Stalin’s Big Bluff The story of the Stalin Note of 10 March 1952 as reflected in the documents of the Soviet leadership

Many contemporaries considered both German states as temporary arrangements. In 1952, there appeared a chance of reunifi cation and towards the end of the year a debate started whether Stalin’s note, dated 10 March 1952, which contained a proposal to create a united and neutral Germany was a real alternative. The files of the Soviet leadership, which were first analysed by the author, provide a clear answer: Stalin’s proposal was a manoeuvre against the rearmament of West Germany. Till the end of the “battle of notes”, the Soviet Union was not ready for a policy of neutrality even in relation to Austria. Thanks to the presented documents, the long-standing dispute over Stalin’s note is now settled