Letter to Georgy Chicherin, June 11, 1920

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Written on a telegram to Chicherin from Krasin, Chairman of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, who reported that on June 10, 1920, he had had a visit from Wise, who stated officially, on behalf of Lloyd George, that the offensive begun by Wrangel was undertaken against the wishes of the British Government.

The Soviet Government’s Note in reply to the British Government, which was worded according to Lenin’s directive and sent by radio on June 11, stated: “True, at the present time it is Wrangel with his whiteguards, and not a British general, who is attacking Russia anew, but the weapons and ammunition which he uses were supplied to him by the British Government and other Allied Governments; his strategic movements have taken place under the protection of British and other Allied vessels, he has received the coal he needed from Great Britain, and the Allied fleet partly helped him in his landing operations and partly directly participated in them. The Russian Government, therefore, cannot share the point of view of the British Government that the latter bears no responsibility for this new attack on Soviet Russia.” = (Dokumenty vneshnei politiki SSSR, Vol. II, 1958, p. 567.)

This is blatant lying and trickery designed for fools.

They have given arms, they are giving coal and a fleet— and they make this statement through “Wise” (=Bullitt?).

I advise: 1) Send a coded message to Krasin: “that scoundrel Lloyd George is fooling you in the most vile and shameless manner, don’t believe a word, and fool him threefold”.

2) To Curzon: a derisive telegram (of course, when you had already given arms, he, not you, started an offensive, and when you had given coal, he, not you, set the ships in motion, and so on in that strain).

Lenin