We highlighted our descriptions of files #0051 and #0052 below, Hāzners's last contact report and notice of the severing of his agent relationship soon thereafter. Timing and change in tenor from all prior reports lead us to conclude that the 1963 English-language release of Daugavas Vanagi, Who are They? had an immediate impact at the CIA, and by extension, every other U.S. agency. Whether or not the KGB's fabricated accusations were true was immaterial—it is quite apparent they had the immediate effect the Soviets intended: U.S. authorities disowned the leadership of the Latvian émigré community. That Latvians such as Hāzners, whom they falsely accused, will continue to have allegations of Holocaust perpetration hurled against them for generations to come regardless of their innocence and vindication is icing on the cake.

We also direct you to the security check of 1964, file #0054, which mislabels the Latvian Waffen-SS as Hitler's elite Nazi SS, "Nazi Party Military Elite Guard." This only confirms how pervasively anti-Latvian Soviet propaganda penetrated U.S. agencies.

Documents open in a new window.

  1. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0001 (undated)"LATVIA. October 1960 - July 1961." An overview of the situation including an extensive quoting (translated) of Arvīds Pelše as reported in Cīņa No.26 of January 31, 1961 and more.
  2. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0002 (18 July 1961)Hāzners's $200 per quarter to be indicated as income from freelance writing for taxes.
  3. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0003 (21 July 1961)Hāzners contact report, primarily on producing a monthly report on Latvian press inside and outside Latvia.
  4. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0004 (7 August 1961)POLITICAL EVALUATION OF THE NEW SOVIET COMMUNIST PARTY PROGRAM, by Dr. Laszlo Bartok (Assembly of Captive Nations Political Committee)
  5. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0005 (14 September 1961)Hāzners contact report. Reviews, reports, and more.
  6. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0006 (letter dated 16 September 1961)Letter from a B. Zebergs in Berlin responding to a Mr. Karlovskis in (apparently) Toronto, denouncing "hurrah-patriots" as false speakers for the Latvian people whom they "slander" as "peasants" (!). Zebergs clearly toes the Soviet line. Useful reading—we already see the fascists and "Latvian Nazis" idiom in use reflecting the contemporaneous Daugavas Vanagi, Who Are They?.
  7. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0007 (3 October 1961)Memo from Hāzners re: the "BERLIN PROJECT" to the Free Europe Committee, listing Latvian papers et al. and clippings which are the result of the campaign (not scanned).
  8. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0008 (20 October 1961)Hāzners contact report. Hāzners given names to check. Also, an Eduards Dobelis published a denunciation of the publisher of LAIKS (U.S. based globally circulated Latvian newspaper) and a redacted individual as Communists. Likely more a personal vendetta than Soviet inspired.
  9. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0009 (8 November 1961)Report via Hāzners of an underground installation: "There are no Soviet troops stationed in Kuldiga, Latvia. However, a large underground depot, reportedly containing rockets, bombs or atomic bombs, is located approximately five to six kilometers SW of Kuldiga in the direction of Aizpute. Near the underground depot there is a Soviet Army town (Voenniy Gorodok) which is off limits to civilians."
  10. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0010 (13 November 1961)Report via Hāzners of underground installations in Rīga (capital of Latvia) itself.
  11. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0011 (15 November 1961)Kuldīga underground installation appears confirmed, also arrived via a second informant.
  12. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0012 (15 November 1961)Hāzners contact report. An assortment of followups. Notable are a call home publication by the Committee for Repatriation and Cultural Contacts with Countrymen Abroad and plans to start up Radio Free Europe in Latvian.
  13. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0013 (18 November 1961)Program for Latvian independence day commemoration in Detroit, includes an address by Hāzners.
  14. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0014 (19 November 1961)Statement by the Latvian community of Detroit in association with Independence Day just celebrated.
  15. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0015 (20 November 1961)Detroit News, Monday, November 20, "Soviet Aims Assailed at 'Latvian Day' Fete" article.
  16. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0016 (undated, draft)LATVIA. July-December 1961, country report for the last half of 1961, 30 pages.
  17. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0017 (27 December 1961)"Re: Publishing of the newspaper "Latvijas Brīvībai" (For the Freedom of Latvia) by the Committee for a Free Latvia," Hāzners requests funds to continue publication and distribution to Latvia.
  18. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0018 (18 January 1962)Hāzners contact report. Some CIA funded material came back as "reports," Hāzners requested to suppress that in the future without compromising his relationship.
  19. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0019 (19 January 1962)Hāzners supplemental income statement. $300 per quarter, up from $200.
  20. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0020 (19 January 1962)Amended memorandum of oral commitments, reflecting increase to $300 per quarter.
  21. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0021 (12 February 1962)Hāzners contact report. Mostly regarding translations of Latvian publications and associated payments, translator's name redacted.
  22. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0022 (3 April 1962)Committee For a Free Lithuania letterhead, undersigned by representatives of all three committees, thanks to the United States Information Agency for boycotting a Soviet exhibit of Latvian childrens' art—which exhibition also identified the Baltic states as part of the Soviet Union.
  23. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0023 (18 April 1962)File and record check request, last name illegible but appears to be for Hāzners's son Vitauts.
  24. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0024 (18 April 1962)File and record check request of Hāzners.
  25. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0025 (19 April 1962)Hāzners contact report. Various materials gathered turned over included from a Soviet exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.
  26. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0026 (24 April 1962)Short biographical profiles of prominent, now displaced, Latvian communists. An interview with a recent immigrant, and a letter on rural conditions in Vidzeme.
  27. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0027 (2 May 1962)Hāzners contact report. Mostly follow-up on individuals.
  28. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0028 (31 May 1962)Hāzners contact report. Primarily regarding gathered publications, various lists of Latvian organization officials, also "Latvijas Brīvībai" publication status.
  29. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0029 (7 August 1962)"INTERVIEW REGARDING CONDITIONS IN OCCUPIED LATVIA," of Amelija Artmanis. Interesting reading about the Līgatne paper factory. Also, "alcohol consumed in terrific quantities."
  30. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0030 (11 August 1962)"THREE ANNIVERSARIES", article (by the Committee For a Free Latvia) translated from August 11th edition of LAIKS marking the 22nd anniversary (August 6th) of Latvia's "incorporation" into the Soviet Union.
  31. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0031 (21 August 1962)Hāzners contact report. Various materials turned over, mainly ACEN, follow-up on individuals.
  32. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0032 (30 August 1962)Request for file and record check on Latvian Welfare Association (Daugavas Vanagi), "Social Organization of which OSI SUBJECT DAUMANTS (NMN) HAZNERS, was a member from 1956 to the present time."
  33. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0033 (30 August 1962)Request for file and record check Hāzners, father of Daumants.
  34. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0034 (30 August 1962)Request for file and record check of Daumants Hāzners's aunt Alma
  35. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0035 (30 August 1962)Request for file and record check of Daumants Hāzners's aunt Daina Bundža
  36. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0036 (4 October 1962)"NEWS FROM LATVIA", a tourist account from the summer of 1962, unfortunately only the first page.
  37. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0037 (9 October 1962)Hāzners contact report. Mainly regarding materials turned over.
  38. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0038 (20 November 1962)Personal correspondence from Kārlis Kikurs, Bauska rayon to Osvalds Klavenieks. Circumstances are difficult.
  39. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0039 (29 November 1962)Report of the defection of sailor Māris Krusts while in Sweden.
  40. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0040 (December 1962)Brief report on a Hāzners meeting with a Dr. ICHSE (Ikše).
  41. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0041 (6 December 1962)Brief report from Stockholm, defector Māris Krusts residing with Ikše, news on Latvian composer Mediņš, and postage stamps sent to the USSR are confiscated.
  42. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0042 (18 January 1963)"AMENDED MEMORANDUM OF ORAL COMMITMENTS," program under which Hāzners is paid is changed.
  43. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0043 (21 January 1963)Federal income tax data regarding CIA payments.
  44. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0044 (24 January 1963)Report on the Youth Festival in Helsinki which was held in the summer of 1962.
  45. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0045 (19 February 1963)Soviets announce release of "documentary" film providing "irrefutable" evidence of war atrocities committed by leaders of the Latvian emigré community. (This coincides with the English language translation of Daugavas Vanagi, Who Are They?, also released in 1963—a full court propaganda press.)
  46. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0046 (26 February 1963)Background on a Miss Irena NADZINS with mention of some others.
  47. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0047 (12 March 1963)Hāzners's contact report. Potpourri of materials turned over and information regarding various individuals, et al..
  48. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0048 (27 March 1963)Questionnaire mainly regarding communications into and out of the USSR, cc: to Hāzners.
  49. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0049 (15 April, 29 April 1963)Background report on Henrichs Bagātais.
  50. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0050 (1 May 1963)Hāzners's contact report. Publications, lists, and background information on a number of individuals.
  51. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0051 (18 July 1963)Hāzners's last contact report. After a fruitful relationship, this meeting has the hallmarks of a hatchet job. If we had to guess? Someone received an English-language copy of Daugavas Vanagi, Who are They? fresh off the KGB presses—the timing is right—and panicked over the Soviet propaganda about Hāzners being a Nazi. Otherwise, why conduct an entire meeting in German? Why fill the report with denigrating personal observations such as "undistinguished face", bland personality, understating Hāzners height at 5'1", and so on? That is, go out of the way to portray him as the very antithesis of the Aryan ideal—as if Nazis aren't as impressive as they're made out to be. Lastly, why, out of thin air, address Hāzners formally and deferentially as a superior German officer, asking him if he were the same—"Sind sie Herr Oberst?"—and report Hāzners's reaction? Clearly offended, Hāzners stands up and says "No." Indications of a "fair amount of success" and a "most amiable parting" in the final comments are disingenuous at best considering the subsequent retroactive severing of relations less than a week later.
  52. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0052 (24 July 1963)Termination of Memoranda of Oral Agreement. The CIA severs its agent relationship with Hāzners less than a week after its transparent and cynical charade: "Effective 1 July 1963, these services are no longer being utilized and the oral agreement with the two individuals [Hāzners and one other, redacted] has been terminated in an amicable fashion." This marks a successful conclusion to the Soviet attack against Hāzners, depriving U.S. intelligence of possibly their most well-connected Baltic information asset. The subsequent deportation proceedings against Hāzners which Soviet propaganda triggered were icing on the cake for the Kremlin.
  53. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0053 (29 October 1964)Request for security information re: Hāzners.
  54. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0054 (2 December 1964)Response to request for security information. Note the labeling of Hāzners and the Latvian Legion as Nazis: "Subject had been an officer in the Latvian branch of the Waffen-SS (Nazi Party Military Elite Guard)." Includes hearsay about intelligence ties to Denmark or to British intelligence in Denmark. (Hāzners was recuperating in Denmark at the end of the war, nothing more.)
  55. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0055 (22 April 1977)Hāzners reappears in the CIA's files after more than a decade of absence. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), INS's Ann Dunlap via operations/liaison Helen, phone call request for [redacted] information on Hāzners.
  56. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0056 (3 May 1977)A sloppy response to the INS request. Indicates Hāzners served as "chief" of Rīga district from 10 October 1941 to 20 May 1943. Hāzners was actually appointed district chief for Abrene, on the USSR border, in October 1942. (There is some confusion on this point. CIA files and records in Berlin indicate Hāzners was appointed to Abrene in October 1941, while Hāzners lists October, 1942 in his memoirs.)
  57. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0057 (10 May 1977)Additional information follows a week later. Report repeats the error regarding Hāzners being chief of the Rīga district.
  58. HAZNERS, VILIS VOL. 3_0058.pdf (23 Nov 1977)Information on the CIA's relationship with three individuals including Hāzners for "Nazi War Criminal Investigation," Reference: OLC-77-4817.
Updated: September, 2023
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