ABSTRACT
Faced with constant obstacles and snubs, Maxim Litvinov persevered and finally even achieved an agreement with Europe’s dominant power, Great Britain. Litvinov began his letter to Wilson with the interesting claim that the Soviet and US public proposals for a European settlement had much in common, although he admitted that the Soviet concepts were “more extensive”. Instead of that unfortunate scenario, Litvinov suggested that Wilson and the Allies should come to an understanding with the Soviet government that would involve a withdrawal of foreign troops and an end to the economic blockade. Litvinov admitted that his government had committed “many blunders,” but he asserted that the system had worked well considering the enormous difficulties of the past year. Litvinov’s counterpart was an Irishman, James O’Grady, an experienced trade unionist who had also been a member of Parliament but was hardly someone who could be called prominent in British political circles.
