IOR/L/PS/11/148 P 949/1919

Report dated 12 Jan 1919 written by General Staff War Office, entitled “Appreciation of the internal situation in Russia”, headed “For use at Peace Conference”, with a map and associated administrative items.

The documents, in order of their appearance, include:

(1) Note dated 25 Feb 1919 from Cecil Hermann Kisch to John Evelyn Shuckburgh, recommending the report and suggesting Sir Herbert Cox would like to read it. Shuckburgh has initialled the note and written “Sir H. Cox. For infon. J.E.S. 26/2” and Herbert Cox has written “Seen thanks. H.N. Cox. 3.3.19”.

(2) Cover sheet dated 12 Feb 1919 from the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Cecil Harmsworth) on behalf of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Arthur Balfour) to the Under Secretary of State for India (either John Poynder Dickson-Poynder or Satyendra Prasanna Sinha).

(3) Colour map entitled “Skeleton map of Russia and Northern Asia” to illustrate the report that follows. The map, which extends from Austria, Turkey and Persia in the west to Japan in the east, shows the positions of allied, friendly and hostile forces, naval vessels and prisoners of war. The scale is 1:16.500.000 or 1 inch to 260.416 miles.

(4) Report dated 12 Jan 1919 from General Staff War Office, entitled “Appreciation of the internal situation in Russia”, headed “For use at Peace Conference” (Paris Peace Conference, 1919-1920). The main sections of the report are as follows:

• Political appreciation: General political position of Bolsheviks.
• Economic appreciation: Bolshevik financial methods and notes on Bolshevik currency; Bolshevik relations with the Zemstvos; Bolshevik relations with co-operative societies; Nationalization of industry; Mining; Agriculture; Transport; Economic prospects.
• Military appreciation: Soviet military forces; Situation on the several fronts, recent events, strengths of opposing forces; Conclusions as to Bolshevik plans and future course of operations; Forces available for Western Front in Spring, 1919.
• Appendices: Tabular statement of opposing forces on all Bolshevik fronts; Notes on Bolshevik armaments and munitions supplies; Situation in Finland and composition of Finnish Army.