235. Pravda, Dec. 27, 1935. Yagoda reported an expansion in Polish agents crossing Soviet borders in pursuit of information on weapons depots and other secrets. Khaustov et al., Lubianka: Stalin i VChK, 712–4 (APRF, f. 3, op. 58, d. 248, l. 80–4: Dec. 27, 1935).
236. Harrison and Davies, “Soviet Military-Economic Effort,” 370, citing RGASPI, f. 17, op. 162, d. 19, l. 16: Dec. 15, 1935; GARF, f. 5446, op. 57, d. 38: Dec. 16, 372; Cooper, “Defence Production,” 35.
237. The Mongols complained that it was very difficult to struggle against the lamas “when some officials believe in and pray to god.” RGANI, f. 89, op. 63, d. 17, l. 1–5.
238. RGANI, f. 89, op. 63, d. 17, l. 6–8.
239. Baabar, Twentieth-Century Mongolia, 347–8 (citing the eyewitness Luvsansharev, a secretary of the Mongolian Central Committee, speaking at the 2nd plenum [March 11–20, 1936], in connection with Genden’s removal). See also Dashpürev and Soni, Reign of Terror, 34. Another version has Genden chasing Stalin around the table, yanking his pipe out of his mouth, and dashing it to the floor. Sandag and Kendall, Poisoned Arrows, 77.
240. Murin, Stalin v ob”iatiakh, 186 (Svanidze diary: Dec. 7, 1936: erroneous dating, more likely Jan. 7).
241. Molotov himself said it was “up to the German government to draw practical conclusions.” Izvestiia, Jan. 12, 1936.
242. DGFP, series C, IV: 967–72 (Jan. 6, 1936).
243. The foreign office forwarded the report to Chilston in Moscow for comment. The British in Moscow were skeptical. Hochman, Failure of Collective Security, 110 (citing DBFP/Russia Correspondence, F.P. 371/19460, 142–8: Dec. 7, 1935; F.P. 371/20346, 150–2: Jan. 29, 1936).
244. Bezymenskii, Gitler i Stalin, 98, 100–1; Brügel, Stalin und Hitler, 38. Hitler soon forbade new sales of military technology to the Soviets. DGFP, series C, IV: 1033 (Jan. 24, 1936). Schacht omitted any mention of Kandelaki or the negotiations in his memoir. Schacht, My First Seventy-Six Years.
245. It is not out of the question that the NKVD tasked the Swiss-born Olberg, who had been expelled from the German Communist party in 1932 for Trotskyism, with infiltrating Trotskyite circles in Europe, then decided he needed to serve another purpose. On Olberg, see Chase, Enemies within the Gates?, 134 (citing RGASPI, f., 495, op. 175, d. 105, l. 9). Vyshinsky wrote to Stalin and Molotov (Jan. 8) of a separate case of a “Trotskyite group” just turned over to the courts with supposed plans for a “terrorist” act against the dictator Stalin on Red Square back during the Revolution Day parade, while Yagoda and Vyshinsky together wrote to him (Jan. 11, 1936) about the liquidation of a Zinovievite organization of thirty-four people, asking how should they be tried. Khaustov et al., Lubianka: Stalin i VChK, 715–6 (APRF, f. 3, op. 58, d. 230, l. 65–65ob.), 716–20 (l. 68–76), 723 (l. 64).
246. Jansen and Petrov, Stalin’s Loyal Executioner, 46–8.
247. Baabar, Twentieth-Century Mongolia, 346–7. On the evening of Jan. 7, 1936, Stalin had received the Mongols again, in Molotov’s office, and repeated his demands. Stomonyakov summarized the discussion about the lamas to the Soviet envoy in Mongolia (Tairov), noting, “comrade Stalin said that in a difficult moment one does not liberate criminals but punishes them or holds them under lock and key, like a hostage.” RGANI, f. 89, op. 63, d. 18, l. 1–9; d. 19, l. 1–8: Jan. 10. On Jan. 29, a Manchukuo border company killed its Japanese officers and successfully defected to the Soviet Union. The next day, two Japanese companies crossed the Soviet border in belated pursuit, killing three Soviet border guards and suffering dozens of casualties in a gun battle. They retreated. Shishov, Rossiia i Iaponiia, 424–68; Erickson, Soviet High Command, 414. In Jan. and Feb. 1936, the politburo authorized the building of new roads, petrol stations, aircraft and artillery repair installations, shipbuilding plants, oil storage facilities, and a refinery capable of making airplane fuel in the Soviet Far East. Davies et al., Years of Progress, 278 (citing RGASPI, f. 17, op. 162, d. 19, l. 27–9: Jan. 11, 1936, 73–5, 93–7: Feb. 18, 81–2).
248. Dawson, “Convenient Medical Death,” 1445; Rose, King George V.
249. Castellan, “Reichswehr et Armée Rouge,” 244. Göring would tell the Poles in February that “Marshal Tukhachevsky, when on his way through Germany, had not been received, although he had clearly wanted to get in touch with military circles.” DGFP, series C, IV: 1201–2 (Feb. 26, 1936).
