Dimitrov's Diaries on the dissolution of Comintern - 3 - start of OMI
- The ECCI presidium's resolution dissolving the Comintern was published in Pravda
- Explanatory session in this regard were conducted in the ECCI departments, as per my instructions yesterday
4 June 1943
- Sent following encoded communication to France, Belgium, Holland, America, Yugoslavia, Poland, Sweden, China;
Please report Immediately:
First. Were there dissenting opinions in the CC during consideration of the ECCI presidium's proposal to dissolve the Comintern, and if so, what were they specifically?
Second. How was this proposal greeted by the party active in the localities?
Third. What effect did the proposal to dissolve have on party masses and sympathetic circles?
Fourth. Have elements appeared in the party that are attempting to take advantage of dissolution for factional and disorganizational activities, and if so, which people and who are they?
Fifth. What measures have been taken to ensure that the proposal to dissolve is correctly understood in the party ranks and also to paralyze enemy propaganda portraying this matter as a maneuver, a sham dissolution, and so on?
Sixth. What is the party doing to explain to the masses the Comintern's positive role over the course of its existence, particularly in the struggle against fascism and current fascist warmongers, and also to repulse the enemy's slander campaign?
(...)
5 June 1943
-Sent Stalin and Molotov additional reports of approval of the presidium's proposal that we have received. Informed them that we are convening a meeting of the presidium from 8 to 10 June and that we intend to publish the communique on the dissolution of the Comintern on June 10-11 , before the opening of the Labourite conference ( June 13 of the current year)
(...)
8 June 1943
- Held the final meeting of the ECCI presidium.
1. It was established that all sections ( all extant sections capable of reporting their decisions) have unanimously approved the proposal to dissolve the Comintern, and that not a single objection has come in from any section.
2. The abolition of the executive Committee of the Communist International, the presidium, and the secretariat of the executive Committee, as well as the international Control Commission, was announced.
3. A commission was appointed consisting of Dimitrov (Chairman) , Manuilsky, Pieck, Ercoli (Togliatti), and head of the Mangerial-Operational Directorate Sukharev (secretary) to undertake the practical liquidation of current business, the organs of the apparatus, and CI property.
4. A communique to be published in the press to this effect.
(...)
12 June 1943
- Received Liutenant- General Ilichev and Colonel Bolshakov (from red Army Intelligent Directorate). Settled questions of the further cooperation of our correspondence and communication centers abroad.
(..)
At Stalin's tonight (Molotov, Voroshilov, Beria, Malenkov, Mikoyan and Scherbakov were present. Discussion of our draft on formation of a German antifascist committee, Free Germany Draft was on the whole approved. Stalin stressed that it was essential for the Germans to point out the danger of the dismemberment and destruction of Germany, a danger that can be avoided only by overthrowing Hitlerite Germany. The struggle to save Germany from ruin, for restoring the democratic rights and freedoms of the German people, for the establishment of a parliamentary order, and so on - these are to be the tasks of the antifascist committee of German patriots.
- It was decided to form a special Department of International Information (OMI) in the VKP(b) CC to be entrusted with directing the antifascist committees, clandestine national broadcasting, liasions with foreign countries, the SUpress Telegraph Agency, and the Foreign Language Publishing House.
- In order not to let enemies exploit the fact that this department is headed by Dimitrov, it was decided to appoint Scherbakov head of the department and Dimitrov and Manuilsky his deputies. The decision is not to be announced; rather, organize and conduct the departments work internally.
14 June 1943
- Met with Malenkov. Worked out with Scherbakov and Manuilsky in concrete terms how the Department of International Information is to function in such a way as to avoid the risk the enemy will exploit it to claim that the Comintern is continuing to exist in a different form, as well as which functions that department is to assume.
After changing views, we agreed to meet again to reach a final decision.
(..)
18 June 1943
(..)
People's Comissar for State Security Merkulov to see me. Clarified matters concerning transfer of a variety of our establishments to his People Comissariat, and also (its) servicing the foreign bureaus of the different parties in transporting their cadres to their (respective) countries.
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Note
Considering hand typing from the Diaries to blog, for time saving and staying on the subject, some unrelated comments, notes removed from the diary, some words are completed, ie.Sta (lin). Italics and parenthesis original from the diaries .. EA
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