Even when there was a tendency favourable to the recognition of the republic of the Soviet, I was always decidedly against it.  It is impossible to recognize a State which bases all its relations on violence, and which in its relations with foreign States seeks, or has almost always sought, to carry out revolutionary propaganda.  Even when, yielding to an impulse which it was not possible to avoid—­in the new Italian Chamber, after the elections of 1919 not only the Socialists, but above all the Catholic popular party and the party of Rinnovamento, of which the ex-soldiers especially formed part, voted unanimously an order of the day for the recognition of the actual government of Russia—­I did not think it right to give, and did not give, effect to that vote, impulsively generous, which would have invested Italy with the responsibility of recognizing, even if it were de facto, the government of the Soviet.

I have always, however, rebelled and would never give my consent to any military undertakings against Russia, not even to a participation in the undertakings of men of the old regime.  It was easy to foresee that the population would not have followed them and that the undertakings were doomed to failure.  However, all the attempts at military revolts and counter-revolutions were encouraged with supplies of arms and material.  But in 1920 all the military undertakings, in spite of the help given, failed one after another.  In February the attempt of Admiral Koltchak failed miserably, and in March that of General Judenic.  Failed has the attempt of Denikin.  All the hopes of the restoration were centred in General Wrangel.  The only Grand Duke with any claim to military authority also sent to tell me that this was a serious attempt with probability of success.  General Wrangel, in fact, reunited the scattered forces of the old regime and occupied a large territory in power.  France not only recognized in the government of Wrangel the legitimate representative of Russia, but nominated her official representatives with him.  In November, 1920, even the army of Wrangel, which appeared to be of granite, was scattered.  Poland, through alternating vicissitudes, claimed the power of resistance, but has shown that she has no offensive power against Russia.  So all the attempts at restoration have broken, one after another.

One of the greatest errors of the Entente has been to treat Russia on many occasions, not as a fallen friend, but as a conquered enemy.  Nothing has been more deplorable than to have considered as Russia the men of the old regime, who have been treated for a long time as the representatives of an existing State when the State no longer existed.

Let us suppose that the Bolshevik government transforms itself and gives guarantees to the civilized nations not to make revolutionary agitations in foreign countries, to maintain the pledges she assumes, and to respect the liberty of citizens; the United States of America, Great Britain and Italy would recognize her at once.  But France has an entirely different point of view.  She will not give any recognition unless the creditors of the old regime are guaranteed.