#sovnarkom

November 19 1917, Petrograd--One of the first things the Bolsheviks did upon seizing power was issuing their Decree on Peace, calling for a “democratic peace” without annexations or indemnities, and an immediate three-month armistice until peace negotiations could begin.  This had been communicated to the Germans, who ignored it.  By November 19, the Bolsheviks had consolidated their hold on Petrograd, Moscow, and other major cities, and repeated the call for an armistice, and stated their intentions more officially.

They announced that the Sovnarkom had assumed power, and was charged to offer an immediate armistice on all fronts to all belligerent powers.  The other Allies, determined to continue fighting, and extremely displeased at the Bolsheviks’ intentions to publish secret treaties and export their revolution abroad, ignored the offer and did not make any, even tacit, recognition of the Sovnarkom as Russia’s government.  The most common sentiment in the Allied press was that Lenin and Trotsky were paid German agents.

The Germans were more receptive, but it still remained to be seen whether an armistice offered by Petrograd would be respected by Russia’s generals or armies.  The next day, Sovnarkom ordered General Dukhonin, the head of Stavka, to contact the Germans and offer them an immediate armistice.  Stavka’s opinions on the war had not changed with the Bolshevik takeover, and Dukhonin delayed as long as he could, claiming he was attempting to determine whether the armistice order was authentic.

Today in 1916: Allies Capture Monastir Today in 1915: Serbians Launch Last Counteroffensive at Kosovo Today in 1914: Apparent German Breakthrough Near Lodz