1919

37303
LETTER TO A GROUP OF FOREIGN COMMUNISTS
October 14, 1919
Liebe Freunde! Ich schicke Ihnen beste Crüsse, Unsere Lage
ist sehr schwierig wegen der Offensive von 14 Staaten. Wir ma-
chen grösste Anstrengungen. Die Kommunistische Bewegung in
allen Ländern wächst ausgezeichnet. Rätesystem ist für Arbei-
termassen überall zur praktischen Losung geworden. Es ist enor-
mer weltgeschichtlicher Fortschritt. Sieg der internationalen
proletarischen Revolution ist trolz alledem unvermeidlich.
Ihr N. Lenin

Translation:
Dear friends! I send you my best greetings. Our situation
is very difficult because of the offensive of 14 states. We
are making the greatest efforts. The communist movement in all
countries is growing remarkably. The Soviet system everywhere has become
a practical slogan for the working masses. This is an enormous
world-historical step forward. The victory of the international
proletarian revolution is inevitable despite everything.
Your N. Lenin
Printed from a handwritten copy.

RESOLUTION ON A TELEGRAM FROM THE SIBREVCOM*
October 17, 1919
1) Provide 30,000 uniforms.
2) Immediately transfer the entire V
army to the south, not after
Ishim (because the Tobol River is much larger and wider than the Ishim River,
* The Sibrevcom telegram stated that “the mood in Siberia is
firm, Soviet. By organizing local forces, we will cope with Kolchak,
all we need is uniforms and cartridges. Yesterday we launched an offensive
along the entire front, we think we will reach Ishim in three weeks.” It further expressed
the wishes of the workers of the V army to transfer the army to the Southern Front.
The Sibrevcom proposed transferring 3 divisions of this army to the south after Ishim.
"If you give uniforms for 30,000, we will mobilize in Chelyabinsk and there, where we are going, immediately this number of fighters. Just send
uniforms, manpower is and will be."

and the length of the front is negligibly reduced when crossing to the Ishim River).
3)
Turn the offensive on Ishim into a demonstration and retreat (having prepared this in the shortest possible time) to the Tobol River.
Instruct the Commander-in-Chief to discuss my proposals 1-3.
Lenin

TELEGRAM TO THE PETROGRAD SOVIET
October 20, 1919
Have measures been taken to establish solid radio communication
between the Kharlamov group and the headquarters of the VII Army? Is this communication sufficiently
secured? The same in relation to all other groups. If you need our help, call us.
Lenin
Printed from a handwritten copy.
14931
TELEGRAM TO GUBISPOLKOMS, REVCOMS,
GUBPRODKOMS
October 20, 1919
The recently completed campaign to form and send detachments of workers to harvest the crop has clearly
revealed that this event of paramount state importance was disorganized primarily
due to the lack of preliminary calculation of the required number of workers,
indiscriminate demands for them from the provincial authorities, and the lack of awareness of the sending of harvesting detachments by the district Soviet authorities in local bodies of the People's Commissariat of Food and other
Soviet bodies involved in organizing these works. Demands for labor by provincial centers were made without surveying the district or volost

1919

authorities and without correlating them with the actual needs
in their localities and any on-site verification, which
directly resulted in unproductive diversion of labor, congestion of transport, the return
of many harvesting detachments, and the need to compensate
such unused detachments with wages and food at the expense of the People's Commissariat of Food.
Particularly indiscriminate and excessive demands were made
by the Saratov, Samara, and Ufa provincial food committees,
in particular by the Saratov Revcom, from which demands were received for tens of thousands of workers, but only
a few thousand of them were actually used. It turned out
that the district authorities were so unaware of the sending of harvesting detachments that the arrival of the detachments prompted inquiries about their purpose, clearly indicating the lack
of minimal coordination and communication between the provincial
centers and the district authorities in this undertaking.
Drawing the special attention of local authorities of Soviet power
to the experience of the past harvesting campaign, the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense requires henceforth extreme
caution and accuracy when requesting labor for any reason whatsoever and warns of the strictest
accountability henceforth for persons found guilty of submitting unverified and requests for labor that do not correspond to the actual need.
Chairman of the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
Printed from the original, signed by V. I. Lenin.

TELEGRAM TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE V ARMY
copy TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE EASTERN FRONT*
October 21, 1919
Frumkin conveyed to me your thoughts on the uselessness of the Eastern Front.
Repeat more precisely. We desperately need command personnel.
* In the margins of the original, written by V. I. Lenin, there is his
note: "all in cipher."

Then report how many troops you can give and when to the Southern Front with the offensive that has begun with you.
Chairman of the Council of Defense
Lenin

TELEGRAM TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE WESTERN FRONT*
October 21, 1919
It is reported that Polish soldiers have begun fraternizing with our soldiers.
Check more closely and report what measures you are taking
to completely neutralize deceivers or enemy tricks, so that only completely useful people or commissars participate in fraternization.
Report everything known to you about the mood of Polish soldiers.
Chairman of the Council of Defense
Lenin
24783
TELEGRAM TO GUBPRODKOMS
October 21, 1919
Incoming reports from the field on the procurement of oilseeds
paint a dire picture for the near future of supplying the Red Army with vegetable fats.
Old reserves are exhausted. State oil mills are idle due to the complete lack of seeds in them.
We propose that local food authorities pay the most serious attention to the procurement of oilseeds,
and take all measures to intensify procurement along with other grains.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
Lenin
Printed from the original, signed by V. I. Lenin.
* In the margins of the original, written by V. I. Lenin, there is his
note: "all in cipher."

1919

TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC
October 22, 1919
I was somewhat "bothered" by yesterday's request by the Chairman of the Petrosoviet for new regiments.
Is it true about the Estonians?
I still passed it on to Sklyansky, and an order to send
from Tula (again from Tula!) has been given.
But taking further from the reserve of the Southern Front is not safe.
Wouldn't it be better to look in other places?
To finish with Yudenich (namely, to finish—to finish him off) is of paramount importance to us.
If the offensive has begun, can't we mobilize another 20,000 workers of St. Petersburg and achieve a real massive pressure on Yudenich?
If there are 5-10 thousand good offensive troops (and you have them), then surely a city like St. Petersburg can give
behind them, to help them, 30 thousand. Chusosnabarm says that
property "was found" in St. Petersburg a lot, there is bread, meat is coming.
We must finish with Yudenich quickly; then we will turn everything against Denikin.
Taking from the Southern Front now, in my opinion, is dangerous: an offensive has begun there, it must be expanded.
Lenin

P. S. I just learned from Sklyansky that 2 regiments, assigned
to St. Petersburg, have approached Kotlas. We will speed up their movement.
New report: this is incorrect.

NOTE TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC
October 22, 1919
In my opinion, Chicherin is right*. Has it been verified whether the Estonians are fighting?
Isn't there deception here? Or aren't Estonians going with Yudenich
* In a report to Lenin, the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs objected to
Trotsky's proposal to start a war against Estonia. "Yudenich will have to be pursued on Estonian territory," the report pointed out, "only