June 18, 1953
Report from A. Grechko and Tarasov to N.A. Bulganin, 2:30 p.m.
OPERATIONS DIVISION,
MAIN OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION,
GENERAL STAFF OF THE SOVIET ARMY
Top Secret (Declassified)
To Comrade BULGANIN, N.A.
I am reporting the situation in the GDR and Berlin as of 18 June 1953, 1.00 p.m. (Moscow time).
1. Berlin is calm.
2. There have been some attempts to organize riots and demonstrations in Swinoujscie, Starkau, Bernau, Oranienburg (up to one third of the workers there are on strike), Nordhausen, Gorlitz, Warnemunde, Halle, Eisleben, Ettelstadt, Furstenwalde (up to 400 people), Zeitz, Apolda and Ettelstadt.
All attempts at riots and demonstrations have been curbed by the units of the Group.
3. According to military intelligence information, the US 7th Army and the 12th Air Force Army were put on alert in the US zone at 5.30 a.m. on June 18. The Main Headquarters of the NATO Armed Forces in Louveciennes (20 km to the west of Paris) were also put on alert.
The alert state for the 7th Army was canceled and its units were ordered to return to the places of their permanent location at 8.30 a.m.
No movement of troops was observed in the British and French sectors of Berlin.
The French military police has dispersed West Berlin residents gathering at the sectoral border. No gatherings of demonstrators were observed in the British sector of Berlin.
4. The units of the Group have been concentrated in the assigned locations. Besides maintaining order in the area of its location, every garrison has the task to make a reconnaissance up to 50 km around the location and, in case riots occur in any place, deploy sufficient forces there.
GRECHKO TARASOV
"Correctly": GENERAL OF THE ARMY SHTEMENKO
18 June 1953, 2:30 p.m.53
The authors state that Berlin was calm, but there were a few demonstrations in some smaller GDR cities. The authors referred to military intelligence information according to which the US 7th Army and the 12th Air Force Army were put on alert in the US zone at 5.30 a.m. on June 18. But the alert state for the 7th Army was canceled after three hours.
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