The Real Story Of Stalin Note
The Stalin Note was an official document sent by the Soviet Union to the three Western occupying powers—the US, UK, and France—proposing a four-power summit to establish a neutral, unified, and independent Germany armed with its own military and a peace treaty. Its issuance on March 10, 1952, occurred at a critical juncture: immediately before West Germany's signature on the German General Treaty and the European Defense Community (EDC) treaty, signifying its assimilation into Western frameworks and near-sovereignty. A series of correspondence ensued throughout the summer of 1952 in response to the idea; however, no meeting took place, and the German division persisted until the years 1989–1990. This article investigates the possibility that this was a Soviet publicity ploy or a real opportunity for reunification that the West and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer wasted.
