Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin

“ Thereby Soviet Russia saved everything, since the Soviet Regime constituted the irresistible force which was bound in the future to transform the Brest treaty into a fatal crisis for German imperialism itself, which after this moved rapidly to its fall, and into one of the most important stages of the revolution on the road to victory over imperialism. ”

“ All the strength of the Entente—insofar as it still has some strength left at this time of growing disintegration of the old imperialistic world—was concentrated on the destruction of Soviet Russia and the support of its enemies. The year 1919 was the period of a general advance of counter-revolution. The Entente imperialism incited all the frontier states against us, having set up bourgeois governments by means of outside aid in those states which were, upon German evacuation, ruled by workers' and peasants' governments. ”

“ The Soviet Government consciously faced the severe trials resulting from the Brest treaty, knowing that the workers' and peasants' revolution would prove stronger than imperialism and that a respite would insure victory. Consenting to the oppressive terms of the treaty, the Soviet Government in no way consented to German interference in the internal regime of Soviet Russia or to any kind of change in this regime. ”

“ Every day its growth is becoming more and more noticeable in England, France and America. All central Europe is on the threshold of great new events. The foreign policy of Soviet Russia conforms more and more to the universal struggle between the revolution and the old world. ”

“ On the other hand, gradually and unceasingly the revolutionary movement kept on advancing in the Entente countries and all over Europe the ruling classes are panic stricken as they feel the approach of world revolution. The marvelous picture of the attack of world reaction upon Soviet Russia, the latter's desperate struggle and successful defense, inspire the working classes of all countries. ”

“ With the gradual decline of the power of the imperialists, the peace movement increases among the toiling masses of neighboring states who long for peace with us. In answer to the willingness of the Baltic States (except Finland) to begin peace negotiations with us, the Entente let Yudenich loose on Petrograd and asked all other governments to form a complete blockade of Soviet Russia. The struggle between the old world and the Revolution is strenuous. ”

“ During the whole month of May, French agents were working energetically to unite and to organize the counter-revolutionary forces. At this time the antí-Soviet bourgeois parties of Russia definitely entered into a close alliance with the Entente, and the conference of the Socialist-Revolutionists adopted the well known resolution in favor of armed intervention in Russia by the Entente. At the end of May the storm broke out. The counter-revolutionary insurrection of the Czecho-Slovaks took place, and they rapidly occupied a large part of the railway net of Western Siberia. ”

“ The American diplomatists, and also some of the British diplomatists, who were acting in Soviet Russia, aimed to draw Soviet Russia into the struggle against Germany as their ally. Some of the French military representatives in Soviet Russia sympathized with this policy, which was, however, absolutely rejected by the French Government, which had not for a moment wavered in its unqualified hostility to Soviet Russia and which had consistently striven to crush the latter by means of intervention. ”

“ This year (1919) we write fewer notes to governments, but more appeals to working masses. The Soviet Government sent proclamations to the toiling masses on various questions with regard to the blockade, the aid to counter-revolutionists, the demonstrations of workers in the Entente countries planned for July 21, but broken up by social-traitors, the influence of the Entente on peace negotiations with our neighbors, and the outrages of the Entente and its agents and subject governments and bands of small nationalities in the various parts of the former Russian Empire. ”

“ The soldiers of the Entente, when they were sent to advance on Ukraine, refused to fight against the workers' and soldiers' revolution, just as the German soldiers had refused to remain in the occupied provinces until the appearance of the Entente. The provinces cleared of the German troops of occupation were only partly occupied by the troops of Soviet Russia. Ukraine was occupied by the Ukrainian red troops ”

“ The latter, however, having lost all its territory, fell into the power of reactionary agents, who at that time made it impossible to reach an agreement. The Polish Republic was formed when the German revolution broke out and the first Polish Government, composed of social-patriots, began to carry on negotiations with Soviet Russia in an extremely hostile tone. At the time of the Polish revolution, the Polish working masses in Moscow replaced the delegation of the former council of the Regency—this organ of the German authorities of occupation—by an elected Polish representative body. ”

“ The Brest treaty contained no provision binding Germany to respect the integrity and inviolability of the territory left to Soviet Russia after all the slashings and occupations, and the treaty therefore could serve as a basis for a policy of gradual encroachment and infiltration by Germany into the depths of Russia, particularly to the east, in which direction Germany aimed to occupy strategical points to meet the eventual advance of the Entente from Siberia, and in Caucasia, through which new roads appeared to open for the Asiatic plans of German imperialism. ”

“ While Comrade Litvinov was at work in England, our Ambassador Extraordinary Comrade Kamenev was not allowed to enter France. In the following months the French agents were ceaselessly carrying on underground work, particularly in the South among the Cossacks, and in eastern Russia and in Siberia. French diplomacy had persistently conceived the re-establishment of the eastern front as an outcome of intervention, stepping across the corpse of Soviet Russia crushed by the Entente powers. On April 5 a Japanese force was landed at Vladivostok, after which followed a small British force. ”

“ Even during the Kerensky period Japanese intervention was hanging over Russia as a sword of Damocles, as a means of punishment by the Entente. In March, 1918, the Japanese press was energetically preparing public opinion for intervention in Siberia. In the meantime, Wilson sent his message of greeting to the Fourth Congress of the Soviets, and on March 14 the American Ambassador Francis declared at Vologda that the United States was willing to support Russia in her struggle against Germany. ”

“ The peace delegation at Kiev was the object of continual threats of arbitrary interference on the part of the white guard bands which were dominant during the last period of the Hetmanism. Toward our peace delegation a system of provocation and calumnny was used which justified the expectation of the worst results. On December 14 occurred the exchange of our representatives and consulates in Ukraine for the Ukrainian consulates which were returning from Russia. The exchange of the Entente representatives required the most diplomatic red tape. ”

“ In Finland, in the meantime, the most brutal reaction was raging, cruel punishments were used against Russian citizens, Russian Red Cross vessels were seized and our representative in Helsingfors, Kovanko, was arrested. On May 9 the Finnish White guard Government offered to let comrade Kamenev return to Russia if in exchange we would extradite the Finnish comrades Menner and Tokoy. During the same period Finnish troops made an attempt to seize by force fort Ino, which forms a part of the fortification system of Kronstadt and which is necessary for the defense of the approaches to Petrograd. ”

“ These first three months of the existence of Soviet Russia constituted a period of amazingly rapid successes of the new system, of the almost concurrent spread of the workers' and peasants' revolution through the whole territory of Russia, and of decisive victories on the internal fronts. ”

“ It appeared to be the most critical moment of our relations with the German imperialism, and in Moscow the working class was already rising heroically for a decisive defense against imperialism and counter-revolution. Confronted with our resolute refusal, the German Government immediately weakened. An exchange of notes in the second half of July resulted in the following agreement: the auxiliary staff of the German embassy and of the various German commissions was increased to 300 persons, and additional forces were to come to Moscow in groups of 30, without arms and without German uniforms. ”

“ Moreover, the Soviet forces there were insufficient to force the British out. But after the decisive change of the Entente policy, manifested in the official support by the Entente Governments to the Czecho-Slovak counter-revolutionary insurrection, which gave the Entente a splendid opportunity for a more violent policy in Russia, the Soviet Government could no longer allow any further postponement of the evacuation of Murman which was required by Russia's neutral position. ”

“ The officers and other agents of the Entente were busy recruiting men for the Czecho-Slovak troops and for the Murman front. The net of underground conspiracies was constantly growing. The English plan was based on the seizure of the rectangle: the Murman railway—Archangel—Zvanka—Vologda, The question of the presence of the Entente embassies in Vologda became very acute; the counter-revolutionary elements, particularly the Serbians, Poles, and former czarist officers, were gathering in Vologda, taking advantage of our necessarily cautious attitude toward their presence there. ”

“ Instead of taking special pains to guard the German embassy in Moscow, it was decided to transfer it to some point nearer the border. Petrograd was chosen as a suitable place, and thither the German embassy departed on August 7, simultaneously with Helfferich's leaving for Berlin. However, the embassy did not stay in Petrograd, but went through Finland to Pskov, in the occupied territory. In Moscow Germany was represented by its Consul-General Hauschild. In the summer we still feared that harvest time would see the German troops marching into the interior of Russia to seize its grain. ”

“ But, despite all this, the German Government did not allow the delegation to enter Germany, and the military authorities on the other side of the boundary line forced the delegation back by aiming a machine gun at them, and sent them across the boundary in the most offensive manner. At the joint congress of the German Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, the German Government succeeded in getting recognition of the fact of the absence of our delegation. ”

“ In the East we are becoming more friendly with Afghanistan and are upholding the cause of all oppressed peoples [17] The scene of the present struggle between two worlds has no precedent in the immensity of its proportions. ”

“ His appointment clearly showed the desire on the part of Germany to strengthen its economic relations with Soviet Russia, and this precisely was the policy which was pursued by the Soviet Government and which was followed by comrade Yoffe in Berlin. Admiral Hinze, Kuehlmann's successor to the post of Secretary of Foreign Affairs, pursued a conciliatory policy toward Russia. However, owing to the growing revolutionary movement and economic dissolution, the power of German imperialism was constantly and rapidly declining. ”

“ We did not declare war, the note further stated,—but we would reply to these actions by appropriate measures of defense and by resorting to the necessary preventive measures, interning in concentration camps the bourgeois citizens of the countries attacking us; these measures would not be used against workers of these countries, since the workers of all the world were our friends. ”

“ The whole of May was an extremely unsettled time, owing to the gradual movements to the north and north-east, partly of German troops and partly of irregular bands supported by the former. But the main blows of the Germans at this time were directed toward the south-east,—on Bataisk and further in the direction of the grain producing Kuban. ”

“ We demanded the surrender of Baku directly to our troops, since without this condition the Turks could easily declare that they had evacuated Baku, but that the city was occupied by Mussulman bands which were not under their control. ”