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

Stalin Correspondences

L. P. Serebryakov, I. V. Stalin - Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP (b)

November 12, 1919

In the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP.

Statement

In view of the completely abnormal relations that have developed between the Headquarters (the Small Revolutionary Council of the Republic) and the Southern Front, which sometimes manifest themselves, on the one hand, in the direct hatred of Commander-in-Chief 1 and Gusev for Komandyuzh 2 , on the other, in complete indifference to the needs of the Southern Front 3 , we consider our duty to declare the need either to change the entire composition of the Revolutionary Soviet, or to change the headquarters or, if the latter is considered untimely, to replace Gusev, who, according to our information, is the main instigator against the southern front.

Members of the Central Committee and the Revolutionary Military Council

L. Serebryakov.

Stalin 4 .

November 12th day 1919

Serpukhov.

RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. On. 1. D. 5450. L. 2. Typewritten text. Signatures are autographs.

Notes:

1 Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of all the armed forces of the republic. Commander-in-Chief S. S. Kamenev.

2 A. I. Egorov.

3 The offensive of the troops of the Southern Front, which began on October 11, 1919, was suspended in early November 1919 under the onslaught of the White armies. On November 12, 1919, in addition to the one given here, members of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Southern Front, Stalin, Yegorov and Serebryakov, sent another telegram to the Commander-in-Chief, in which, explaining the withdrawal of units of the 8th Army and the failure of Budyonny's cavalry corps near Voronezh by a lack of military formations, they demanded that two divisions (From the History of the Civil War in the USSR. T. 2. S. 555-556).

4In addition to this statement, Stalin sent his own telegram threatening resignation. On November 14, 1919, the issue was considered at a meeting of the Politburo. The adopted resolution stated: “[...]. a) Instruct comrade Lenin to send comrade Smilga a ciphered telegram with a request about one possible, in the opinion of the Politburo, movement, b) Instruct comrade Trotsky to convey to Commander-in-Chief Kamenev on behalf of the government a political and economic directive on the need to capture Kursk and advance to Kharkov and Donbass and on the distribution of reinforcements withdrawn from the eastern and Turkestan fronts between the southern and southeastern fronts in accordance with this directive [...] Offer Vladimir Ilyich to personally talk with the Commander-in-Chief on the content of this directive, c) Inform comrade. Stalin