22/Х 1919

To [Comrade] Trotsky!

I was somewhat "confused" by Zinovieyov's demand yesterday for new regiments. Is it true about the Estonians?

I have nevertheless passed it on to Sklyansky, and the order to send from Tula (again from Tula!) has been given.

But it's not safe to take more from the South Front reserve. Wouldn't it be better to look elsewhere?

To finish with Yudenich (exactly to finish - to kill him) is very important for us. If the offensive is launched, can't we mobilize another 20 thousand Petersburg workers plus 10 thousand bourgeois, put machine guns behind them, shoot a few hundred1* and achieve a real mass attack on Yudenich?

If there are 5-19 thousand [yach] good advancing troops (and you have them), then probably such a city, kak Peter, can give them a thousand 30 thousand in support. Rykov says that they "found" a lot of property in Peter1. There is bread, meat is coming.

It is necessary to finish with Yudenich soon; then we shall turn everything against Denikin.

I think it is dangerous to take from the Southern Front now: the offensive has begun there, we must expand it2.

Hello! Lenin.

P.S. I have just heard from Sklyansky that the two regiments assigned to Peter have arrived at Kotlas. Let's speed up their movement2*.

New message: it's incorrect

Published with a bill - Lenin V.I. Complete Collected Works, vol. 51, с. 68-69.

Fund 2, op. 1, d. 11480 - autograph.

1* The words: "plus... hundred" - in the Complete Works are omitted.

2*The postscript after the receipt of the new message by V.I.Lenin is crossed out

1See Doc. 195, note 1.

2The offensive of the troops of the Southern Front began on October 11, 1919. On October 20, the city of Orel was liberated from Denikin's troops, and on October 24, the city of Voronezh was liberated.