Letter to Grigori Zinoviev, April 4, 1916

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Although I know your tendency towards swift “changes of mood” and fretfulness, I never thought it could go to such lengths.... I never thought you would believe the cock-and-bull story (whose?) about Kaltstellung!![1] I answered all Alexander’s letters; I wrote him three times (my 2nd letter must have gone astray in Sweden and the 3rd has probably not reached him yet). It is absurd to speak about Kaltstellung, when you beg a man to write and he refuses (not a word about the composition of the “collegium” he has appointed...) and all he does is either threaten or get angry: “to America”??? What does this dream mean??

Not a word about going to Russia, but he finds his tongue to talk about America?! Naturally, in this mood of his, it would be useful to try and have it out with him, but that would have been timely if he were going to Russia. Now, however, the deed is done.

Did Radek promise you the theses 1) his own on self-determination, and when? 2) His theses of the Leftists were promised for Saturday; today is Tuesday....

What is the deadline for the Russian No. of Sotsial-Demokrat, i. e., the one with the article on Chkhenkeli?[2]

Salut,

Lenin

  1. ↑ Cold shoulder.—Ed.
  2. ↑ Sotsial-Demokrat No. 53 for April 13, 1916, carried an article “Chkheidze and His Group—Cat’s-paws of the ‘Gvozdyov’ Party” criticising the chauvinist speeches of Chkheidze and Chkhenkeli in the Duma. By the “Russian” number of Sotsial-Demokrat Lenin meant No. 53, which was wholly devoted to events in Russia.