Дипломатска мисија Краљевине Југославије у СССР-у 1940-1944.
The Diplomatic Mission of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the USSR 1940-1944

Author(s): Aleksej J. Timofejev
Subject(s): Diplomatic history, Political history, International relations/trade, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949)
Published by: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije
Keywords: Yugoslav-Soviet relations; history of diplomacy; Stalin; USSR; World War II;
Summary/Abstract: In late spring of 1940 the USSR enjoyed the comfortable position of the militarily and strategically strongest neutral nation in Europe that maintained diplomatic relations with both Great Britain and Germany. On the other hand, the Yugoslav neutral status on the eve of the war was rather precarious because the Kingdom of Yugoslavia „continued behind the scenes cooperation with its old allies.“ Under these circumstances the view of the official Belgrade on the USSR was quickly transformed. Between January and March 1940 the two embassies agreed on establishing diplomatic relations and on the exchange of diplomatic missions. For Yugoslav representatives who came to the USSR the situation in Moscow seemed strange, incomprehensible and very difficult. They shared a rather disparaging views on the Soviet Russia due to anti-communist ideas, Soviet losses in the Soviet-Finish war and ungainly looks of Stalin’s socialist „paradise”. They maintained only very sporadic contacts with Soviet officials. The situation changed after the coup d’etat in Yugoslavia. The contract that had been concluded couldn’t prevent Germany from attacking and dismembering Yugoslavia. After the capitulation of the Yugoslav Army had been signed in Belgrade and the government had left the country, the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Yugoslav Embassy of the impossibility to continue maintaining fuehrer diplomatic relations. However, after the Gennan attack on the USSR, the Yugoslav government hurried to present its views „on its attitude toward the latest Gennan attack on Russia”. The Soviet government notified the Yugoslav one that it could reopen its Embassy in Moscow, which was duly done on August 5, 1941. The German thrust toward Moscow made the stay there extremely difficult. According to the decision of the Soviet government, foreign embassies were removed 1.000 km from Moscow, to Kuybishev. The staff of the Yugoslav embassy lost all contacts with real surroundings. The information arrived through scanty statements of Soviet officials, the Soviet press and rumors spread by officials of foreign embassies. In early 1942 changes were made at the Embassy: S, Simić was appointed ambassador and M. Lozić military attache. A significant transformation took place in the life of the Yugoslav Embassy during 1943: the heads of the mission (the ambassador and the military attache) started losing understanding for the moves of the Royal Government and started appraising diplomatic moves of the Soviet Foreign Ministry with more sympathy. Finally on March 10, 1944, in an open letter to Marshal Tilo, Simić andLozić stated they wouldn’t represent the „traitor government” any longer and that they „put themselves at the disposal of the National Committee of Liberation of Yugoslavia”

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