 10, 1940, Germany launched a French campaign and defeated the forces of France, Britain and their allies.

So, it is very likely that France and Britain were in cahoots and were planning to invade the USSR as soon as Germany started a war against us.

The same Truman, being a senator and the future president of the United States, said on the second day of the war that the main thing in the interests of the United States was that the Russians and Germans kill each other as much as possible, and they were going to help those who would lose the war.
Obviously, the United States also wanted a repeat of Foreign Intervention and the recapture of our Far East.

[solar]

The same Truman, being a senator and the future president of the United States, said on the second day of the war that the main thing in the interests of the United States was that the Russians and Germans kill each other as much as possible, and they were going to help those who would lose the war.

What was he supposed to say? Neither the USSR nor Germany were states friendly to the United States. This was a logical position for the Americans, although it sounds cynical. We were lucky that Roosevelt had a different opinion, and he decided.

[Ratmir_Ryazan]

What was he supposed to say? Neither the USSR nor Germany were states friendly to the United States.

Firstly, he should not have said such a thing, either as a person or as a politician, in fact, he wanted the extermination of Russians and Germans, and secondly, his words confirm the constant intentions of the West to destroy our state, so the declassified documents are real.

[GGV]

It’s hard to imagine, but this is not nonsense. Paris and London supported Finland and actually wanted to declare war on the USSR. And they wanted to deploy supplies most likely through Norway, Sweden and northern Finland.

[hagen]

Quote: BlackMokona

France declared war on Germany in 1939. Therefore, the plan is pure nonsense. How will they even get through Denmark in this regard?

The Danish operations were carried out by Hitler in April 1940, so the Franks did not yet know that Hitler from Denmark could prevent the Franks from landing in Finland.

[Grancer81]

Simultaneously with the capture of Denmark, the capture of Norway began... By the way, control over the Danish Straits is of strategic importance.

[avia12005]

Once again it is worth saying “thank you” to Stalin, who was able to prevent the West from forming an alliance against the USSR. By the way, in the pre-war film “If Tomorrow is War” this situation is shown very accurately. I recommend watching it if anyone hasn't seen it.

[hagen]

Quote: avia12005

Once again it is worth saying “thank you” to Stalin, who was able to prevent the West from forming an alliance against the USSR.

The bickering in the West was in full swing even without Stalin. But we really need to be grateful for the fact that after the 18th Congress in 1939 they began to build backup factories in strategic industries in the east of the country. For it was precisely to those sites that were chosen and, although to varying degrees, but had already begun to be settled, that factories from the European part were relocated during the evacuation in 1941. In general, big bosses always have something to thank for, and something to reproach for. There are no saints.

[Cartalon]

Yeah, in fact, the plan was to destroy the oil industry in Baku, they didn’t have the forces to attack Leningrad, not entirely misleading, but not entirely accurate information either.

[fa2998]

Quote: Cartalon

Yeah, in fact, the plan was to destroy the oil industry in Baku, they didn’t have the forces to attack Leningrad, not entirely misleading, but not entirely accurate information either.

It even says in the document = "unverified information".
At that time, England and France were officially at war with Germany. And the USSR, essentially an ally of Germany, supplied the same oil from Baku. And Finland came into the “sphere of interest” as a result of secret protocols.
Then (and even now) they reported what the authorities wanted to hear.

[Grancer81]

It’s interesting, but Sweden, which throughout the war supplied Germany with iron ore, ammunition, food, equipment, for some reason is not considered an ally of Hitler, and only the lazy do not blame the USSR...

[fa2998]

Sweden was neutral. And they would have sold it to us. But how to get there, the trade routes were closed with Finland during the war.

[Amateur]

On September 1, 1939, WWII began in Europe. On September 3, 1939, England and France declared war on Nazi Germany. What kind of intervention in the USSR can we talk about? This is either fake or the keyword in line 2: “unverified data...”, i.e. This is either a resident’s invention or a German “misinformation”.

[Dart2027]

Quote: Amateur

On September 3, 1939, England and France declared war on Nazi Germany.

Strange war?

[Blackmokona]

Quote: Dart2027

Strange war?

It was a strange war, because the French went on the attack and went under. And then they switched to defensive defense. And the Germans needed time to prepare a new blitzkrieg.

[Dart2027]

Quote: BlackMokona

Strange war, because the French

they just pretended to be fighting

[Blackmokona]

Quote: Dart2027

they just pretended to be fighting

They tried, but the Germans quickly showed them that the French army remained at the WWII level.

[Dart2027]

Quote: BlackMokona

They tried, but the Germans quickly showed them that

Yes, yes, yes, they showed it.

Quote: Dart2027

That is, after a minor skirmish (losses of 2000 people by the standards of the 20th century are not even funny), the French army, having an overwhelming advantage, immediately retreated and the soldiers were forbidden to approach the German positions.

[solar]

On September 3, 1939, England and France declared war on Nazi Germany. What kind of intervention in the USSR can we talk about?

England and France at that time perceived the USSR as an ally of Germany, so it is quite possible that such plans were discussed.

[Pavel57]

The intricacies of history. The British planned to bomb Baku. We respond by bombing Alexandria. As a result, Alexandria was bombed by the Germans, as was Baku.

[Makarov Roman]

And then the sobs begin - “Stalin didn’t trust intelligence...” when you read such reports, you stop trusting intelligence altogether

[Ezekiel 25-17]

This secret is not great: after the signing of the Non-Aggression Pact with Nazi Germany, and especially after the start of the Finnish campaign of 1939-1940, these plans were seriously discussed at the highest level; everything was decided by the defeat of France. The meme generation knows this well, they just decided to remind our EGE victims of all this. So they declassified it.

[syabroleonid]

very good document. fits well into the outline of the general situation. Plan Barbarossa was signed by Hitler in November 1940. So these plans in January 1940 may be real. Most likely this is part of the disinformation of our future allies in order to stop the Soviet invasion of Finland and beyond. And at the height of the Finnish war, such a disinformation plan could have many interested parties. Yes, anyone could. After all, the USSR had already crossed the borders of Poland and the Baltic states, and this worried many.

[tatra]

Both enemies of the USSR are waging an information war against each other, including using history.

[Dutchman Michel]

wage an information war against each other, including using history

History, these are the same weapons as tanks and airplanes

[alexboguslavski]

The ardent supporters of the war are generals Weygand, Gamelin, Gort. Ironside.

The British soon had to fight Hitler themselves, but what about the French?

At the beginning of the German invasion of France, Holland and Belgium on May 10, Gamelin took a wait-and-see attitude, and as a result of such unsuccessful command he was removed from office; On May 19, 1940, he was replaced by General Weygand.

During the Vichy regime in September 1940, he was arrested and convicted of treason at the Riom Trial, initiated by the government of Marshal Pétain, along with other political and military figures of the Third Republic, and was later deported to Germany, where he was in a concentration camp.

General Weygand served as Minister of National Defense during the Vichy regime (from June 17 to September 5, 1940). Weygand convened a military tribunal, which sentenced de Gaulle, who remained in London, to death in absentia (August 2, 1940).

In September 1940, he was appointed general representative of Marshal Pétain in North Africa. Here he collaborated with the Germans (providing weapons to Rommel’s Afrika Korps in 1941), sent political opponents of the regime and Foreign Legion volunteers to concentration camps, and enforced anti-Semitic laws (sometimes more stringent than in the metropolis; for example, Jewish children were expelled from schools) . At the same time, he played a double game, mainly through the still neutral USA at that time, trying to achieve a world truce “without winners and losers.” In November 1941, at Hitler's request, he was dismissed.

[solar]

The British soon had to fight Hitler themselves

In 1940 they already fought with Hitler, we soon had to do this too, and in 1940 we have official friendly relations with Germany.

[alexboguslavski]

Document release date – January 13 1940 years, that is, before the attack on France by Nazi Germany.

More precisely, they were in a state of war. There were no land clashes yet; the “Battle of the Atlantic” was just unfolding and resembled medieval privateering.

And England and France concluded non-aggression treaties with Germany a year earlier than the USSR, in 1938. There they are sitting, washing the contract.

[solar]

There were already ground operations, for example the Saar offensive operation and the German counter-offensive, and there were other battles of a smaller scale. There were also events at sea - Royal Oak was already lying on the bottom along with more than eight hundred crew members.

As for non-aggression treaties, everyone had them before the war. And among the allies, and between Poland and Germany, and between Poland and the USSR, they did not interfere with anyone. But in addition to this, the USSR also concluded a friendship treaty with Germany (and secret protocols to the non-aggression treaty with Germany, which lead to a separate agreement on the division of spheres of influence) and actively opposed the war of the Allies with Germany. For example, the USSR-controlled French communists, led by Maurice Therese, launched an active anti-war campaign against France's participation in the war with Germany. Similarly, the US Communist Party opposed any US participation in the war against Germany. On June 22, 1941, they, of course, radically changed their minds.

[guest]

Quote from solar

In 1940 they were already at war with Hitler

When did they fight? France capitulated very quickly.

[BAI]

Operation Spear was more realistic. To repel this threat, most of the fighter aircraft with combat experience from the Finnish War were transferred to the Caucasus. From north to south. Across the country. Such movements are simply not done. Even during the Second World War this did not happen - the air units that went through the battle for the skies of Taman remained there, while others fought near Kursk.

The Secretary General of the French Foreign Ministry Leger wrote to the American Ambassador Bullitt on January 11, 1940: "France will not break off diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union or declare war on it, it will simply destroy the USSR."

/

[Div Divich]

After these documents, it is necessary to immediately stop selling oil and gas to these countries and completely stop trading with them.

[_DD_]

If all this had been shown on time, there would now be many times less soybeans

[Sotskiy]

A document telling about the plans of France and Britain to attack the USSR and capture Leningrad has been declassified

How everything immediately sparkled with new colors!
Where did the turbo-patriots immediately go with the investment of the Soviet government with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?

[guest]

A document telling about the plans of France and Britain to attack the USSR and capture Leningrad has been declassified

Not surprised.