Declaration by the governments of Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States, addressed to Germany's satellites — Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Finland |
Through the fateful policy of their leaders, the people of Hungary are suffering the humiliation of German occupation. Romania is still bound to the Axis in a war now bringing devastation to its own people. The governments of Bulgaria and Finland have placed their countries in the service of Germany and remain in the war at Germany's side.
The governments of Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States think it right that these peoples should realize the following facts: 1. The Axis satellites — Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Finland, despite their realization of the inevitability of a crushing Nazi defeat and their desire to get out of the war, are by their present policies and attitudes contributing materially to the strength of the German war machine. 2. These nations still have it within their power, by withdrawing from the war and ceasing their collaboration with Germany and by resisting the forces of Nazism by every possible means, to shorten the European struggle. diminish their own ultimate sacrifices and contribute to the Allied victory. 3. While these nations cannot escape their responsibility for having participated in the war at the side of Nazi Germany, the longer they continue at war in collaboration with Germany the more disastrous will be the consequences to them and the more rigorous will be the terms which will be imposed upon them. 4. These nations must therefore decide now whether they intend to persist in their present hopeless and calamitous policy of opposing the inevitable Allied victory, while there is yet time for them to contribute to that victory. May 13, 1944
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