Letter to Yakov Sverdlov and Leon Trotsky, October 1, 1918

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October 1, 1918

Comrades Sverdlov and Trotsky

Things have so “accelerated” in Germany that we must not fall behind either. But today we are already behind. We should call tomorrow a joint session of the

Central Executive Committee

Moscow Soviet

District Soviets

Trade unions, etc., etc.

A number of reports must be made on the beginning of the revolution in Germany.

(Victory of our tactics of struggle against

German imperialism. And so forth.)

A resolution to be adopted.

The international revolution has come so close in one week that it has to be reckoned with as an event of the next few days.

No alliances either with the government of Wilhelm, or with the government of Wilhelm II + Ebert and the other scoundrels.

But for the German worker masses, the German working people in their millions, once they have begun with their spirit of revolt (so far only a spirit), we

are beginning to prepare

a fraternal alliance, bread, military aid.

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We are all ready to die to help the German workers advance the revolution which has begun in Germany.

The conclusion: (1) ten times more effort to secure grain (clean out all stocks both for ourselves and for the German workers). (2) Ten times more enrolments for the army. We must have by the spring an army of three million to help the international workers’ revolution.

This resolution should go out to the whole world by cable on Wednesday night.

Appoint the meeting for 2 p.m. on Wednesday. We shall begin at 4, give me the platform for 1/4 hour of introduction, I shall drive up and leave immediately afterwards. Send the car for me tomorrow morning (but by telephone say only: agreed).[1]

Greetings!

Lenin

  1. ↑ The joint meeting of the All-Russia CEC, the Moscow Soviet, the factory committees and the trade unions, proposed by Lenin, was held on Thursday, October 3, 1918. Lenin, who was convalescing at Gorki after being wounded, could not attend the meeting, but sent, a letter that was road out. His main proposals were included in the resolution passed by the meeting, which on the same day was officially announced to the world by telegraph.