1

Comrade Lenin considers that the policy of revolutionary phrase is finished. If this policy is now continued, he will leave both the government and the Central Committee. A revolutionary war requires an army; there is none. Hence, the conditions must be accepted.

2

Comrade Lenin: Some reproached me for the ultimatum. I issue it as a last resort. If our Central Committee members talk of international civil war, it is a mockery. There is civil war in Russia, but there is none in Germany. Our agitation remains. We agitate not with words, but with revolution. And this remains. Stalin is wrong when he says that one can refrain from signing. These conditions must be signed. If you do not sign them, you will sign the death sentence of Soviet power in three weeks. These conditions do not affect Soviet power. I have not the slightest shadow of hesitation. I issue the ultimatum not in order to withdraw it. I do not want revolutionary phrase. The German revolution has not yet ripened. This will take months. The conditions must be accepted. If later there is a new ultimatum, it will be in a new situation.

3

Comrade Lenin: I too consider it necessary to prepare for revolutionary war. The treaty can be interpreted, and we will interpret it. Demobilisation here is in a purely military sense. Before the war we too had an army. We must seriously prepare for revolutionary war. I do not doubt for a second that the masses are for peace.

4

For the vote, Lenin proposes: 1) whether to accept the German proposals immediately, 2) whether to prepare immediately for revolutionary war, 3) whether to conduct an immediate poll among the Soviet electors of Petrograd and Moscow.

5

A. Lomov asks a question: does Vladimir Ilyich permit silent or open agitation against signing the peace.

Comrade Lenin answers in the affirmative.

6

In view of statements by several members of the Central Committee about resigning from all responsible Soviet and party posts, Y. M. Sverdlov proposes that the Central Committee members remain in their posts until the congress and conduct their agitation within party circles.

Comrade Lenin supports discussing the question raised by Sverdlov, since, firstly, there is a three-day deadline before signing, secondly, twelve days for ratification, and consequently it is possible to obtain the party’s opinion, and if it speaks out against signing, ratification will not follow; but since we are pressed for time today, he proposes to postpone the question until tomorrow.

7

J. V. Stalin raises the question: does resigning from posts not signify de facto withdrawal from the party.

Comrade Lenin points out that leaving the Central Committee does not mean leaving the party.

8

Comrade Lenin proposes to the comrades that they leave the sessions during voting and not sign any documents, in order not to bear responsibility, but not to abandon work in the Soviets.

First published: speeches 1–3 in 1922 in Collected Works of N. Lenin (V. Ulyanov), Volume XV; speeches 4–8 in 1928 in the journal Proletarskaya Revolutsia No. 2

Printed from the handwritten copy of the minutes