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Today in History: Daily Mail Publishes Hoax Zinoviev Letter

By Drooid · Oct 25, 2026, 10:33 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

Four days before the 29 October 1924 general election, the Daily Mail printed the forged Zinoviev letter, allegedly a Moscow directive urging the Communist Party of Great Britain to incite unrest. The sensational story portrayed Labour’s Soviet-friendly policy as a threat, swaying public opinion and helping the Conservatives defeat Ramsay MacDonald’s government.

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Story summary

Four days before the 29 October 1924 general election, the Daily Mail printed the forged Zinoviev letter, allegedly a Moscow directive urging the Communist Party of Great Britain to incite unrest. The sensational story portrayed Labour’s Soviet-friendly policy as a threat, swaying public opinion and helping the Conservatives defeat Ramsay MacDonald’s government.