Council of People’s Commissars, Decree on the Reduction of the Army. November 23, 1917
The Workers’ and Peasants’ Government of People’s Commissars has resolved:
To start gradual reduction of the numerical strength of the army and, pursuant to this, to transfer forthwith to the indefinite reserve soldiers drafted in z899. The ordinance regarding the draftees of other years will be issued later on. Discharged soldiers shall hand over their weapons to the regimental committees which are responsible for their safekeeping.
The Supreme Commander-in- Chief shall announce this forthwith in an army order of the day.
Chairman of the Council of the People’s Commissars, VL. UL’IANOV (LENIN).
People’s Commissars of Military Affairs, V. A. OVSEENKO (ANTONOV), N. KRYLENKO.
Source: Decrees of the Soviet Government (Moscow: Institute of Marxism-Leninism, 1957), Vol. I, p. 66.