The Military Writings of
Leon Trotsky

Volume 2, 1919

How the Revolution Armed


The Southern Front

II. Denikin’s Offensive (May 15-August 1919)

ORDER No.106

By the Chairman of the Revolutionary War Council of the Republic and People’s Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, June 6, 1919, No.106, Balakleya Station
[[Balakleya is on the line between Kharkov and Izyuxn [?], about half-way.]

Transcribed and HTML markup for the Trotsky Internet Archive by David Walters

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Taking advantage of the temporary retreat by our units, scoundrels, provocateurs and agents of Denikin have raised their heads and are working at full blast. They are circulating sinister rumours, spreading panic, carrying on agitation against the Soviet power and the commanders appointed by it, and inciting soldiers to disobey orders and desert their battle-stations.

The situtation at the front calls for the utmost effort, order, discipline and strict performance of duty.

The interests of the workers’ and peasants’ Ukraine and of the entire Soviet Federative Republic demand that ruthless measures be taken to deal with traitors who are undermining the strength of the Red Army.

I announce that, for this purpose, an Extraordinary Military Revolutionary Tribunal has been set up, with as chairman a member of the Ukrainian Council of People’s Commissars, Comrade Pyatakov.

This tribunal has been given extraordinary powers to punish all enemies of the Soviet land and of the Soviet army, regardless of the positions they hold and the work they are doing.

Chairmen of uyezd, volost and village executive committees, uyezd and volost military commissars, and commandants and commissars of railway stations are ordered to observe atten tively and carefully all persons who pass through the places for which they are responsible and to arrest immediately anyone detected in dishonourable agitation.

Commanders and commissars of regiments and commanders of military trains must keep careful watch on scoundrels who get in among Red Army men and circulate base rumours about betrayals by commanders, in order thereby to encourage self-seekers and incite cowards to run away.

Honourable Red-Army-men comrades must give the necessary co-operation to the Soviet authorities in this connection.

Kulaks’ sons, shouters and screamers, Grigoriyevites and Makhnovites who have wormed their way into the Red Army must be ruthlessly crushed.

I issue this warning, that no mercy will be shown to the enemies of the people and those who connive at their activity. The workers’ and peasants’ power will cauterise with a red-hot iron the ulcer of provocation, Grigoriyevism and Makhnovism.

Death to the self-seekers and scoundrels!
Long live the honourable warriors of the workers’ and peasants’ Red Army!


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Last updated on: 22.12.2006