Letter to GK Ordzhonikidze on the Strengthening of the Georgian Red Army

Written 13 February 1922

Comrade Sergo,

It is absolutely essential that the Congress of Soviets of Georgia should adopt a decision to strengthen the Georgian Red Army without fail, and that the decision is really carried out.

In the last resort, if the peasants are opposed to this, a decision, couched in the most general terms, should be adopted, such as it is deemed essential “without fail to strengthen the Georgian Red Army and to call upon all government bodies and all the working people to work to secure this”, etc.

Actually, however, it is necessary, at all costs, and immediately, to develop and strengthen the Georgian Red Army. As a beginning let it consist only of one brigade or even less; two or three thousand Red cadets – of whom 1,500 should be communists – who (as cadres) could serve as the nucleus of an army when the contingency arises. This is absolutely essential.

Perhaps Stalin will enlarge on the military and technical methods of carrying this out.

I am confining myself to the political aspect of the matter: those who fail to carry this out will be expelled from the party without compunction. This is not a matter to be trifled with. It is absolutely essential politically; and you personally, and the entire Georgian Central Committee, will be held responsible to the whole party for this.

I await your reply.

Yours,

Lenin

PS: This is for Comrade Sergo and for all the members of the Central Committee of the Georgian Communist Party.