V. I.

Lenin

403

To:   L. D. TROTSKY

The Politbureau of the Central Committee, having discussed the very serious questions raised by
you, [3] orders that the directive of the Commander-in-Chief on these
questions, addressed to the Southern Front and to the 12th
Army, be carried out. The directive will be forwarded at
once.

The Politbureau, for its part, insists that Odessa should
be defended to the last. [1]

On behalf of the Politbureau of the C.C., Lenin [2]

---
Notes:
[1]
See also present edition, Vol. 35, Document 220.— Ed .

[2]
There follows the signature of L. B. Kamenev in Lenin’s
handwriting.— Ed .

[3]
This refers to Trotsky’s telegram to Lenin reporting that at a
meeting in Kiev on August 6, 1919, attended by L. D. Trotsky,
Kh. G. Rakovsky, A. I. Yegorov, S. I. Aralov, N. G. Semyonov and
V. P. Zatonsky, it was decided to withdraw the Soviet troops
to a new line and to surrender to the enemy the Black Sea coast
with Odessa and Nikolayev.