But before 24 hours had passed, Molotov tried to obtain from Eden some modifications of the percentages agreed on the day before. He received a curt refusal, but a note of Eden’s shows that his own report of the incident was coolly received by the Prime Minister, who was wrapped up in his own illusions:
"W. rather upset by my report. I think he thought I had dispelled good atmosphere he had created night before. But 1 explained this was the real battle and 1 could not and would not give way.”
His firmness was rewarded, as Molotov undertook to call on the Bulgarians to evacuate immediately the Greek and Yugoslav provinces which they had occupied by German agreement in April and May 1941. As regards Yugoslavia, Eden wrote:
"We also spoke of Yugoslavia, when Stalin said that Tito thought the Croats and Slovenes would refuse to join in any government under King Peter. He himself had the impression that the King was ineffective. I replied that I was sure the King had courage and I thought that he had intelligence. Mr. Churchill interjected that the King was very young.
" 'How old is he?’ asked Stalin. 'Twenty-one.' I answered. 'Twenty-one!’ exclaimed Stalin with a burst of pride, 'Peter the Great was ruler of Russia at seventeen.’ For that moment, at least, Stalin was more nationalist than communist, the same mood as had seen the disappearance for the time being of the portraits of Marx and Engels from the Kremlin rooms and their replacement by Kutuzov and Suvorov.”
World History
