ПИСЬМО ЧЛЕНАМ СОВЕТА ТРУДА И ОБОРОНЫ
Date: 1920-07 (End of July)
Source: ru:PSS
Translated by: AI (Claude)

[Previous text about national struggle in Belorussia and Hungary] in Belorussia (and-}-?+? Hungary?), showed that national struggle not only in the form of pogroms, from which not even the most democratic bourgeois republic saves, but also in the form of petty but all-pervasive bickering almost disappears. The reasons for this:

1) the interest, attention, all the spiritual forces of workers and toiling peasants are entirely absorbed by the great struggle with the bourgeoisie, which struggle unites the toilers of all nations;

2) the dictatorship of the proletariat suppresses the freedom of action of the bourgeoisie, petty bourgeoisie, bourgeois intelligentsia, which freedom means the use of forces, influence, knowledge by the bourgeoisie to inflame class struggle.

Can one not add concrete facts?


LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF LABOR AND DEFENSE

End of July 1920

The proposal of peace by the Poles gives us cause to use more systematically the troops designated for movement from the Caucasian front to the Western front. Therefore I propose to the Council of Defense to develop the following resolution:

1. For the troops of the Caucasian front to go on foot through all of Ukraine, calculating the route so that into each volost (of approximately 1,900 volosts of Ukraine) there comes twice, at a definite interval, first mounted, then foot units for the fulfillment (and then verification of fulfillment) of the following tasks:

a) collection of food (according to requisition);

b) compilation on the spot, that is, in each village, under the protection of local peasants and under their responsibility, of a double (against the requisition) reserve of food (poured into a barn, in the house of a priest, landlord, rich man, etc.).

The purpose of this double reserve — fund for commodity exchange: from this reserve bread will be taken from the peasants after provision to local peasants of goods, Russian and foreign, by agreement with local peasants;

c) compilation (and verification) of a list of "responsible" peasants (from local rich people; from the top, that is, by degree of greatest wealth, 5-20% etc. of households are selected for each village, depending on its size).

"Responsible" peasants personally answer for the fulfillment of food and other tasks of the authorities.

After the departure of troops, a special task of local authority (for non-fulfillment of this task — execution) is maintaining in good order and preserving this list;

d) disarmament of rich peasants.

Complete collection of weapons. Responsibility for weapons not found on the commander of the military unit; for weapons not declared on the one with whom it is found (execution) and on the entire group of "responsible" peasants (fine, but not money, but bread and things; confiscation of property, arrest; work in mines);

e) assistance in sowing fields; in repair of agricultural implements and other necessary work (in guarding warehouses or checking guards, in railway work, etc., guarding salt warehouses, etc.).

2. For the indicated purposes, to each military unit add (to the communist cell in it) a commissar or instructor (collection of 1000 people, if necessary, from Petrograd, Moscow, Ivanovo-Voznesensk workers) for leadership in fulfilling the designated tasks.

3. In "stubborn" volosts or villages, military units either organize a "third visit" (by troops), or remain billeted longer (up to 2 weeks) for punishment and correction.

4. Part of these resolutions to conduct through the Council of Defense, part through the Council of the Labor Army and the Sovnarkom of Ukraine.

5. To publish an extremely popular leaflet for peasants, to explain the matter in general and especially the creation of stores for commodity exchange for foreign goods.

Create a commission immediately for the publication of such a leaflet and a series of them, as well as a series of instructions.

For the development of these proposals immediately create a commission from representatives of the People's Commissariat for Food and the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic. Request Comrade Stalin to be chairman of the commission.

Chairman of the Council of Defense
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)


NOTE BY DIRECT WIRE TO THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE OF THE URAL REGION AND SARATOV PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*

August 2, 1920

By the former division commander of the 2nd Turkestan division Sapozhkov, an uprising has been raised in the Buzuluk region. Sapozhkov managed to attract to his side some Red Army units and part of the kulak population and at present he is striving to break through to Novouzensk and further, probably to the lower reaches of the Volga and Ural rivers. With the aim of facilitating the struggle with Sapozhkov and preventing his successful flight, I propose: 1) to oblige all revolutionary committees and executive committees to remain in place until the last possibility, energetically conducting agitation against the traitor and in every way hindering his agitation among the population; 2) to send to the disposal of the army commander a number of serious workers; 3) to establish the closest connection between the revolutionary committees and executive committees subordinate to you and military detachments, ensuring coordination of actions, take measures to guard technical communications; 4) to conduct the most careful observation of the movement of Sapozhkov's detachments, using local residents, reporting the results of observation to the nearest military commanders; 5) to nip in the bud any manifestation of sympathy and even more so assistance by the local population to Sapozhkov, using the full power of revolutionary authority; in those cases where assistance took place, demand the extradition of guilty ringleaders; from villages lying on the path of Sapozhkov's detachments, take hostages, in order to prevent the possibility of assistance. This order requires the most urgent and energetic execution under the personal responsibility of all executors.

Chairman of the Council of Labor and Defense
Lenin

* Published from typewritten copy with V. I. Lenin's note: "to archive". In the margins there is an order of the Revolutionary Military Council: "Transmit through the headquarters of the Trans-Volga District, imposing responsibility on the commissar of the headquarters".