Top Secret

BY CIPHER

To Comrades Surits, Maisky, Umansky, Merekalov, Gelfand, Smetanin, Derevyansky, Nikitin, Zotov, Listopad, Potemkin, Nikitnikova.

For your information. In view of a serious conflict between the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Comrade Molotov, and the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Comrade Litvinov, arising from Comrade Litvinov's disloyal attitude toward the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, Comrade Litvinov submitted a request to the CC to relieve him of his duties as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs. The CC VKP(b) granted Comrade Litvinov's request and relieved him of his duties as People's Commissar. The Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, Comrade Molotov, has been appointed People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs concurrently.

No. 504/cipher. May 3, 1939

Secretary of the CC VKP(b)

I. Stalin

Rodina. 1993. No. 10. P. 48.

AP RF. F. 3. Op. 63. D. 29. L. 71.

Note:

Surits Ya.Z. -- Plenipotentiary Representative of the USSR in France (1937-1940); Maisky (Lyakhovetsky) I.M. -- Plenipotentiary Representative (from 1941, Ambassador) of the USSR in Great Britain (1932-1943); Umansky K.A. -- Charge d'Affaires of the USSR in the USA (1938-1939), Plenipotentiary Representative of the USSR in the USA (1939-1941); Merekalov A.F. -- Plenipotentiary Representative of the USSR in Germany (1938-1939); Gelfand L.B. -- Counselor of the USSR Embassy in Italy (1939), Charge d'Affaires of the USSR in Italy (1940); Smetanin K.A. -- Charge d'Affaires (1938-1939), Plenipotentiary Representative (Ambassador) of the USSR in Japan (1939-1942); Derevyansky V.K. -- Charge d'Affaires of the USSR in Finland, Plenipotentiary Representative of the USSR in Finland (1938-1940); Nikitin K.N. -- Plenipotentiary Representative of the USSR in Estonia (1937-1940); Zotov I.S. -- Plenipotentiary Representative of the USSR in Latvia (1937-1940); Listopad P.P. -- Charge d'Affaires of the USSR in Poland; Potemkin V.P. -- Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR (1937-1940); Nikitnikova O.I. -- Charge d'Affaires of the USSR in Turkey.