December 14, 1962
Bulgarian Minister of Internal Affairs to Deputy Minister of Defense, Information Report on Military Actions in West Germany during Cuban Missile Crisis (excerpt)
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Personal. Top Secret!
TO COMRADE GENERAL SEMERDZHIEV[1]
INFORMATION
N 433
[…]
5. During the Cuban crisis, all northern and north-western ports in the Federal Republic of Germany were subject to NATO command and combat readiness. There were intensive transportation activities and stockpiling of large quantities of ammunitions, especially in the area of Lübeck, where military supply troops were deployed. English military troops were transported over the Channel to reinforce the garrisons in the FRG. There was intensive movement of supply troops from the ports to the inner regions of the country, tanks and artillery – mainly anti-aircraft.
Wealthy West German families were hoarding stocks of food and were getting ready for evacuation to Switzerland, Spain and other places. Due to the strong and effective propaganda, a large part of the population justified the aggressive acts of the Americans, who averted Soviet actions not only in the western hemisphere, but also in Berlin.
MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
/sign/ Gen. Diko Dikov
14.XII.1962
Sofia
Nr. 1558/NS - 3 copies
Notes
[1] Col.-Gen. Atanas Semerdzhiev, Chief of General Staff and First Deputy Minister of Defense (1962-1989), Minister of Internal Affairs (1989-1990), Vice President of Bulgaria (1990-1992).
Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, General Diko Dikov, the Minister of Internal Affairs, drafted a report for General Semerdzhiev covering military movements inside West Germany(Federal Republic of Germany). Dikov includes a brief description of NATO and English military mobilization along with civilian preparations influenced by propaganda during the crisis.
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