The Military Writings of
Leon Trotsky

Volume 2, 1919

How the Revolution Armed


The Fight for Petrograd

TO THE SOLDIERS OF GENERAL YUDENICH’S ARMY

Read! Listen! Ponder!

The Soviet power is beating the landlords, capitalists and Tsarist generals on all fronts.

In Siberia we are beating and chasing Kolchak. Our forces are appraoching Omsk. Kolchak has fled from Omsk to Irkutsk.

In the South our forces have taken Voronezh and Orel. The Tsarist General Denikin is retreating before the onslaught of the workers’ and peasants’ army.

Yudenich will not hold out. We have recovered Dyetskoye (formerly Tsarskoye) Syelo, Pavlovsk and Krasnoye Syelo. We have recovered Luga. The Red troops are approaching Gdov. Things look bad for Yudenich, the hangman of the workers and peasants.

Listen, you soldiers serving under compulsion, slaves of the Tsarist General Yudenich: The Red forces are surrounding you more and more compactly. Concentrated against you are pow erful artillery, armoured trains, armoured cars, and tanks made in Petrograd.

There is only one salvation for you: surrender!

The Red Army is not fighting against workers and peasants, but only against landlords and capitalists.

Soldiers serving the Tsarist General Yudenich under compulsion – surrender!

Come over to our side. Kill commanders who try to stop you. Come to us! You will be received as brothers. Peace and fraternal labour will reign in our country. Without landlords, with out capitalists and usurers, without Tsarist generals and dignitaries, the country will lead a calm and happy life.

Death to the Tsarist General Yudenich!

Long live united workers’ and peasants’ Russia!

November 3, 1919, En Route, No.103


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Last updated on: 23.12.2006