Comrades,
The NKVD divisions are a good tool, but so far they were handled by the wrong mechanic. These divisions are, in fact, an important part of the NKGB's Military Policing role. We can't have these divisions attached to Army Command, since their very task is to check the Army. These divisions weren't just, or perhaps not only, one of Yagoda's plans to achieve more power, but an essential unit, formed to prevent the kind of coups we have seen in the past ((haven't forgotten about that, have we?)). Under competent leadership, supervised by the Politburo, and purged of conspirators, these divisions will be able to perform their task properly.
In order to make sure that the NKGB, as an essential part of internal security, and as an institution with voting powers, is led by a competent and professional Commissar, I propose that one of us gives up his current position to shift to the NKGB position. If possible, we could then proceed to demote one of the current Commissariats to keep the amount of Commissars at a minimum.
- Major General Feodor Vasilevich Sokolov, People's Commissar for Justice and Interim Head of NKVD
PS: I wish to commend and warn Comrade Pasternak. He has been most helpful in my investigation, and we will soon be able to produce a list covering an estimated 97% of former conspirators. We have found that we can't possibly find them all, especially given the fact that orders were usually passed on orally down the chain of command and that not all participating soldiers actually knew that they were participating in criminal activities. So, the remaining estimated 3% shall be neutralized by re-organizing the NKVD and by promoting those who have been proven innocent. It is in this spirit that I promote Comrade Pasternak to head of the NKVD Intelligence Division. I do wish to warn him, however, not to be overly ambitious. Not only is it unlikely that there would be much support for his appointment to the SGO, it would also block the appointment of more competent members like our Foreign Minister.