A letter written by Stalin was sold for $12,500 at Sotheby's on Friday. The document appears to be evidence of Russia’s plans to attack Germany in World War Two.
The letter signed by Joseph Stalin and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov – dated January 8, 1940 – asks Mongolian leader Choi Balsan for almost 40,000 tons of wool for troop clothing. For his part, Stalin promised to take all the efforts necessary to satisfy assistance requests from Mongolia.
In a startling conclusion, the auction house brochure describes the letter as proof that the Soviet Union planned to invade Germany in harsh winter conditions – something which has been undiscovered by historians before.
Ahead of the auction, the letter was estimated as being worth between $15,000 and $25,000.
Also for sale in New York are Leon Trotsky's memoirs dated 1930 – and a copy of Nikolay Gogol's book “Dead Souls” illustrated by famed Russian-French painter Marc Chagall.