Interlude
Lenin, Sverdlov, and Trotsky: The Troika
“Ilyich, look at the facts,” Sverdlov recapitulated. “We know Tobolsk is full of counterrevolutionaries and their sympathizers. Our friends are reporting a training camp in Hungary where the Germans have been training Russian traitors, and two days ago someone massacred a large and well-armed group of bandits in Siberia. Shortly before that a sailing ship blew up in the Black Sea, taking one of our loyal destroyers with it. We didn’t do either of these and our scouts cannot find any White element in position to do so either.”
Lenin leaned back in his chair. Trotsky sat silently.
“Move the royals as soon as possible,” Lenin said. “And reiterate to Yurovsky that at the first sign of trouble, he is to execute the Romanovs.”
“That may be too late,” Sverdlov insisted. “We should liquidate them now.”
“Yakov, Britain, France, America, all the Imperialist powers only leave us be because they are busy elsewhere and because they cannot sell the idea of all out war against us to their people,” Lenin said. “Would you so easily hand them a propaganda coup? I can see it in their newspapers now, ‘Communists Murder Innocent Romanov Children.’ ”
“Comrade Lenin has a point,” Trotsky said. “I lived in America for some time. They are not without their virtues, but as a people they are highly prone to emotional decision making. They can be quite easily stirred to outrage, and their capitalist masters would love any excuse to direct that outrage at us.”
Sverdlov frowned at the shorter man. He would have a word with the defense commissar about the ill-considered act of contradicting him in front of Lenin.
“I still think leaving the Romanovs alive is dangerous,” Sverdlov said. “But I will not bring it up to the full committee now.”
I hope you’re both right. But I am still going to tell Yurovsky, in your name, that he is also to frame the lot for counterrevolutionary activities, so we can get rid of them at an opportune time.