Bolshevik Leaders correspondence

Bolshevik leadership Correspondence. 1912-1927
Collection of documents 1996.
Compiled by: A.V.Kvashonkin, L.P.Kosheleva, L.A.Rogovaya, O.V.Khlevnyuk.

J. V. Stalin to L. D. Trotsky

November 2, 1921

T. Trotsky!

DZHEMAL PASHA visited me yesterday (in the presence of SURITS). From the conversation (for me, anyway) it turned out (it lasted three hours) that:

1) We must provide support by reducing the demands of JEMAL by half, and the demands of the rebels by 80 percent.

2) We must give JEMAL to Kabul 10 or 5 experienced military instructors - Muslims (we have those), formally - to help JEMAL, in fact - to control the correct spending of both money and military supplies (JEMAL does not object).

It is clear to me that in the person of the Moslem tribes, which form the majority in the Indus Valley and in the Punjab region, among which JEMAL enjoys great influence, we have a certain base from which we can cause serious damage to England if the latter strikes in the spring or summer of 1922.. In addition, if we give JEMAL the opportunity to have in Afghanistan at least a brigade (well put together) with our and Turkish instructors, we will thereby create a real base for anti-English influence in Afghanistan, which is also very important for us and without which the second task ( direct impact on the insurgency in India) is not feasible. All this will cost us [at] 100,000 rubles at a time directly to the leaders of the rebels, plus 100,000 gold rubles a year for the maintenance of Turkish and Russian-Muslim instructors, plus 6,000 rifles (English or German) plus several million English rug cartridges, 12 Maxim machine guns, plus 12 or 8 guns and finally one Muslim printing house.

I think we can and should go for it. Otherwise, we run the risk of weakening our influence in Afghanistan (hence, we will increase the influence of England accordingly) and lose the opportunity to seriously sting England in the spring or summer, if the international situation requires it.

I think that there is no need to delay any longer, and tomorrow this question must be resolved in the Politburo .

I. Stalin 3 .

2/XI - 21.

RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. Op. 2. D. 51. L. 1. Typewritten text. Signature - autograph.

Notes:

1 Despite the signing in October 1921 of the Anglo-Afghan treaty. according to which England recognized the complete independence of Afghanistan. Soviet Russia continued to provide military and material assistance to the insurgent anti-English movement both in Afghanistan and in neighboring states. Relations between Russia and England in this region remained extremely tense.

2 This issue was considered at a meeting of the Politburo on November 3, 1921. The decision, in particular, stated: “To allocate an additional 200,000 rubles. gold for the specified purposes. Detach two completely reliable comrades who speak foreign languages and up to five assistants ”(RTSKHIDNI. F. 17. Op. 3. D. 225. L. 1).

3 The document contains Trotsky's notes.