V. I. Lenin

Stalin, Smolny, Petrograd

The circumstances of the whiteguard offensive against Petrograd, taken in their totality, compel one to assume
the existence of organised treason behind our lines or, perhaps,
even at the front. This is the only explanation for the attack
with relatively small forces, the rapid advance and the frequent
blowing-up of bridges on the main lines leading to Petrograd. It
seems that the enemy is confident that we have no organised armed
forces of any importance to resist him and that he can depend on
help from the hinterland (the fire in the artillery magazines in
Novo-Sokolniki, the destruc-tion of bridges, today’s news of
the revolt at Oredezh). Please pay greater attention to these
circumstances and take extraordinary measures to expose the plots.

Lenin