28.11. 1920 by cipher

Smilge and Ordzhonikidze

We need oil badly, think over the manifesto to the population that we will cut off everyone if they burn and spoil oil and oil fields, and on the contrary we will give life to everyone if Maikop and especially Grozny are handed over intact. By the way, inform us whether the rapid defeat of Denikin is now quite assured. Poland is threatening more and more2.

Lenin.

Published - The Trotsky papers. 1917-1922. V. II, p. 80.

Fund 2, op. 1, d. 13067 - autograph.

1The telegram was sent to members of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Caucasus Front I.T. Smilga and G.K. Ordzhonikidze during the operation to eliminate Denikin's troops in the North Caucasus. The city of Grozny was liberated from the White Guard troops on March 24, 1920 by troops of the 11th Army (commander M.I.Vasilenko); the city of Maykop - on March 22 by partisans.

2The Soviet-Polish war began on April 25, 1920. Polish troops went on the offensive on a wide front from Pripyat to the Dnieper.