Leon Trotsky: Russian Request for Explanation

17 February

[From the (British) Daily Review of the Foreign Press, 19 February, 1918, p. 916. Proceedings of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Conference. Washington 1918, p. 174]

A Russian Government wireless (Feb. 17) sends out the following: To the Government of the German Empire, Berlin:

To-day, Feb. 17, we received a message by direct wire from Brest-Litovsk from General Samoilu that General Hoffmann declared on Feb. 16 that from Feb. 18, at midday, the state of war will be resumed between Germany and Russia.

The Russian Republic supposes that the telegram received by us was not issued by those persons by whom it was signed, and we consider that it has a provocative character, for even if the cessation of the armistice on the part of Germany is to be assumed a notice of seven days must be given according to the conditions of the armistice, and not merely two days.

We request an explanation of this misunderstanding and ask that it may be sent by radio.

(Signed) L. Trotsky,

Peopled Commissary for Foreign Affairs.