Resolution of the Council of People's Commissars

The Council of People's Commissars decides:

In view of the petition of Comrade Shutko, a member of the Supreme Military Council,1 to relieve him of his position as a member of the Supreme Military Council, this petition shall be granted;2 Comrade Trotsky shall be appointed a member of the Supreme Military Council and acting Chairman of this Council.

According to his petition, Comrade Trotsky should be relieved of his post of People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs3.

To appoint Comrade Chicherin4 as temporary Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs.

To relieve Comrade Podvoisky of the post of People's Commissar for Military Affairs in accordance with his petition5.

To appoint Comrade Trotsky as People's Commissar for Military Affairs.

The post of Commander-in-Chief, according to the proposal made by Comrade Krylenko to the Council of People's Commissars, is abolished6.

Moscow.

March 13, 1918.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (Ulyanov) Lenin.

People's Commissars V. Karelin. Stalin.

Manager of the Council of People's Commissars Vlad.Bonch-Bruevich.

Fund 2 op. 1 л. 5483 - copy.

On March 15, 1918 the central newspapers published a decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the formation of the Supreme Military Council, which was charged with: "the management of all military operations with unconditional subordination of all military institutions and persons without exception to the Supreme Council" (Decrees of Soviet power. Vol. 1 p. 523).

2About the release from the post of a member of the Supreme Military Council, K.I.Shutko wrote in his biography: "In March 1918, I was appointed a member of the Supreme Military Council, in this job I stayed for 2 weeks and was released on my application to the Council of People's Commissars because of my ill condition" (RCCHIDNI, f. 124, op. 14, d. 1025, l. 8).

3L.D. Trotsky was appointed People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs by the decree of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets on October 26 (November 8), 1917 (see Decrees..., vol. 14 p. 21).

4 G.V.Chicherin was appointed Comrade People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs by the Sovnarkom on January 8 (21), 1918 at the suggestion of L.D.Trotsky (see Decrees..., vol. 14 p. 588). On January 9 (22), the Central Committee of the RSDLP(b) recommended that the government appoint Chicherin as temporary deputy People's Commissar (see: Minutes of the Central Committee of the RSDLP(b). M., 1958, p. 165). January 29 (February 11), the Council of People's Commissars considered Chicherin's application and appointed him Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs (see: V.I.Lenin. Biographical Chronicle. Vol. 8, p. 241). May 30, 1918. SNK appointed Chicherin as Commissar for Foreign Affairs.

5* N.I.Podvoisky was appointed Chairman of the Collegium of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs on November 14 (27), 1917 (see: Stepanov N. Podvoisky. ZhZL. M., 1989, p. 379).

March 64, 1918. N.V.Krylenko submitted an application to the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V.I.Lenin: "I hereby request to relieve me of my duties as Supreme Commander-in-Chief and Commissar for Military Affairs" (RCCHIDNI, f. 19, op. 1, d. 76, p. 22). By the decision of the Presidium of the All-Union Central Executive Committee of September 2, 1918, the post of Commander-in-Chief was restored, and on September 6, the Council of People's Commissars appointed I.I.Vatsetis as Commander-in-Chief.