Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 37. (1984)

ORDE, Anne: France and the Genoa Conference of 1922

France and the Genoa Conference of 1922

331

The Soviet approaches to France began in 1921. At the end of September Krasin told a French representative in Berlin that his government had decided to recognise Tsarist debts, and an approach was made to a French businessman in Prague27). Further approaches followed in Riga and Warsaw28). In each case Briand instructed the French representative concerned to refuse a meeting. In December newspaper reports began to circulate of Franco-Soviet discussions, and were duly denied29). The pace built up after the New Year. At the beginning of January Krasin told a contact that, the Soviet government having recognised the Tsarist prewar debts, nothing stood in the way of a resumption of relations; the questions of other debts and property could certainly be resolved in the course of negotiations which could take place immediately and independently of Genoa30). No reply was sent, but at the beginning of February Krasin wrote to the same contact that the Soviet Government wanted negotiations with France before Genoa; and a month later he held out to two other Frenchmen prospects of special advantages for France in the Caucasus31). At the same time the Russians tried to use such official contacts as did take place, and above all to create the impression of political negotiations. Thus when the president of the French delegation on the international relief committee for the Russian famine approached the Soviet delegate about getting a Red Cross mission admitted to Russia, he learned that the only way to deal with the subject was for Krasin to come to Paris or a Red Cross delegate to be sent to Riga to meet Litvinov32). The Soviet press added to the confusion by publishing articles alleging that France was trying to get the Soviet government to adhere to the Treaty of Versailles, and claiming that the French government and public opinion were moving in favour of a resumption of relations33). Then

recent summary is Hartmut Pogge von Strandmann Rapallo - strategy in preventive diplomacy; new sources and new interpretations in Germany in the Age of Total War ed. Volker R. Berghahn — Martin Kitchen (London 1981) 123—131.

27) Saint-Quentin (Berlin) to Paris, 26 September 1921: MAE Europe 1918-40, Russie 422; Couget (Prague) to Paris, 1 October 1921: ibid. Russie 348. See Bournazel Rapallo 65-70.

28) Martel (Riga) to Paris, 24 October; Briand to Martel, 25 October; Panafieu (Warsaw) to Paris, 30 October and 16 December 1921: MAE Europe 1918-40, Russie 348.

29) Barrére (Rome) to Paris, 21 December; Paris to Laurent (Berlin), 21 December; Laurent to Paris, 23 December; Paris to Barrére, 24 December 1921: MAE Europe 1918-40, Russie 348.

30) Krasin to Arnold Aronovich, 4 January 1922: MAE Europe 1918-40, Russie 349.

31) Krasin to Aronovich, 4 February 1922: MAE Europe 1918-40, Russie 423; note from P. Maréchal, 3 March; “Projet Krassin”, 4 March; memorandum by Seydoux 4 March 1922: MAE Relations commerciales 1920-29 107.

32) Duchesne (Tallinn) to Paris, 2 January; Laurent to Paris, 5 January; Noulens to Briand, 6 January 1922: MAE Europe 1918-40, Russie 349.

33) Bournazel Rapallo 67. Article 116 of the Treaty of Versailles reserved Russia’s right to reparation from Germany, and fear that the Allies might, as part of a general bargain over Tsarist debts, encourage the Soviet government to make use of it may have been a factor in the German decision to sign the Treaty of Rapallo. Rumours that Article 116 was under discussion appeared in German newspapers at intervals. One case probably originated in an official French approach on 26 January 1922 to the govern-