State Secretary of the German Foreign Ministry von Kohlmann, September 29, 1917:
The large and successful conduct of military operations on the Eastern Front was supported by active subversive activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Russia. As part of this activity, we saw it as our first duty to encourage nationalist-separatist aspirations in every possible way and to give strong support to revolutionary elements. In this direction, we have been working for a long time in full agreement with the Political Department of the General Staff of the Army in Berlin (Captain von Holsen). Our joint work brought visible results.
Without our constant and comprehensive support, the Bolshevik movement would never have assumed such proportions and would not have been able to achieve the influence it has today. [Without our constant and extensive support ützung hä the Bolshevik movement would never have grown in size and gained the önnen influence that it possesses today]. All signs point to its further expansion. The same goes for the Finnish and Ukrainian independence movements.
According to the latest reports, the state of affairs in Russia is such that one might expect the collapse of that country—its economic life undermined and maintained by British agents only with great difficulty—from any subsequent great shock.
First published.