V. I.

Lenin

793

To:   G. V. CHICHERIN [1]

Comrade Chicherin:

Perhaps we should kick at Mussolini and have everyone (Vorovsky and the whole delegation) leave Italy , starting
to attack her over her fascists?

Let us stage an international demonstration.

This provides a very convenient pretext: you have beaten
our men, you are barbarians, diehards worse than those in Russia in 1905 , etc., etc.

I think we should do this.

Let us give the Italian people some serious help. [2]

Yours,

Lenin

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Notes:
[1]
Written in connection with the following circumstances. On
November 1, 1922, a group of fascists armed with pistols and bombs
raided the Trade Department of the R.S.F.S.R. Mission in Italy.
They broke into the office of the foreign trade agent and at gun
point led away one of the officials and shot him on the stairs.

[2]
On November 1, 1922, the R.S.F.S.R. Mission in Italy sent the
Italian Foreign Ministry a Note of protest over the raid by a group
of fascists on its Trade Department (see Dokumenty vneshnet politiki SSSR , Vol. V, Moscow, 1961, pp. 648–49).