The Stalin school of falsification - Marxists Internet Archive

Stalin School of Falsification - Chapter 13
"Moscow. To the Chairman of the C.E.C. [of the Soviets]. Copy to the Chairman of the Council of
People's Commissars, Leisn.
"I have received the following telegram: 'Stalin's military order number 118 must be cancelled. I have
issued all neces sary orders to the commander of the Southern Front, Sytin. Stalin's actions are destroying
all my plans. . . . No.01258, Commander in Chief, Vatsetis. Member of the Military Council,
Danishevsky.' Trotsky. Kozlov, Oct. 5, 1918."
Stalin was removed from Tsaritsin. It became easier to "manage" Voroshilov without Stalin. Trotsky also
agreed to allow Voroshilov to remain, in an attempt to adjust the situa tion. However, Voroshilov, too,
had shortly to be removed, for Stalin continued to direct him in the former spirit from Moscow. In the
Ukraine, where Voroshilov was next appointed, he sought to continue the "Tsaritsin line," which resulted
in the following telegrams from Trotsky:
"Moscow. To the Chairman of the C.E.C., Sverdlov:
"Did not find the Ukrainians in Kursk. In consequence, carried on no negotiations. Must state
categorically that the Tsaritsin line, which led to the complete disintegration of the Tsaritsin Army,
cannot be tolerated in the Ukraine. . . . The Ukrainians are in chaos. There is a clique struggle due to the
absence of responsible and authoritative leaders. Okulov is leaving for Moscow. Propose that you and
comrade Lenin give utmost attention to his report on Voroshilov's work. The line of Stalin, Voroshilov
and Rukhimovich spells ruin for our entire cause. Chairman of the Military Council, Trotsky. Jan.10,
1919. Gryaz."
The following day, in reply to a (missing) telegram from Lenin, Trotsky transmitted by direct wire:
"To comrade Lenin:
"Compromise is of course necessary hut not a rotten one. As a matter of fact, all the Tsaritsinites have
now foregathered in Kharkov. What the Tsaritsinites are you can gather from the report of Okulov which
contains solely fac tual material and reports of Commissars. I consider Stalin's patronage of the Tsaritsin
tendency a most dangerous ulcer worse than any treason or hetrayal by military specialists. If not for the
prospects of the Anglo-French front in the Ukraine one might remain indifferent to the question of the
commanding staff. But we shall have to carry on serious operations there. Rukhimovich is only an alias
for Voroshi lov. Within a month we shall have to swallow the Tsaritsin mess, having against us this time
not the Cossacks but the Anglo-French. Rukhimovich is not alone. They firmly hang on to each other,
raising ignorance into a principle. Voroshi lov plus the Ukrainian partisan methods plus the low cul tural
level of the population, plus demagogy-this cannot be accepted under any conditions. Let them appoint
Artem, but not Voroshilov or Rukhimovich.
"Am immediately leaving for Balashov, because of certain alarming developments there. If you are
unable to arrange matters with the Ukrainians by correspondence, I shall sum mon them to Voronezh.
Greetings.
"Once again I urge a careful reading of Okulov's report on the Tsaritsin Army and how Voroshilov
demoralized it with the assistance of Stalin. Trotsky. Jan.11, 1919 (Balashov)." Lenin during that period
was still inclined toward a compromise with the Tsaritsinites. But the situation became worse and worse.
It is quite possible that under the influence of Lenin's "lashing" Voroshilov "pulled himself together" a
little in the beginning. That is how we are inclined to explain the fact that for a period of almost five
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