Telegram from Stalin telling Mao that he is ready to receive Gao Gang and Kim Il Sung.
June 13, 1951
Ciphered Telegram No. 3557, Filippov [Stalin] to Roshchin
CIPHERED TELEGRAM No. 3557
BEIJING, TO ROSHCHIN
Deliver immediately to the addressee.
“To Comrade MAO ZEDONG.
Today there was a conversation with your representatives from Manchuria and Korea [Gao Gang and Kim Il Sung]. Three questions were raised:
First—about an armistice. We recognized that an armistice is now advantageous.
Second—about military advisers. If they are very necessary to you, then we are ready to satisfy you.
Third—about the delivery of arms for sixteen divisions. There will not be objections from our side.
I won't write about the details, since your representatives will report to you about them.
We consider it absolutely necessary now to start moving at least eight fighter aviation divisions from the sixteen Chinese divisions. We think that besides two or three aviation divisions of MIG-15s, you could take to the front from central and southern China five or six divisions of MIG-9's, which operate very effectively against bombers. Eight fighter divisions on your front could fully satisfy the needs of the front. According to our information your pilots are already ready to fly. It is necessary to put them into battle more quickly, so that they will be not paper pilots, but battle pilots. We trained our pilots for action at the front in five months. Seven to eight months of training is fully sufficient for the Chinese pilots. We consider this to be the main question now for your front.
After the end of the conversation we received information that the Anglo-Americans intend to appeal soon to you and to the Koreans in the name of the sixteen nations fighting against Korea with a proposal about an armistice. But before making this proposal they want to strike a blow against our troops. It is possible that these are merely rumors, but it is fully possible and probable that these are not merely rumors, but corresponds to reality. We therefore advise you to hold tight the line of defense and not allow the enemy to advance.
FILIPPOV [Stalin].”
For Roshchin.
We ask you to familiarize Krasovsky with this telegram. We are sending him a special directive.
FILIPPOV
No. 302/sh
Telegram from Stalin to Mao summarizing his discussions with Kim Il Sung and Gao Gang on the issues of military advisors, air force training and assistance, and the implications of a potential armistice.
Author(s):
Associated People & Organizations
Associated Places
Subjects Discussed
- Korean War, 1950-1953--Armistices
- Korea (North)--Foreign relations--Soviet Union
- China--Foreign relations--Korea (North)
- Korean War, 1950-1953--Soviet Union
- Military assistance, Soviet
- Military assistance, Soviet--China
- China--Foreign relations--Soviet Union
- Chinese People's Volunteer Army
- China--Military relations--Soviet Union
- China--Armed Forces
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