Telegram to Joseph Stalin, July 7, 1918

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July 7, 1 a. m.

Tsaritsyn to People’s Commissar Stalin

Today at about three p. m. a Left Socialist-Revolutionary killed Mirbach with a bomb. This murder is obviously in the interests of the monarchists or Anglo-French capitalists. The Left S.R.s, not wanting to surrender the assassin, arrested Dzerzhinsky and Latsis and began an uprising against us. We are liquidating it mercilessly this very night and we shall tell the people the whole truth: we are a hair’s breadth from ’war. We have hundreds of Left S.R.s as hostages. Everywhere it is essential to crush mercilessly these pitiful and hysterical adventurers who have become tools in the hands of the counter-revolutionaries. All who are against war will be for us.

As regards Baku, the most important thing is that you should be continuously in contact with Shahumyan, and that Shahumyan should know of the Germans’ proposal, made to Ambassador Joffe in Berlin, to the effect that the Germans would agree to halt the Turks’ offensive against Baku if we guaranteed the Germans part of the oil. Of course, we shall agree. And so, be merciless against the Left S.R.s and report more frequently.

Lenin