V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v51; en:MT;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

IN CIPHER

Trotsky

Chicherin writes to me:

“Five thousand French officers have arrived in Poland, Foch is expected, and there is little chance of avoiding war.

Our systematic peaceableness is proving to the Polish masses that they have nothing to fear from us,

while threats will be used by the imperialists to spoil the mood of the masses which is favourable to us. But adequate military preparations are absolutely essential. We must be prepared for the worst.

In Finland there is an explosion of chauvinism, for after the defeat of the White Guards our occupation of the entire north buries the dreams of a Greater Finland. For the Finnish activists it is ‘now or never’. The Vennola Ministry, cowardly and moderate, has resigned. The activists cannot be impressed by threats. On the contrary, they will use our threats to raise the spirits of their own masses. It is necessary to be militarily prepared for any eventuality. On the Finnish front it is necessary to be ready for defence.

The Hankow people, although they argue, are insistently seeking negotiations. If all our forces had to be directed against Poland and Finland, and if oil could be obtained by peaceful means, would it not be advisable to postpone war there...”

Litvinov, too, warns that Poland will fight, that our peace proposals are regarded as weakness.

Lenin