The Stalin school of falsification - Marxists Internet Archive

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Stalin School of Falsification - Chapter 13 Voroshilov quotes Stalin's letter but omits the date it was sent. That was, of course, done deliberately. Had he given the date, Voroshilov would have been unable to ascribe the plan to Stalin. As we shall shortly prove, Stalin's letter was sent several months after the question of the two plans had first arisen. Voroshilov writes: "As regards operating direc tives, he [Stalin] was offered the old plan (that of Septem ber) of dealing the main blow, etc. . . ." With this statement Voroshilov exposes himself completely. In the first place, if during the period of Stalin's creative work on "planning" at the Southern Front, the "September" (?) plan was already an "old" plan, then it is quite self-evident that all of the above took place after September, i.e., already after Trotsky had raised the question of reconsidering the plan for the second time (see document on p. 223). In the second place, the erroneous plan was adopted not in September but two months earlier, so that there had never existed such a thing as the "September" plan. In September there was on!y a reaffirma tion of the previously adopted plan of the Chief Command (see Lenin's reply to the telegram of Trotsky, Lashevich and Serebriakov). As we have already stated, Trotsky fought against the adoption of the plan of the Chief Command as early as July and August, at a time when Stalin was with the majority of the Political Bureau. Furthermore, at the beginning of September, Trotsky tried again -- this time on the basis of a number of conclusions drawn from experience itself -- to obtain reconsideration of the plan. Stalin remained as hitherto in favor of-the erroneous plan. And it was only later that Stalin proceeded to the "revaluation of values." There is an indirect proof that the date of Stalin's letter must be assigned to October or November 1919, namely, Stalin concludes his well-publicized letter with "threats" of resignation. We have already cited above the reply of the C.C. on this score ("absolutely impermissible," etc.). This reply is dated November 14; therefore the deduction is that Stalin must have written his letter of criticism, sometime early in November, and hardly prior to that time, i.e., after a delay of some three or four months. Voroshilov, on the other hand, after a delay of ten years, asserts on the basis of this letter that "Stalin's [??] plan was accepted by the Central Committee." That is how history is being "refreshed"! Having disposed of the two "general" falsifications, we pass on to the petty falsifications of Voroshilov. Citing the telegram of the Military Council of the Southern Front for November 11, 1919, to the Supreme Military Coun cil of the Republic with the request to affirm the organization of the First Cavalry Army, Voroshilov adds the following comment: "The Cavalry Army was created despite and even against the center." In the first place, what "center" is this? Always equivocations! Is it the Political Bureau? or the Chief Command? or Lenin? or Trotsky? In the second place, if the "center" was against the organization of the First Cavalry, why did it have to affirm the decision of the Military Council of the Southern Front? So far as Trotsky is personally concerned, if we take the question in its broadest aspects, i.e., the timely realization of the role of cavalry in the manouvre-operations of a civil war, then it is sufficient to refer to a slogan, popular in its time, which was raised by comrade Trotsky (incidentally, long before the telegram adduced by Voroshilov): "Proletarians, to horse!" Under this same title, comrade Trotsky published an article which likewise posed the question of large scale bodies of cavalry. One of the main tasks of the "armored train" (of the Chairman of the Military Council) in that period was the creation of the cavalry. It would not be inappropriate to recall that the closest collaborator of Trotsky's secretariat, I. M. Poznansky, formed fighting mounted detachments during that period. But Poznansky himself cannot say anything, because he is kept under lock and key by Stalin-Voroshilov. Further on, as one of the instances of Stalin's "rescue" expeditions to the "most dangerous places," Voroshilov informs us of Stalin's journey to the Caucasian front which ever took place. Ludicrous as it http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1937-st2/sf13.htm (12 of 14) [06/06/2002 15:07:19]
Stalin School of Falsification - Chapter 13 may seem, this is a fact! Stalin, you see, did not take the trip only because of "illness." Illness is a weighty reason, but we are rather inclined to think that "capriciousness" had something to do with this incident, and for the following reason: A week after Stalin's trip, which "rescued" even though it never took place, Stalin sent the following telegram in reply to Lenin's demand that he take emergency measures in order to speed up the transfer of two divisions to the Caucasian Front: "Moscow. Kremlin. To Lenin; copy to the C.C. of the Party. "I am not quite clear as to why the chief concern about the Caucasian Front falls primarily upon me. The strengthening of the Caucasian Front properly and entirely falls upon the Military Council of the Republic, the members of which, according to my information, are in good health; it is their concern and not that of Stalin who is overburdened with work as it is. Number 970. February 20, 1920. Stalin." Here is what Lenin replied to him: "The concern of speeding up the arrival of re-enforcements from the Southwestern Front to the Caucasian Front has been placed on you. It is general!y necessary to give a!! pos sible assistance and not to bicker about departmental jurisdiction. No.87/3. Lenin." How characteristic of Stalin is this tone of petty intrigue and personal grievance! How characteristic of Lenin is his tone of restrained indignation! The decuments speak for themselves. And we observe how eloquent is their language. It goes without saying that the man whom the party always really did send to the most difficult sectors (as a mat ter of fact that was real!y his "job") was not at all Stalin. Here are a few brief excerpts from Lenin's telegrams: "August 22, 1918. Sviazhsk. To Trotsky. Treason on the Saratov Front, though discovered in time, has neverthe less produced extremely dangerous vacillations. We consider your going there at once absolutely indispensable, for your appearance at the front has an effect on soldiers and the entire army. . . . Lenin, Sverdlov." "April 10, 1919. To Trotsky. Nizhni Novgorod. "In view of the extremely grave situation on the Eastern Front I think it is mo~t expedient for you to remain there. Lenin." "May 7, 1919. Shikhrana. To Trotsky. I have just con sulted the Political Bureau of the C.C., and in agreement with the Bureau I am in favor of your immediate and speed iest departure to Kharkov, where it is urgent to put an end to disorganization and tc give immediate aid to the Donetz Basin. Lenin." "May 15, 1919. Kupyansk. To Trotsky. "Extremely pleased by the energetic measures by which the uprising was crushed. . . . Lenin." "Maybe I would insist personally on your going to Bogachur once again, in order to complete the crushing of the uprising, otherwise there is no hope for victory. Lenin." (24 hours later) "May 22, 1919.... I insist again on your going without fail a second time to Bogachur and putting an end to the matter, because it is obvious that Sokolnikov can not handle the situation. Lenin." http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1937-st2/sf13.htm (13 of 14) [06/06/2002 15:07:19]
Page 1 and 2:
The Stalin school of falsification
Page 3 and 4:
The Collected Writings of Leon Trot
Page 5 and 6:
The Collected Writings of Leon Trot
Page 7 and 8:
Marxists Writers Archive MIA: Marxi
Page 9 and 10:
Marxists Writers Archive 1870-1960
Page 11 and 12:
Marxists Writers Archive 1900-1980
Page 13 and 14:
Stalin School of Falsification -- I
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Stalin School of Falsification - Ch
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Stalin School of Falsfification - C
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
groupings, with their attitude towa
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Stalin School of Falsification more
Page 103 and 104:
Stalin School of Falsification conc
Page 105 and 106:
Stalin School of Falsification plea
Page 107 and 108:
Stalin School of Falsification univ
Page 109 and 110:
Stalin School of Falsification out
Page 111 and 112:
Stalin School of Falsification most
Page 113 and 114:
Stalin School of Falsification -- C
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120: Stalin School of Falsification -- C
Page 157 and 158: Stalin School of Falscification - C
Page 159 and 160: Stalin School of Falsification - Ch
Page 169: Stalin School of Falsification - Ch
Page 215: The Trotsky Archive http://www.marx
show all

The Stalin school of falsification - Marxists Internet Archive

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?