Power of Attorney for Abram Ioffe

What it is

This is a typed Russian document dated 2 December 1919, issued by the Council of People's Commissars in Moscow, bearing Lenin's signature as chairman. It grants Abram Ioffe the authority to negotiate and sign armistice and peace treaties on behalf of Soviet Russia with the governments of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

The document states that any resulting peace treaty would still need to be ratified by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

Why it matters

This document shows the Soviet government, led by Lenin, trying to end conflicts on its western borders during the Russian Civil War. It reveals how the new state built formal diplomatic processes even while fighting for survival, and highlights Ioffe's role as a key Soviet diplomat.

Look closer

• Why would the new Soviet government want peace with these three countries specifically?
• What does the requirement for later ratification tell you about how decisions were meant to be made?
• What can official government paperwork tell us that a speech or memoir cannot?