V. I.

Lenin

Motion for the Politbureau of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) on The Reduction of the Army

Comrade Stalin

Please obtain today a viva voca vote of the Politbureau
members on this motion of mine:

that Comrade Trotsky’s plan for submitting to the Government a proposal
for reducing the army by 200,000 men in the course of January be endorsed; that Comrade Trotsky be asked to state what period he considers
possible for such a question to be introduced to the C.P.C. in the form of
a completed draft. [1]

13/XI.1922

Lenin

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Notes:
[1]
On November 16, 1922, the Politbureau passed a decision to reduce the
army in the course of January 1923 from 800,000 to 600,000 men. The plenum
of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) held on December 18, 1922, confirmed this decision
and urged the need for compensating this reduction by improving military
equipment, for which purpose the C.P.C. was instructed to find means of
quickly normalising the work of the munition factories. The plenum
recommended that an appeal be issued in the name of the Tenth All-Russia
Congress of Soviets to all nations, emphasising once more the striving of
the R.S. F.S.R. towards general disarmament and calling upon the peoples to
overcome the resistance which this proposal of the Soviet Republic was
meeting on the part of other states.

The Tenth All-Russia Congress of Soviets, on behalf of the millions of
the working people, once more solemnly confirmed their desire for peace and
peaceful labour.

“ Working people of the world!” ran the appeal of the congress. “All
who desire peaceful labour, join your efforts to the efforts of Soviet Russia in order to secure peace, and safeguard mankind from
monstrous and destructive wars!...

“ The Tenth Congress of Soviets solemnly confirms its line of
peaceful policy and calls upon everyone to support this line. Let all the
peoples demand peace of their governments. The cause of peace is in the
hands of the peoples themselves. To avert, the danger of future wars the
working people of all the world must unite their efforts. Worn-out,
suffering, ruined and starving mankind must have peace secured to them at
all cost.”