Did Britain try to assassinate Lenin?

[Gerald]

Nearly a century ago, Britain was accused of masterminding a failed plot to kill Lenin and overthrow his fledgling Bolshevik regime. The British government dismissed the story as mere Soviet propaganda - but new evidence suggests it might be true.

For decades what became known as the "Lockhart plot" has been etched in the annals of the Soviet archives, taught in schools and even illustrated in films.

In early 1918, in the final months of World War I, Russia's new Bolshevik government was negotiating a peace deal with Germany and withdrawing its exhausted troops from the front.

This did not please London. The move would enable Berlin - which had been fighting a war on two fronts - to reinforce its forces in the West.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12785695

Note: 19 March 2011 Last updated at 23:59 GMT

[Gargamel]

Good read there Vendor.

Glad to see you read stuff other than foxnews.

[Betonov]

Makes sense.
Without Lenin the Russians would have continued the war. Maybe the hundred day offensive would be more succesfull without the German reinforcements from the east (IIRC the 100day offensive was after Russia pulled out of the war).

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by Betonov

Makes sense.
Without Lenin the Russians would have continued the war. Maybe the hundred day offensive would be more succesfull without the German reinforcements from the east (IIRC the 100day offensive was after Russia pulled out of the war).

More likely the German Spring Offensive would not have taken place, or would have followed a much more limited plan. Ironically, this might have actually meant the German position at the time the Hundred Days' Offensive actually begun might have been significantly stronger, since it would have meant the German army's best troops would not have taken the disproportionate casualties they suffered as part of Shock trooper units during the Spring Offensive.

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Raptor1

More likely the German Spring Offensive would not have taken place, or would have followed a much more limited plan. Ironically, this might have actually meant the German position at the time the Hundred Days' Offensive actually begun might have been significantly stronger, since it would have meant the German army's best troops would not have taken the disproportionate casualties they suffered as part of Shock trooper units during the Spring Offensive.

Also posible. But then again, the hundred day offensive might have been executed along with the russians with equall success in the east braking Germanys back.
Aaaahhh the posibilites of a ''what if'' scenario

[tater]

Might've saved the lives of ~60 million future Soviets, too (30M if you prefer lowball estimates of Soviet democide).

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by Betonov

Also posible. But then again, the hundred day offensive might have been executed along with the russians with equall success in the east braking Germanys back.
Aaaahhh the posibilites of a ''what if'' scenario

Perhaps, but I doubt it. Even if Russia stayed in the war, the Russian Army at this point was in a very poor state. It had some spectacular successes earlier in the war, of course, but it would be just too fragile for major offensive operations if it continued operating until 1918.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Gargamel

Good read there Vendor.

Glad to see you read stuff other than foxnews.

Thank you! Fox may have advantages sometimes, like any other supplier,and news will provide me many times before they even exist in the media