Correspondence with M.V. Frunze, December 10, 1924

To Comrade Stalin.
Tell me your opinion on this document.
M. Frunze.

We must find out the author of the formulation "Trotsky as leader of the Red Army" and punish him. This formulation must definitely be replaced.
Stalin.

The formulation must, of course, be replaced. But I do not like the formula "the leader is the Presidium of the RVS." I think it would be better to speak of the party as the leader. As for leaders in the narrow military sense, one should not speak of them; one should simply acquaint the entire army with the biographies of the persons at the head of the army.
Frunze.

Bolshevistskoe rukovodstvo. Perepiska. 1912-1927. P. 298.
RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 1. D. 5254. L. 1.

NOTE
The correspondence was conducted on the reverse side of a memorandum forwarded by A.S. Bubnov for review: "... In the program of political instruction for Red Army soldiers during the current winter period there is a talk on 'The Leader of the Red Army, Comrade Trotsky' (collection of PUR orders and circulars No. 36). The formulation of this talk must, on the basis of the resolution of the meeting of the heads of the political departments of military districts, be changed as follows: 'The Leader of the Red Army -- the RVS of the USSR'; content of the talk: 'The RVS of the USSR, the Presidium of the RVS of the USSR, biographies of members of the Presidium of the RVS of the USSR.' Find a sufficiently convenient form for the replacement, carrying it out as carefully as possible without provoking unnecessary talk. In the manual being prepared for the program, the talk has been drafted according to the proposed new version. Thus, the material for the talk will be received by all political instructors. Deputy Head of PUR: (Landa) Head of Agitprop Department: (Aleksinsky)."