V. I.

Lenin

236

TELEGRAM TO L. D. TROTSKY

To be coded
3. I. 1919

Trotsky
Voronezh or present whereabouts

Am very uneasy about whether you are not giving too much attention to the Ukraine to the detriment of the
general strategic task, on which Vatsetis insists and which
consists in a speedy, determined and general offensive against Krasnov. I am very much afraid that we are being
late with this and that the recent successes of the
Krasnovites near Tsaritsyn will again lead to the postponement
of our offensive and to our missing the right moment. The
initiative for serious operations is escaping from us, both
at Astrakhan and on the Caspian Sea, as well as at
Tsaritsyn and in the east. Vatsetis is for a speedy general
offensive against Krasnov, but Vatsetis, apparently, is not
able to cope with red tape and the separatism of the
Ukrainians and other regionalists. Should you not concentrate
wholly on hastening and carrying through a general offensive against Krasnov?

Lenin

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