Series II. 1900-1913. Volume XX. Part II. Moscow GIZ, Politizdat 1940. XX + 520 p. Cover: Hardcover; Format: Encyclopaedic (large). Documents from the archives of the tsarist and provisional governments. In the first days, the Soviet authorities made a solemn promise to expose the work of secret diplomacy, which led the world to the terrible disaster of 1914. Soviet publications of secret treaties, which began to be published at the end of 1917, were the first publications of this kind that the world saw. These hastily compiled compilations, which were widely read by diplomats of all the belligerent states, were followed by a number of more systematically selected documents. It was only a long time later that similar collections of other states participating in the war began to appear, and now there is almost no major power participating in the world war that would not publish what is in its archives on the outbreak of the war of 1914. The second part of the twentieth volume presents documents reflecting the diplomatic relations of Russia with European powers, from August 14 to October 17, 1912. The Commission began to develop and publish materials included in the second series of the publication. This series will consist of 24 volumes. (Only volumes XVIII, XIX, XX in 6 books were published). The materials of this series relating to the years of direct preparation for the first world imperialist war acquire a particularly topical interest in the created international situation, when the second imp. war has already begun. CONDITION: very good, bibliographic seal and personal seal of Rope of Nikanor Ivanovich (pres. Kharkov Dynamo, regiment. NKVD, no map)