Ambassador, that the
All-Russian Congress of Soviets... on November 8th constituted a new
Government of the Russian Republic, in the form of the Council of
People's Commissars. The President of this Government is Vladimir
Ilyitch Lenin. The direction of Foreign Affairs has been entrusted
to me, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs....
In drawing your attention to the text, approved by the All-Russian
Congress, of the proposition for an armistice and a democratic peace
without annexations or indemnities, based on the right of
self-determination of peoples, I have the honour to request you to
consider that document as a formal proposal of an immediate
armistice on all fronts, and the opening of immediate peace
negotiations; a proposal which the authorised Government of the
Russian Republic addresses at the same time to all the belligerent
peoples and their Governments.
Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the profound assurance of the esteem
of the Soviet Government toward your people, who cannot but wish for
peace, like all the other peoples exhausted and drained by this
unexampled butchery....
The same night the Council of People's Commissars telegraphed to
General Dukhonin:
... The Council of People's Commissars considers it indispensable
without delay to make a formal proposal of armistice to all the
powers, both enemy and Allied. A declaration conforming to this
decision has been sent by the Commissar for Foreign Affairs to the
representatives of the Allied powers at Petrograd.
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