World War II in archival documents (collection of digitized archival documents, film and photo materials)

On October 30, 2024, more than 400 documents from the Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation for the period from November 19, 1942 to November 7, 1944 have been added to the World War II in Archival Documents collection on the portal of the Presidential Library.

The documents for 1942 and 1943 mainly focus on the history of relations between the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition – the USSR, Great Britain, and the United States - which during this time were fraught with tensions and contradictions.

The most significant issue in 1943 was the Allied effort to open a second front in Europe. This was delayed again and again, leading to increased tension. The British government's decision to temporarily suspend northern naval convoys carrying lend-lease supplies to the USSR in March 1943 further exacerbated the situation. Despite Churchill's promises to resume the convoys in September and increase supplies through Iran and Vladivostok, neither happened at the appointed time. From February to November 1943, northern sea convoys were not sent to the USSR.

The main topics of discussion between the Allies were the responsibility of the Nazis for atrocities against civilians in occupied countries and the principles of dealing with Hitler's allies. This was caused by attempts by Hungarian representatives to contact the British government.

The outcome of these negotiations and discussions in 1943 was the creation of documents of two major international conferences, attended by representatives from the three Allied powers, which are included in the Collection.

At the Moscow Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on October 19-30, 1943, the USSR, Britain, and USA signed a Declaration on Universal Security (with China), a Protocol on Measures to Shorten the War in Europe, and a declaration on the Responsibility of Nazis for Atrocities.

A month later, on November 28-December 1, 1943, a historic meeting between the leaders of the three major powers - J. Stalin, W. Churchill, and F. Roosevelt - took place in Tehran. This was the first time the leaders gathered together. The main document of the conference was the Military Decisions of the Tehran Conference, which finally confirmed the commitments of the Anglo-American allies to open a second front in northern France in May 1944.

At the same time, the document also recorded the Soviet Union's commitment to launch an offensive on the Eastern Front to support the Allies' operation and prevent Nazi troops from transferring to the west. The document emphasized the importance of Soviet diplomacy's role in the process of gradually withdrawing Nazi allies from the war, as highlighted in the main part of the Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation documents for 1944 in the Collection.

After the radical turning point on the Soviet-German front in mid-1943, the crisis in Germany's relations with its allies intensified. Documents fully reflect the peace initiatives of the Soviet government, which, in late 1943 and early 1944, attempted to establish contact with representatives of Finland and Romania through the Soviet mission in Sweden for negotiations. Although both countries initially rejected the Soviet proposals, as the Red Army advanced westward in 1944, Germany's allies began to "probe for peace." However, they still refused to agree to even the minimum conditions proposed by the Soviet Union. As a result, negotiations continued without a resolution. Armistice agreements were finally signed in Moscow in the autumn of 1944 with Romania, Finland, and Bulgaria. At the same time, in October, Hungary requested an armistice, but Hitler was able to keep it under his control.

On August 21st, 1944, an international conference began at Dumbarton Oaks in the United States, which marked an important step toward the establishment of the United Nations. Conference participants discussed the organization's goals, aims, structure, functions, powers, decision-making processes, voting procedures, and potential names for the future organization.

The Soviet delegation, led by A. Gromyko, advocated for the representation of all Soviet republics in the new international security body. However, their proposal was not adopted. Additionally, the USSR's proposal regarding voting procedures in the Council, later known as the UN Security Council, was also rejected. The British and American delegations proposed a system where countries directly involved in a dispute would not have voting rights, even if they were permanent members of the Council. The Soviet delegation insisted on the principle of unanimity among the permanent members of the Security Council - the USSR, the United States, Great Britain, and later France - and opposed the idea of removing any country from the voting process.

The documents of the Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, which are included in the Collection, also contain information about discussions by allies about the post-war structure of Europe and the future of Germany at meetings of the European Advisory Commission. They also discuss numerous facts of violations of neutrality by supposedly neutral states, as well as Soviet-Polish and Soviet-Japanese relations.

In accordance with the List of instructions for the implementation of the Address of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation dated January 15, 2020, the organizers of the Collection of Digitized Archival Documents, Film and Photo Materials "World War II in Archival Documents" are the Federal Archival Agency (Rosarkhiv), the Administrative Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation and the Presidential Library.

The Collection is carried out by Rosarkhiv and federal state archives with the participation of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, the state archives of Belarus and others.

To date, the volume of the Collection is over 14 thousand materials: maps, diagrams, periodicals, photographs, newsreels for the period from January 1933 to December 1944.

Archival documents of the Collection World War II in Archival Documents are available from anywhere in the world thanks to the Presidential Library’s portal. Especially for the foreign audience, the titles and annotations to the documents as well as the texts of the accompanying articles are also available in English.

In addition to digitized archival documents the Collection contains a list of the main Internet projects, databases, other thematic online documents, virtual tours of the history of World War II, developed by government agencies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and various organizations.

!!! Please note that the materials presented in the project contain shocking details and descriptions of atrocities and abuse of civilians; The photograph shows mass graves and the exhumation of remains. In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, these visual materials are prohibited for viewing by children under 16 years of age, as well as by persons suffering from nervous and mental illnesses.

Archival documents of the Collection World War II in Archival Documents are available from anywhere in the world thanks to the Presidential Library’s portal. Especially for the foreign audience, the titles and annotations to the documents as well as the texts of the accompanying articles are also available in English.

In addition to digitized archival documents the Collection contains a list of the main Internet projects, databases, other thematic online documents, virtual tours of the history of World War II, developed by government agencies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and various organizations.

Executive institution: Federal Archival Agency (Rosarkhiv)

Operator: Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library of the Administrative Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation

Participants:

Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation (AVP RF)

Russian State Military Archives (RGVA)

Russian State Archive of the Navy (RGAVMF)

Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI)

State Archives of the Russian Federation (GA RF)

Russian State Archives of Contemporary History (RGANI)

Russian State Archives of Film and Photo Documents (RGAKFD)

Russian State Archives of Economy (RGAE)

Russian State Archives in Samara (RGA in Samara)

Central Archives of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (CA MO RF)

Foreign Intelligence Service Archives of the Russian Federation (Archive of SVR)

Central Archive of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (CA FSB)

German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv)

National Archives of the Republic of Belarus (NARB)

Belarusian State Archives of Film and Photo Documents (BGAKFFD)

Belarusian State Archives-Museum of Literature and Art (BGAMLI)