His way of reasoning
was approximately as follows: Russia needs peace. The Bolsheviki got the
power because of their struggle for peace. The Bolsheviki desire to
remain in power and this is possible for them only on condition that
peace is concluded. It is true that they bound themselves to a definite
democratic program of peace, but why do diplomats exist if not for the
purpose of making black look white? We Germans will make it easier for
the Bolsheviki by covering our plunders by democratic formulas. The
Bolshevist diplomacy will have plenty of reason not to dig for the
political essence of the matter, or, rather, not to expose to the entire
world the contents of the enticing formulae.... In other words,
Kuehlmann relied upon a silent agreement with us. He would return to us
our fine formulas and we should give him a chance to get provinces and
peoples for Germany without a protest. In the eyes of the German
workers, the annexations by force would thus receive the sanction of the
Russian Revolution. When during the discussions, we showed that with us,
it was not a matter of empty words or of camouflaging a conspiracy
concluded behind the scenes, but a matter of democratic principles for
the international life of the community of nations, Kuehlmann took it as
a willful and malicious breaking of the silent agreement. He would not
by any means recede from the position taken in the formulas of the 25th
of December.
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