March 16, 1945
Report to L. P. Beria about the Social and Political Situation in Northern Transylvania
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
Report to L. P. Beria about the Social and Political
Situation in Northern Transylvania[1]
[Bucharest]
March 16, 1945
TOP SECRET
Moscow, NKVD USSR - to comrade BERIA
We are sending you a short report on Northern Transylvania.
According to our agents' information:
1. The celebration of the inauguration of the Romanian administration in Northern Transylvania[2] in Kluzh on March 13 was exceptionally successful. Kluzh has never seen such a grandiose public celebration. All strata of the population of the city and the countryside took active part in the rally, which was organized in the central square after the military parade (over 100 thousand people took part in the rally).
From the political point of view, the supporters of the National-Democratic Front and the government of Petre Groza achieved big success on this day. The enthusiasm and the upbeat and active mood of the participants affirmed the progressive mood of the majority of the population. Soviet representatives led by comrade Vyshinsky and general-colonel Susaikov were received very warmly.
The attachment of the Northern Transylvania to Romania made a great impression on the workers, industrial and university youth, on peasants of Northern Transylvania, and also on the petty bourgeoisie. Only representatives of industrialists, financiers and big traders are in a state of anxiety.
The representatives of the local government of Northern Transylvania in the Mayor's building met the King, who arrived by a special train to take part in the festivities, with excitement. Meanwhile the columns of the rally participants greeting Petre Groza and comrade Vyshinsky made a point of avoiding the King.
There were almost no slogans or floats mentioning the King, and only a small group of Tsaranists periodically greeted the King.
The King's unhappy mood was very evident.
2. Despite the fact that the Anglo-American missions accepted[3] the proposal of the Petre Groza government on participating in the festivities in Kluzh-they planned to send 4 representatives each, and even sent automobiles there. At the moment when the government train departed for Kluzh, the British informed Petre Groza that it would be impossible for them to go to Kluzh because they did not receive a clearance from London.
An analogous statement came from the Americans also.
This fact was considered by the "historical parties" as a demonstration of the negative attitude of the Anglo-American Mission to the government of Petre Groza and the actions of the Soviet representatives in Romania.
On the eve of the departure of Petre Groza government, the Soviet representatives, and also representatives of other parties and public organizations-proponents of the National-Democratic Front in Kluzh to take part in the ceremonies of establishing the Romanian administration in the Northern Transylvania-the leadership of the "historical parties" appealed to Petre Groza with a request for his consent to allow their delegations to take part in the festivities.
The National-Tsaranist party sent a delegation of 5 people led by leader of the Transylvanian Tsaranists Mikhai Popovich with Kopucu and Hodjia - trusted people of Maniu
The National-Liberal party sent Lapedatu and Dimitru Naku.
At the conference of the Bucharest delegation of the National-Tsaranists and Liberals with the representatives of local organizations of Kluzh, they agreed on the need to continue the maximum resistance to the National-Democratic Front in Northern Transylvania, and to fight against the Hungarian domination in the hope that the chauvinistically inclined Romanian village population from Northern Transylvania would give their support to the "historical parties" in the fight against the National-Democratic Front
ATTACHMENT: Reference on public and political organizations in Northern Transylvania[4]
OVAKIMYAN
TIMOFEEV
KUZNETSOV
[1]. Copies sent to I. Stalin, V. Molotov, O. Malenkov
[2]. The USSR gave its consent to the inauguration of the Romanian administration in Northern Transylvania immediately after the government of Petre Groza had been formed.
[3]. As in the original
[4]. The reference was not published.
NKGB/NKVD report on the response in Northern Transylvania following Romania's resumption of control of the region.
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