12 August 1917. Alfred Knox

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

Alfred Knox

On July 25th and 30th, when the Ambassador hoped to have an interview with Kerenski, I wrote out certain notes on the military situation. As yesterday he hoped at last to see him I gave him a short summary of these notes.

Possibly as a result, the Ambassador brought back a message yesterday that Tereshchenko wished to see me. He, no doubt, knows that I am going on leave and wishes me to give an optimistic v iew of the situation when I reach England !

I went to see him at 11.30 to-day. Our conversation covered most of the ground, but I left the room little impressed by his easy optimism. He said that Kornilov would have a free hand. The Sovyet had attacked him as a counter-revolutionary, but when, two days later, he had been appointed Gommander-in-Chief, it had stopped its opposition and had not restarted.

He agreed about the officers and discipline. I said that some excellent officers had been expelled, and he said that this had been done by Guchkov ! Kaledin will return at once as Inspector-General of Cossack Troops or to command one of the fronts. The matter of the police is still “ under consideration.”

I asked if he really thought Russia would fight through the winter. He said : “ We have got to think it.” Savin- kov, whom I saw later, said that discipline would be restored by the autumn, and the troops would then be retained in the trenches by fear of punishment.

I suggested to Tereshchenko three reasons that, apart from the demoralisation of the army, might interfere with the war in Russia in the winter: an economic crisis, a breakdown of the railways, and the holding back of grain by the peasants.

He thought that the economic situation would right itself, and that the workmen, after starving for a little and perhaps burning a factory or two, would consent to accept wages that their employers could afford to pay. In this opinion he is much more optimistic than the majority, who think there will be much burning and murder before the workmen learn sense.

He said that the Government would militarise the railways as soon as they got a decent excuse. The holding back of their grain by the peasants was the most difficult matter of all, and he did not indicate how the Government, with no goods to barter, is going to induce the peasants to part.

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+20

in Petrograd

+18

in Moscow