isaac-deutscher-the-prophet-armed-trotsky-1879-1921

THE PROPHET ARMED
Despite their revolutionary appeals, the Bolsheviks were
anxious to enter into diplomatic contact with the allies. No
sooner had they routed Kerensky's troops than Trotsky suggested
the resumption of normal relations to the British and the
French.' The Bolsheviks, and Trotsky more than others,
reckoned with the possibility that the Germans might, by
dictating unacceptable peace terms, force Russia back into the
war and into the Entente. Trotsky's suggestion fell on deaf ears.
The allied embassies ignored him. Only the Belgian Minister
paid him a reconnoitring visit in that little partitioned room in
the Smolny. Trotsky's manner, as he was explaining his government's
peace aims to the incredulous envoy, was 'a little firm, a
a little haughty', but courteous. The Belgian Minister went
away impressed by Trotsky's personality and by his sincerity,
but also convinced that the revolution's Foreign Secretary was
an ideologue and dreamer, not to be taken seriously; and thus
he described him to colleagues. 2
Not only the foreign embassies but also the staff of the Russian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs met Trotsky with a boycott. It was
only a week after his appointment, the week taken up by the
fighting against Kerensky's troops, that he first appeared at the
ministry, accompanied by Markin, a sailor from Kronstadt. He
was cager above all to get hold of the secret treaties and the
diplomatic correspondence of his predecessors. But the offices
and the corridors of the ministry were deserted-there was not
a soul to answer his questions. At length, his sailor friend found
the permanent head of the ministry, Count Tatishchcv, descendant
of a long line of diplomats. The Count declared that the
employees of the ministry had failed to come to work. Trotsky
threateningly ordered him to assemble at once the whole staff,
and in no time a crowd of officials came to report. Trotsky
briefly introduced himself as their new chief, told them that no
force on earth could undo the revolution and that those of them
who wanted honestly to serve the new government could do so.
But the officials refused to hand over the secret documents and the
keys to the safes containing them. Trotsky left the ministry. A
little later his sailor friend returned and ordered Tatishchev and
the Menshcviks made the exclusion of Lenin and Trotsky a condition for the formation
of a coalition government, op. cit., p. 74.
1
Sadoul, op. cit., p. 77.
2
Ibid., pp. 77~0.