Northern (N): Soviet Union (NS). Trends in Communist Policy

A file of correspondence and reports concerning political developments in communist countries. The documents contain a series of reports produced by the Foreign Office on "trends of communist policy", covering an announcement that the Soviet armed forces are to be reduced by a further 300,000 men; the publication of the Soviet state economic plan for 1958; and a letter sent by the Soviet government to the leaders of eighty-three countries proposing an international conference to discuss disarmament. The reports also comment on a number of internal political developments within the Soviet satellite states; and the launch of a "new Communist diplomatic offensive in the Far East" by the Chinese government, calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Korea. Further reports discuss a Soviet accusation that the American government is deliberately preventing negotiations towards universal disarmament by insisting that the reunification of Germany must be discussed.