153. To ALL DISTRICT COMMITTEES OF THE R.C.P., ALL DISTRICT SOVIETS OF DEPUTIES, ALL STAFFS OF THE RED ARMY
Two bombs were thrown in the German Embassy about 3 p.m. today, severely wounding Mirbach. This is an obvious act of the monarchists or of those provocateurs who want to drag Russia into war in the interests of the Anglo-French capitalists, who have also bribed the Czechoslovaks. Mobilise all forces, put everyone on guard immediately to catch the criminals. All cars are to be detained and held for a triple check.[1]
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars
[1] The German Ambassador Mirbach was assassinated in the afternoon on July 6 by the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries Blyumkin and Andreyev, who got into the German Embassy with a forged document for the alleged purpose of negotiating with the Ambassador and threw a bomb at him. The Left S.R.s hoped by this act to provoke a war with Germany and be able to overthrow Soviet power through the combined efforts of all the enemies of the revolution. The assassination of Mirbach marked the beginning of the Left S.R. counter-revolutionary revolt in Moscow, July 6 and 7, 1918, which was part of a general onslaught by internal counter-revolutionaries and the imperialists of the Entente against Soviet Russia; the rebels were secretly supported by foreign diplomatic missions.
The revolt occurred during the Fifth All-Russia Congress of Soviets, which instructed the Government to suppress the revolt at once. The group of Left S.R. delegates to the Congress was arrested. Thanks to the vigorous measures taken by the Soviet Government and the concerted action of Moscow workers and garrison, the revolt was put down.