(NOTE FROM TROTSKY) COMMISSAR FOR WAR, TO COLONEL ROBINS FOR TRANSMISSION TO THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CONCERNING THE ATTITUDE OF THE ALLIES IF THE SOVIET CONGRESS SHOULD REFUSE TO RATIFY THE BREST-LITOVSK TREATY



5 March 1918
Russian-American Relations, P. 81,

    In case (a) the all-Russian congress of the Soviets will refuse to ratify the peace treaty with Germany, or (b) if the German government, breaking the peace treaty, will renew the offensive in order to continue its robbers' raid, or (c) if the Soviet government will be forced by the actions of Germany to renounce the peace treaty-before or after its ratification-and to renew hostilities

    In all these cases, it is very important for the military and political plans of the Soviet power for replies to be given to the following questions:

    1 . Can the Soviet government rely on the support of the United States of North America, Great Britain, and France in its struggle against Germany?

    2. What kind of support could be furnished in the nearest future, and on what conditions-military equipment, transportation supplies, living necessities?

    3. What kind of support would be furnished particularly and especially by the United States?

    Should Japan-in consequence of an open or tacit understanding with Germany or without such an understanding-attempt to seize Vladivostok and the Eastern-Siberian Railway, which would threaten to cut off Russia from the Pacific Ocean and would greatly impede the concentration of Soviet troops toward the East about the Urals-in such case what steps would be taken by the other allies, particularly and especially by the United States, to prevent a Japanese landing on our Far East and to insure uninterrupted communications with Russia through the Siberian route?

    In the opinion of the Government of the United States, to what extent-under the above-mentioned circumstances-would aid be assured from Great Britain through Murmansk and Archangel? What steps could the Government of Great Britain undertake in order to assure this aid and thereby to undermine the foundation of the rumors of the hostile plans against Russia on the part of Great Britain in the nearest future?

    All these questions are conditioned with the self-understood assumption that the internal and foreign policies of the Soviet government will continue to be directed in accord with the principles of international socialism and that the Soviet government retains its complete independence of all non-socialist governments.




Documents on Soviet Foreign Policy

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