Letters Lenin to Trotsky
Volume 44 publishes a letter of Lenin's to the CentralCommittee of the R.C.P.(B.) dated June 17, 1919, which,
like a number of other documents, shows that he regarded
the Central Committee of the Party as the body for collec-
tive leadership of the country's defence. Lenin set aside
Trotsky's objections to the Central Committee's decision to
strengthen the General Headquarters, and wrote that this decision contained "what Trotsky overlooked, namely, that the majority of the C.C. is convinced that ... all is not well at
Headquarters, and in seeking a serious improvement, in
seeking ways for a radical change it has taken a definite step" (p. 255 of this volume).
TELEGRAM TO ARTHUR HENDERSON 24 The Russian Socialist Government regrets inability to participate in the Allied Socialist Conference as being contrary to the principles of Internationalism. We object to division of the working class according to Imperialist grouping. If British Labour agrees to Russian peace aims, which are already accepted by the Socialist parties of the Central Powers, such division is still more unwarranted. Written on January 24 (February 6, 1918) Sent to London Published on February 14, Printed from 1918, in English in the newspaper the newspaper text The Call No. 97 Written in English First published in Russian in 1965 in Collected Works, Fifth Ed., Vol. 50
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF* Notify all army commissars and Bonch-Bruyevich that all telegrams signed by Trotsky and Krylenko on demobilisation of the army are to be held up. We cannot give you the peace terms, since peace really has not yet been con- cluded. Please hold up all telegrams reporting peace until you receive special permission. Written on January 30 (February 12, 1918) First published in 1964 in the book: A. L. Fraiman, Revolyutsionnaya zashchita Petrograda v fevrale-marte 1918, Moscow-Leningrad
NOTE TO V. N. PODBELSKY IN MOSCOW BY DIRECT LINE, FEBRUARY 22, 1918 31 I have no new verified information apart from the report that the Germans, generally speaking, are steadily advanc- ing because they do not encounter resistance. I consider the situation extremely grave and the slightest delay on our part is impermissible. As regards the report about Austria-Hungary not taking part in the war, I personally, unlike Trotsky, do not consider it verified; they say the radio has been intercepted and there were telegrams about this from Stockholm, but I have not seen such documents. Lenin Izvestia of the Soviets Printed from the text of Workers', Soldiers' of the telegraph tape and Peasants' Deputies of Moscow City and Moscow Region No. 31, February 23 (10), 1918
V. I. LENIN TELEGRAM TO L. D. TROTSKY Trotsky I am extremely astonished at your silence at such a time when, according to information, albeit not fully con- firmed, the break-through in the Millerovo direction has reached the dimensions of an almost irreparable catastro- phe. 233 What measures have been taken to prevent the enemy joining forces with the insurgents?
TO THE ORGBUREAU OF THE C.C., R.C.P.(B.). JUNE 1919 255 TO THE C.C., R.C.P. Comrade Trotsky is mistaken: here there are neither whims, nor mischief, nor caprice, nor confusion, nor des- peration, nor any "element" of these pleasant qualities (which Trotsky castigates with such terrible irony). 246 What there is, is what Trotsky overlooked, namely, that the majority of the C.C. is convinced that General Head- quarters is a "den", that all is not well at Headquarters, and in seeking a serious improvement, in seeking ways for a radical change it has taken a definite step. That is all. Lenin Moscow, 17/VI. 1919 First published in 1965 Printed from the original in Collected Works, Fifth Ed., Vol. 50
On January 28 (February 10), 1918, at the Brest-Litovsk peace conference — contrary to Lenin's directive that a peace treaty should be signed if the Germans presented an ultimatum demand- ing it — Trotsky declared that the Soviet Government refused to sign a peace treaty on the terms put forward by Germany, but that it considered the war at an end and was demobilising the army. The same day, without informing the Central Committee of the R.C.P.(B.) and the Council of People's Commissars, Trot- sky sent to the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief what was tantamount to a provocative telegram instructing him to issue an order on the night of the same day ending the state of war with Germany and her allies and demobilising the Russian army. The telegram did not mention that the peace negotiations in Brest had been broken off, the inference from its text being that the conference had culminated in the conclusion of peace. In the early morning on January 29 (February 11), Su- preme Commander-in-Chief N. V. Krylenko, on the basis of Trot- sky's telegram, issued an order which announced that peace had been concluded and called for the cessation of military operations on all fronts and demobilisation of the army. It was in conse- quence of Krylenko's order that Lenin sent this telegram and the one following it
This refers to the decision of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.), dated June 15, 1919, on General Headquarters. In a statement to the C.C. Trotsky opposed this decision, which he described as containing "whims, mischief", etc. p. 255
TELEGRAM TO ARTHUR HENDERSON 24 The Russian Socialist Government regrets inability to participate in the Allied Socialist Conference as being contrary to the principles of Internationalism. We object to division of the working class according to Imperialist grouping. If British Labour agrees to Russian peace aims, which are already accepted by the Socialist parties of the Central Powers, such division is still more unwarranted. Written on January 24 (February 6, 1918) Sent to London Published on February 14, Printed from 1918, in English in the newspaper the newspaper text The Call No. 97 Written in English First published in Russian in 1965 in Collected Works, Fifth Ed., Vol. 50
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF* Notify all army commissars and Bonch-Bruyevich that all telegrams signed by Trotsky and Krylenko on demobilisation of the army are to be held up. We cannot give you the peace terms, since peace really has not yet been con- cluded. Please hold up all telegrams reporting peace until you receive special permission. Written on January 30 (February 12, 1918) First published in 1964 in the book: A. L. Fraiman, Revolyutsionnaya zashchita Petrograda v fevrale-marte 1918, Moscow-Leningrad
NOTE TO V. N. PODBELSKY IN MOSCOW BY DIRECT LINE, FEBRUARY 22, 1918 31 I have no new verified information apart from the report that the Germans, generally speaking, are steadily advanc- ing because they do not encounter resistance. I consider the situation extremely grave and the slightest delay on our part is impermissible. As regards the report about Austria-Hungary not taking part in the war, I personally, unlike Trotsky, do not consider it verified; they say the radio has been intercepted and there were telegrams about this from Stockholm, but I have not seen such documents. Lenin Izvestia of the Soviets Printed from the text of Workers', Soldiers' of the telegraph tape and Peasants' Deputies of Moscow City and Moscow Region No. 31, February 23 (10), 1918
V. I. LENIN TELEGRAM TO L. D. TROTSKY Trotsky I am extremely astonished at your silence at such a time when, according to information, albeit not fully con- firmed, the break-through in the Millerovo direction has reached the dimensions of an almost irreparable catastro- phe. 233 What measures have been taken to prevent the enemy joining forces with the insurgents?
TO V. I. MEZHLAUK AND K. Y. VOROSHILOV
Comrade Mezhlauk and Comrade Voroshilov
Kharkov
A reply cannot be given before contacting Trotsky, whom
Sklyansky is informing by telegraph.
I confirm that reinforcements must be given to the
troops of the Southern Front without waiting for uniforms
or arms, as our Southern Front will see to that. I have
many times pointed out the catastrophic urgency of this
matter, but from you I have no exact information on the
actual number of reinforcements supplied by you to the
Southern Front.
Lenin
Written on May 30, 1919
First published in 1938
in the journal Bolshevik No. 2
TO THE ORGBUREAU OF THE C.C., R.C.P.(B.). JUNE 1919 255 TO THE C.C., R.C.P. Comrade Trotsky is mistaken: here there are neither whims, nor mischief, nor caprice, nor confusion, nor des- peration, nor any "element" of these pleasant qualities (which Trotsky castigates with such terrible irony). 246 What there is, is what Trotsky overlooked, namely, that the majority of the C.C. is convinced that General Head- quarters is a "den", that all is not well at Headquarters, and in seeking a serious improvement, in seeking ways for a radical change it has taken a definite step. That is all. Lenin Moscow, 17/VI. 1919 First published in 1965 Printed from the original in Collected Works, Fifth Ed., Vol. 50
On January 28 (February 10), 1918, at the Brest-Litovsk peace conference — contrary to Lenin's directive that a peace treaty should be signed if the Germans presented an ultimatum demand- ing it — Trotsky declared that the Soviet Government refused to sign a peace treaty on the terms put forward by Germany, but that it considered the war at an end and was demobilising the army. The same day, without informing the Central Committee of the R.C.P.(B.) and the Council of People's Commissars, Trot- sky sent to the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief what was tantamount to a provocative telegram instructing him to issue an order on the night of the same day ending the state of war with Germany and her allies and demobilising the Russian army. The telegram did not mention that the peace negotiations in Brest had been broken off, the inference from its text being that the conference had culminated in the conclusion of peace. In the early morning on January 29 (February 11), Su- preme Commander-in-Chief N. V. Krylenko, on the basis of Trot- sky's telegram, issued an order which announced that peace had been concluded and called for the cessation of military operations on all fronts and demobilisation of the army. It was in conse- quence of Krylenko's order that Lenin sent this telegram and the one following it
This refers to the decision of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.), dated June 15, 1919, on General Headquarters. In a statement to the C.C. Trotsky opposed this decision, which he described as containing "whims, mischief", etc. p. 255
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