Lenin Letters From Afar v I Lenin 1932 50pgs BOL SOC

7/27/2019 Lenin Letters From Afar v I Lenin 1932 50pgs BOL SOC

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LITTLE LENIN LIBRARYVOLUME 8

LETTERSFROM AFAR

By V. I. LENIN

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS381 FOURTH AVENUE • NEW YORK



LETTERSFROM AFARBYV. I . LENIN

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERSNEW YORK



C o p y r i g h t , 1 9 3 2 , b y

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS CO . , I N C .

R e p r i n t e d f r o m T h e R e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 1 7 , by V . I . L e n i n

PRINTED IN THE U. S . A .

7 2



EDITOR'S FOREWORDNEWS o f t h e o u t b r e a k o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n , t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f

S o v i e t s i n P e t r o g r a d a n d M o s c o w , t h e a b d i c a t i o n o f t h e T s a r a n d

the formation of the bourgeois Provisional Government r e a c h e d

L e n i n i n Z u r i c h , S w i t z e r l a n d , t h r o u g h t h e e x t r a e d i t i o n s o f t h e l o c a l

newspape rs on March 15, 1917 . The following day he wrote to

A l e x a n d r a K o l l o n t a i i n N o r w a y t h a t " t h e ` f i r s t s t a g e o f t h e f i r s t

r e v o l u t i o n ' b r e d b y t h e w a r w i l l b e n e i t h e r f i n a l n o r c o n f i n e d t c

R u s s i a " a n d o b s e r v e d t h a t , a l t h o u g h t h e w o r k e r s , s u p p o r t e d b y t h e

r e v o l u t i o n a r y s o l d i e r s , h a d c a r r i e d t h r o u g h t h e r e v o l u t i o n , s t a t e

p o w e r w a s s e i z e d b y t h e b o u r g e o i s i e a c c o r d i n g t o " t h e s a m e ` o l d '

E u r o p e a n p a t t e r n . "

W i t h g r e a t a v i d i t y L e n i n a b s o r b s a l l t h e n e w s f r o m R u s s i a i n

the English, French and German papers he can lay his hands on

a n d t h i n k s o f h o w s p e e d i l y h e c a n e n d h i s y e a r s o f e x i l e a n d r e t u r n

t o t h e s c e n e o f a c t i o n a m o n g t h e P e t r o g r a d w o r k e r s w h e r e h e b e g a n

h i s r e v o l u t i o n a r y w o r k m o r e t h a n t w e n t y y e a r s b e f o r e . On M ar ch17 he writes again to Kollontai, making arrangements t o o b t a i n

d i r e c t n e w s f r o m h i s c o - w o r k e r s i n R u s s i a , a n d c o m p l e t e s t h e d r a f t

o f t h e t h e s e s o u t l i n i n g h i s v i e w s o n t h e r e v o l u t i o n .

I n h i s p r e l i m i n a r y t h e s e s L e n i n a d j u r e s h i s c o m r a d e s t o b e p r e -

pared for the possible attempt to restore the monar chy and to

c o n s i d e r t h e P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t , w h i c h h a s " s n a t c h e d " p o w e r

f r o m t h e p r o l e t a r i a t , a s h a v i n g t h e s a m e i m p e r i a l i s t a i m s i n t h e

w a r a s t h e T s a r ' s g o v e r n m e n t . A f t e r m a k i n g a c l a s s a n a l y s i s o f

t h e g o v e r n m e n t i n p o w e r , s h o w i n g t h a t i t i s n o t h i n g b u t a g o v e r n -

m e n t o f c a p i t a l i s t s a n d l a n d o w n e r s , L e n i n p r o v e s t h a t i t c a n n o t g i v e

t h e m a s s e s w h a t t h e y e x p e c t f r o m t h e r e v o l u t i o n - p e a c e , b r e a d a n d

freedom . O n l y " a c o m p l e t e v i c t o r y o f t h e n e x t s t a g e o f t h e r e v o -

l u t i o n a n d t h e c o n q u e s t o f p o w e r b y a w o r k e r s ' g o v e r n m e n t " c o u l d

s e c u r e t h e f r u i t s o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n f o r t h e b r o a d m a s s e s o f t h e

p e o p l e .

N o t u n i t y w i t h t h e v a c i l l a t i n g a n d c o m p r o m i s i n g p a r t i e s a c t i v e

a m o n g t h e w o r k e r s a n d p e a s a n t s , b u t t h e b u i l d i n g o f a r e v o l u t i o n -

a r y S o c i a l i s t p a r t y a n d a r e l e n t l e s s s t r u g g l e f o r t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f

t h e c o n t i n u a l l y r i s i n g r e v o l u t i o n a r y m a s s e s ; n o t c o n f i d e n c e i n t h e

P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t , b u t a v i g o r o u s c a m p a i g n o f e x p o s u r e o f

i t s t r u e c a p i t a l i s t n a t u r e a n d i m p e r i a l i s t a i m s - t h i s i s w h a t L e n i n

i n s i s t s u p o n i n h i s f i r s t b r i e f m e s s a g e s t o t h e B o l s h e v i k s i n R u s s i a .

" S p r e a d o u t ! A r o u s e n e w s t r a t a ! Awaken new initi ative, formn e w o r g a n i s a t i o n s i n e v e r y l a y e r , a n d p r o v e t o t h e m t h a t p e a c e c a n

3



c o m e o n l y w i t h t h e a r m e d S o v i e t o f W o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s i n p o w e r , "

a r e L e n i n ' s cl a r i o n c a l l t o h i s c o m r a d e s - i n - a r m s .

D u r i n g M a r c h 2 0 - A p r i l 8 L e n i n w r o t e t h e f a m o u s f i v e " L e t t e r s

from Afar" which are reproduced here in full ( p p . 5 - 4 2 ) . Th e

l a s t l e t t e r , w r i t t e n o n t h e d a y o f h i s d e p a r t u r e f o r R u s s i a , w a s n o t

c o m p l e t e d . T h e f i r s t l e t t e r , " T h e F i r s t S t a g e o f t h e F i r s t R e v o -

l u t i o n , " r e a c h e d P e t r o g r a d a n d w a s p u b l i s h e d i n t h e P r a v d a , A p r i l

3 - 4 , w h i l e t h e o t h e r f o u r w e r e p u b l i s h e d o n l y a f t e r L e n i n ' s d e a t h

i n 1 9 2 4 . T h i s s e r i e s o f l e t t e r s , t h e m a i n i d e a s o f w h i c h t h e r e a d e r

w i l l f i n d s u m m a r i s e d b y L e n i n a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e f i f t h l e t t e r

( p . 4 0 ) , t o u c h e d u p o n a l l t h e f u n d a m e n t a l p r o b l e m s o f t h e r e v o -

l u t i o n a n d c h a r t e d t h e c o u r s e o f i t s d e v e l o p m e n t . T h e y c a r r y t h e

i m p r i n t o f t h e g e n i u s t h a t w a s L e n i n - h i s M a r x i s t c l a r i t y , a c u t e

r e v o l u t i o n a r y p e r c e p t i o n , a b o u n d i n g f a i t h i n t h e m a s s e s - f o r e s h a d -

o w i n g w h o w a s t o b e t h e r e c o g n i s e d o r g a n i s e r a n d l e a d e r o f t h e

R u s s i a n R e v o l u t i o n a n d t h e f o u n d e r o f t h e w o r k e r s ' s t a t ewhich

c o v e r s o n e - s i x t h o f t h e e a r t h ' s s u r f a c e .

T h e R u s s i a n R e v o l u t i o n h a s o p e n e d t h e e p o c h o f t h e w o r l d p r o -

l e t a r i a n r e v o l u t i o n , L e n i n i n f o r m s t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y w o r k e r s o f

o t h e r c o u n t r i e s . O n A p r i l 8 , t h e d a y o f h i s d e p a r t u r e f o r R u s s i a ,

h e p e n s h i s " F a r e w e l l L e t t e r t o t h e S w i s s W o r k e r s " ( p p . 4 2 - 4 8 )

a i m e d t o r e a c h b e y o n d t h e c o n f i n e s o f t h e S w i s s l a b o r m o v e m e n t .

T h e B o l s h e v i k v i e w p o i n t o f t h e n a t u r e o f t h e R u s s i a n R e v o l u t i o n ,

t h e a t t i t u d e t o w a r d t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r , a n d t h e s i t u a t i o n i n t h e

i n t e r n a t i o n a l S o c i a l i s t m o v e m e n t a r e p r e s e n t e d b y L e n i n . W r i t t e n

a t t h e s a m e t i m e a n d d e a l i n g w i t h t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l s i g n i f i c an c e

a n d t a s k s o f t h e R u s s i a n R e v o l u t i o n , t h e " F a r e w e l l L e t t e r " m a y b e

c o n s i d e r e d c o m p l e m e n t a r y t o t h e " L e t t e r s f r o m A f a r " w h i c h i s t h e

r e a s o n f o r i t s i n c l u si o n i n t h i s b o o k l e t .

I n r e p r i n t i n g t h e " L e t t e r s f r o m A f a r " a s a s e p a r a t e v o l u m e i n

t h e L i t t l e L e n i n L i b r a r y , t h e p u b l i s h e r s c al l a t t e n t i o n t o V o l u m e s

8 t o 1 3 i n t h i s s e r i e s w h i c h i n c l u d e s e l e c t e d w r i t i n g s of Lenin

f r o m t h e o v e r t h r o w o f t h e T s a r i n M a r c h t o t h e s e i z u r e o f p o w e r i n

Novem ber, 1917 . T h e s e w r i t i n g s c o v e r t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t s t a g e s

of the developing revolu tion and the part played i n i t b y t h e

B o l s h e v i k P a r t y u n d e r t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f L e n i n . T h e r e a d e r i s a l s o

directed to Vol umes XX and XXI of Lenin's C o l l e c t e d w o r k s ,

c o v e r i n g t h e e n t i r e p e r i o d o f t h e R e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 1 7 a n d c o n t a i n i n g

a l l t h e w r i t i n g s a n d s p e e c h e s o f L e n i n d u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d . I n t h e s e

v o l u m e s w i l l b e f o u n d a l s o n u m e r o u s e x p l a n a t o r y a n d b i o g r a p h i c a l

n o t e s w h i c h w i l l a i d t h e r e a d e r i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e e v e n t s o f t h e

p e r i o d a n d t h e v a r i o u s a l l u s i o n s m a d e b y L e n i n .

ALEXANDER TRACHTENBERG .

4



LETTERS FROM AF AR

F IRST LETTER

THE FIRST STAGE OF THE FIRST REVOLUTION

THE f i r s t r e v o l u t i o n a r i s i n g o u t o f t h e i m p e r i a l i s t W o r l d W a r

has broken out . T h i s f i r s t r e v o l u t i o n w i l l , c e r t a i n l y , n o t b e t h e

l a s t .

T h e f i r s t s t a ge o f t h i s f i r s t r e v o l u t io n , n a m e l y , t h e Ru s s i a n r e v o l u -

t i o n o f M a r c h 1 4 , 1 9 1 7 , i s o v e r , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e s c a n t y i n f o r m a -

t i o n a t t h e w r i t e r ' s d i s p o s a l i n S w i t z e r l a n d . S u r e l y t h i s f i r s t s t a g e

o f o u r r e v o l u t i o n w i l l n o t b e t h e l a s t o n e .

How could such a "miracle" h appen, that in eight da ys-the

p e r i o d i n d i c a t e d b y M . M i l i u k o v i n h i s b o a s t f u l t e l e g r a m t o a l l t h e

r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f R u s s i a a b r o a d - a m o n a r c h y t h a t h a d m a i n t a i n e d

i t s e l f f o r c e n t u r i e s , a n d c o n t i n u e d t o m a i n t a i n i t s e l f d u r i n g t h r e e

y e a r s o f t r e m e n d o u s n a t i o n a l c l a s s c o n f l i c t s o f 1 9 0 5 - 1 9 0 7 , could

u t t e r l y co l l a p s e ?

T h e r e a r e n o m i r a c l e s i n n a t u r e o r i n h i s t o r y , y e t e v e r y s u d d e n

t u r n i n h i s t o r y , i n c l u d i n g e v e r y r e v o l u t i o n , p r e s e n t s s u c h a we a l t h

o f m a t e r i a l , i t u n f o l d s s u c h u n e x p e c t e d l y p e c u l i a r c o - o r d i n a t i o n s o f

f o r m s o f c o n f l i c t a n d a l i g n m e n t o f f i g h t i n g f o r c e s , t h a t t h e r e i s

m u c h t h a t m u s t a p p e a r m i r a c u l o u s t o t h e b u r g h e r ' s m i n d .

A combination of a whole series o f conditions of world-wide

h i s t o r i c i m p o r t a n c e w a s r e q u i r e d f o r t h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y t o c o l -

l a p s e i n a f e w d a y s . L e t u s p o i n t o u t t h e p r i n c i p a l o n e s .

W i t h o u t t h e t h r e e y e a r s , 1 9 0 5 - 1 9 0 7 , o f t r e m e n d o u s c l a s s co n f l i c t s

a n d o f r e v o l u t i o n a r y e n e r g y o f t h e R u s s i a n p r o l e t a r i a t , t h i s s e c o n d

r e v o l u t i o n c o u l d n o t p o s s i b l y h a v e h a d t h e r a p i d p r o g r e s s i n d i c a t e d

i n t h e f a c t t h a t i t s f i r s t p h a s e w a s a c c o m p l i s h e d i n a f e w d a y s . Th e

f i r s t r e v o l u t i o n ( 1 9 0 5 ) p l o u g h e d t h e g r o u n d d e e p l y a n d u p r o o t e d

t h e p r e j u d i c e s o f c e n t u r i e s ; i t a w a ke n e d t o p o l i t i c al l i f e a n d s t r u g -

g l e m i l l i o n s o f w o r k e r s a n d t e n s o f m i l l i o n s o f p e a s a n t s . Th e

f i r s t r e v o l u t i o n r e v e a l e d t o t h e w o r k e r s a n d p e a s a n t s , a s w e l l a s t o

t h e w o r l d , a l l t h e c l as s e s (a n d a l l t h e p r i n c i p a l p a r t i e s ) o f R u s s i a n

s o c i e t y i n t h e i r t r u e c h a r a ct e r ; t h e a c t u a l a l i g n m e n t o f t h e i r i n -

5



terests, their powers and modes of action, their immediate and

u l t i m a t e o b j e c t i v e s . This first revolution, and the succeeding

c o u n t e r - r e v o l u t i o n a r y p e r i o d ( 1 9 0 7 - 1 9 1 4 ) , f u l l y r e v e a l e d t h e n a t u r e

of the tsarist monarchy as having reached the "utmost limit" ; i t

e x p o s e d a l l t h e i n f a m y a n d v i l e n e s s , a l l t h e c y n i c i s m a n d c o r r u p t i o n

of the tsarist cliqu e dominated by that monste r, Rasputin ; i t e x -

posed all the bestialit y of the Romanov fam ily-that band of

a s s a s s i n s w h i c h b a t h e d R u s s i a i n t h e b l o o d o f t h e J e w s , t h e w o r k e r s ,

the revolutionaries-those landowners, "first among peers," who

o w n e d m i l l i o n s o f a c r e s o f l a n d a n d w o u l d s t o o p t o a n y b r u t a l i t y ,

t o a n y c r i m e - r e a d y t o r u i n o r c r u s h a n y s e c t i o n o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n ,

h o w e v e r n u m e r o u s , i n o r d e r t o p r e s e r v e t h e " s a c r e d p r o p e r t y r i g h t s "

f o r t h e m s e l v e s a n d f o r t h e i r c l a ss .

W i t h o u t t h e r e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 0 5 - 1 9 0 7 , w i t h o u t t h e c o u n t e r - r e v o l u -

t i o n o f 1 9 0 7 - 1 9 1 4 , i t w o u l d h a v e b e e n i m p o s s i b l e t o s e c u r e s o c l e a r

a " s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n " o f a l l c l a s s e s o f t h e R u s s i a n p e o p l e a n d o f

a l l t h e p e o p l e s i n h a b i t i n g R u s s i a , a c l a r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e r e l a t i o n o f

t h e s e c l a s s e s t o e a c h o t h e r a n d t o t h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y , a s t r a n s p i r e d

during the eight days of the March revolution . This e igh t-da y

r e v o l u t i o n , i f w e m a y e x p r e s s o u r s e l v e s i n t e r m s o f m e t a p h o r s , w a s

"performed" after a dozen informal as well as dress rehearsals ;

t h e " a c t o r s " k n e w e a c h o t h e r a n d t h e i r r o l e s , t h e i r p l a c e s , a n d t h e

e n t i r e s e t t i n g ; they knew every detail through and through, down

t o t h e l a s t m o r e o r l e s s s i g n i f i c a n t s h a d e o f p o l i t i c a l t e n d e n c y a n d

m o d e o f a c t i o n .

B u t , i n o r d e r t h a t t h e f i r s t g r e a t r e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 0 5 , w h i c h M e s s r s .

Guchkov and Miliukov and their satellit es condemned as a "great

rebellion" shou ld, after the lapse of a dozen years, lead to the

"glori ous revolut ion" of 1917-so termed by the Guchkovs and

Miliukovs because (for the p r e s e n t ) i t ha s put th e m in t o powe r-

t h e r e w a s s t i l l n e e d e d a g r e a t , m i g h t y , a l l - p o w e r f u l " r e g i s s e u r , "

who was, on the one hand, in a position to accelerate t he course

o f h i s t o r y o n a g r a n d s c a l e , a n d , o n t h e o t h e r , t o p r o d u c e w o r l d -

w i d e c r i s e s o f u n h e a r d - o f i n t e n s i t y : e c o n o m i c , p o l i t i c a l , n a t i o n a l

a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l . I n a d d i t i o n t o a n u n u s u a l a c c e l e r a t i o n o f w o r l d

history, there were also needed particularly sharp historic turns

s o t h a t d u r i n g o n e o f t h e m t h e b l o o d - s t a i n e d c h a r i o t o f t s a r i s m m i g h t

b e o v e r t u r n e d i n a t r i c e .

T h i s a l l - p o w e r f u l " r e g i s s e u r , " t h i s m i g h t y a c c e l e r a t o r o f e v e n t s ,

was the imperialist World War .

6



N o w i t c a n n o l o n g e r b e d o u b t e d t h a t t h i s w a r i s w o r l d - w i d e ,

f o r t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d C h i n a h a v e b e e n h a l f d r a g g e d i n a l r e a d y ,

a n d t o - m o r r o w w i l l b e c o m p l e t e l y i n v o l v e d i n i t .

N o r c a n i t a n y l o n g e r b e d o u b t e d t h a t t h e w a r i s i m p e r i a l i s t i c

o n b o t h s i d e s . O n l y t h e c ap i t a l i s t s an d t h e i r s a t e l l i t e s , t h e s o c i a l -

p a t r i o t s a n d s o c i a l - c h a u v i n i s t s , c a n deny or suppress this fact .

B o t h t h e G e r m a n a n d t h e A n g l o - F r e n c h b o u r g e o i s i e a r e w a g i n g w a r

f o r t h e g r a b b i n g o f f o r e i g n t e r r i t o r y , f o r t h e s t r a n g u l a t i o n o f s m a l l

n a t i o n s , f o r f i n a n c i a l s u p r e m a c y o v e r t h e w o r l d , f o r t h e d i v i s i o n

a n d r e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f c o l o n i e s , f o r s a v i n g t h e t o t t e r i n g c a p i t a l i s t

r e g i m e b y m e a n s o f d e c e i v i n g a n d d i s u n i t i n g t h e w o r k e r s i n t h e

v a r i o u s c o u n t r i e s .

I t w a s o b j e c t i v e l y i n e v i t a b l e t h a t t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r s h o u l d i m -

m e n s e l y q u i c k e n a n d u n u s u a l l y s h a r p e n t h e c l a s s s t r u g g l e o f t h e

p r o l e t a r i a t a g a i n s t t h e b o u r g e o i s i e , a n d t r a n s f o r m i t s e l f i n t o a

c i v i l w ar b e t w e e n h o s t i l e c l a s s e s .

T h i s t r a n s f o r m a t i o n h a s b e e n s t a r t e d b y t h e M a r c h r e v o l u t i o n ,

w h o s e f i r s t s t a g e h a s s h o w n u s , f i r s t , a j o i n t a t t a c k o n t s a r i s m d e -

l i v e r e d b y t w o f o r c e s : o n t h e o n e h a n d , t h e w h o l e b o u r g e o i s a n d

l a n d o w n i n g c l a s s o f R u s s i a , w i t h a l l t h e i r u n e n l i g h t e n e d f o l l o w e r s

a n d v e r y e n l i g h t e n e d m a n a g e r s , i n t h e p e r s o n s o f t h e A n g l o - F r e n c h

a m b a s s a d o r s a n d c a p i t a l i s t s ; and, on the other, the Soviet of

W o r k e r s ' a n d S o l d i e r s ' D e p u t i e s .

T h e s e t h r e e p o l i t i c a l c a m p s , t h r e e f u n d a m e n t a l p o l i t i c a l f o r c e s :

( 1 ) T h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y , t h e h e a d o f t h e f e u d a l l a n d o w n i n g c l a s s ,

t h e h e a d o f t h e o l d b u r e a u c r a c y a n d o f t h e h i g h e r m i l i t a r y c o m -

manders ; ( 2 ) t h e R u s s i a o f t h e b o u r g e o i s i e a n d l a n d o w n e r s r e p r e -

s e n t e d b y t h e O c t o b r i s t s a n d C a d e t s , w i t h t h e p e t t y b o u r g e o i s i e i n

their wake ; (3) the Soviet of Workers ' and Soldiers' D e p u t i e s ,

s e e k i n g f o r a l l i e s a m o n g t h e e n t i r e p r o l e t a r i a t a n d t h e w h o l e m a s s

o f t h e p o o r e s t p o p u l a t i o n - t h e s e t h r e e f u n d a m e n t a l p o l i t i c a l f o r c e s

h a v e r e v e a l e d t h e m s e l v e s w i t h u t m o s t c l a r i t y e v e n i n t h e f i r s t e i g h t

d a y s o f t h e " f i r s t s t a g e . " T h i s i s e v i d e n t e v e n t o s u c h a n o b s e r v e r

a s t h e p r e s e n t w r i t e r w h o i s f a r a w a y f r o m t h e s c e n e o f e v e n t s

a n d i s c o m p e l l e d t o c o n f i n e h i m s e l f t o t h e m e a g r e d i s p a t c h e s o f

f o r e i g n p a p e r s .

B u t b e f o r e g o i n g i n t o f u r t h e r d e t a i l i n t h i s m a t t e r , I m u s t c o m e

b a c k t o t h a t p o r t i o n o f m y l e t t e r w h i c h i s d e v o t e d t o a f a c t o r o f

f i r s t i m p o r t a n c e , n a m e l y , t h e i m p e r i a l i s t W o r l d W a r .

7



T h e b e l l i g e r e n t p o w e r s , t h e b e l l i g e r e n t g r o u p s o f c a p i t a l i s t s , t h e

" m a s t e r s " o f t h e c a p i t a l i s t s y s t e m , a n d t h e s l a v e - d r i v e r s o f c a p i -

t a l i s t s l a v e r y , h a v e b e e n s h a c k l e d t o e a c h o t h e r b y t h e w a r w i t h

c h a i n s o f i r o n . O n e b l o o d y l u m p , t h a t i s t h e s o c i o -p o l i t i c a l l i f e

o f t h e h i s t o r i c p e r i o d t h r o u g h w h i c h w e a r e n o w p a s s i n g .

T h e S o c i a l i s t s w h o d e s e r t e d t o t h e b o u r g e o i s i e a t t h e b e g i n n i n g

of the war, all the Davids and Scheidema nns in Ge rmany, the

P l e k h a n o v s , P o t r e s o v s , G v o z d e v s a n d C o . i n R u s s i a , h a v e l o n g b e e n

s h o u t i n g l u s t i l y a g a i n s t t h e " i l l u s i o n s " o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n i s t s , a g a i n s t

t h e " i l l u s i o n s " o f t h e B a s l e M a n i f e s t o , a g a i n s t t h e " d r e a m f a r c e "

o f t u r n i n g t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r i n t o c i v i l w a r . They hav e sung

h y m n s o f p r a i s e t o t h e a l l e g e d s t r e n g t h , t e n a c i t y a n d a d a p t a b i l i t y

o f c a p i t a l i s m , w h i l e t h e y w e r e a i d i n g t h e c a p i t a l i s t s i n " a d a p t i n g , "

t a m i n g , d e c e i v i n g a n d d i s u n i t i n g t h e w o r k i n g c l a s s e s o f t h e v a r i o u s

c o u n t r i e s !

B u t " h e w h o l a u g h s l a s t l a u g h s b e s t ." The bou rgeoisie was not

a b l e t o d e l a y f o r v e r y l o n g t h e c o m i n g o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y c r i s i s

produced by the war . T h i s c r i s i s i s g r o wi n g w i t h i r r e s i s t i b l e f o r c e

i n a l l c o u n t r i e s , b e g i n n i n g w i t h G e r m a n y w h e r e , a c c o r d i n g t o a

r e c e n t o b s e r v e r w h o v i s i t e d t h a t c o u n t r y , t h e r e i s " h u n g e r o r g a n i s e d

with the abilit y of genius," and down to Englan d and France

w h e r e h u n g e r i s a l s o l o o m i n g , t h o u g h i t i s n o t s o " w o n d e r f u l l y "

o r g a n i s e d .

I t i s n a t u r a l t h a t t h e t s a r i s t R u s s i a , w h e r e d i s o r g a n i s a t i o n was

m o n s t r o u s , w h e r e t h e p r o l e t a r i a t i s t h e m o s t r e v o l u t i o n a r y i n t h e

w o r l d ( n o t d u e t o a n y s p e c i f i c c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , b u t b e c a u s e o f t h e

v i v i d t r a d i t i o n s o f " 1 9 0 5 " ) , t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y c r i s i s should have

b u r s t f o r t h e a r l i e r t h a n a n y w h e r e e l s e . T h e c r i s i s w a s h a s t e n e d

b y a n u m b e r o f m o s t s e r i o u s d e f e a t s i n f l i c t e d o n R u s s i a a n d h e r

a l l i e s . T h e s e d e f e a t s d i s o r g a n i s e d t h e e n t i r e o l d m e c h a n i s m o f g o v -

e r n m e n t a n d t h e e n t i r e o l d s y s t e m ; t h e y a r o u s e d t h e i n d i g n a t i o n o f

a l l c l a s s e s o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n ; t h e y i n c e n s e d t h e a r m y a n d l a r g e l y

w i p e d o u t t h e o l d b o d y o f c o m m a n d e r s h a i l i n g f r o m t h e b a c k w a r d

n o b i l i t y a n d p a r t i c u l a r l y f r o m t h e r o t t e n o f f i c i a l d o m , r e p l a c i n g i t

' w i t h a y o u n g a n d b u o y a n t o n e o f a p r e d o m i n a n t l y b o u r g e o i s , p e t t y -

b o u r g e o i s a n d d e c l a s s e d o r i g i n .

B u t , i f m i l i t a r y d e f e a t s p l a y e d t h e r o l e o f a n e g a t i v e f a c t o r t h a t

h a s t e n e d t h e o u t b r e a k , t h e a l l i a n c e o f A n g l o - F r e n c h f i n a n c e - c a p i t a l ,

o f A n g l o - F r e n c h i m p e r i a l i s m , w i t h t h e O c t o b r i s t a n d C o n s t i t u t i o n a l -

8



D e m o c r a t i c * c a p i t a l o f R u s s i a a p p e a r e d a s a f a c t o r t h a t s p e e d e d

t h i s c r i s i s .

T h i s h i g h l y i m p o r t a n t p h a s e o f t h e s i t u a t i o n i s , f o r o b v i o u s

r e a s o n s , n o t m e n t i o n e d b y t h e A n g l o - F r e n c h p r e s s w h i l e m a l i c i o u s l y

e m p h a s i s e d b y t h e G e r m a n . We Marxists must face the truth

s o b e r l y , b e i n g c o n f u s e d n e i t h e r b y t h e o f f i c i a l l i e s , t h e s u g a r y

d i p l o m a t i c a n d m i n i s t e r i a l l i e s o f o n e g r o u p o f i m p e r i a l i s t b e l -

l i g e r e n t s , n o r b y t h e s n i g g e r i n g a n d s m i r k i n g o f i t s f i n a n c i a l and

m i l i t a r y r i v a l s o f t h e o t h e r b e l l i g e r e n t g r o u p . T h e w h o l e c o u r s e o f

e v e n t s i n t h e M a r c h r e v o l u t i o n s h o w s c l e a r l y t h a t t h e E n g l i s h a nd

F r e n c h e m b a s s i e s w i t h t h e i r a g e n t s a n d " a s s o c i a t e s , " w h o h a d l o n g

m a d e t h e m o s t d e s p e r a t e e f f o r t s t o p r e v e n t a " s e p a r a t e " a g r e e m e n t

a n d a s e p a r a t e p e a c e b e t w e e n N i c h o l a s I I ( l e t u s h o p e a n d s t r i v e

t h a t h e b e t h e l a s t ) a n d W i l h e l m I I , s t r o v e d i r e c t l y t o d e t h r o n e

Nichola s Romanov .

L e t u s n o t h a r b o u r a n y i l l u s i o n s .

T h e f a c t t h a t t h e r e v o l u t i o n s u c c e e d e d s o q u i c k l y a n d , a p p a r e n t l y ,

a t t h e f i r s t s u p e r f i c i a l g l a n c e , s o " r a d i c a l l y , " i s d u e t o a n u n u s u a l

h i s t o r i c a l c o n j u n c t u r e w h e r e t h e r e c o m b i n e d , i n a s t r i k i n g l y " f a v o u r -

a b l e " m a n n e r , a b s o l u t e l y d i s s i m i l a r m o v e m e n t s , a b s o l u t e l y d i f f e r e n t

c l a s s i n t e r e s t s , a b s o l u t e l y o p p o s e d p o l i t i c a l a n d s o c i a l t e n d e n c i e s .

There was the conspiracy of the Anglo-French imperia lists wh o

encouraged Miliuk ov, Guchkov and Co . t o s e i z e p o w e r , w i t h t h e

o b j e c t o f p r o l o n g i n g t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r , w i t h t h e o b j e c t o f c o n -

d u c t i n g t h e w a r m o r e s a v a g e l y a n d o b s t i n a t e l y , w i t h t h e o b j e c t o f

s l a u g h t e r i n g n e w m i l l i o n s o f R u s s i a n w o r k e r s a n d p e a s a n t s , i n o r d e r

t h a t t h e G u c h k o v s m i g h t o b t a i n C o n s t a n t i n o p l e ; t h e F r e n c h , S y r i a ;

t h e E n g l i s h c a p i t a l i s t s , M e s o p o t a m i a , e t c . This, on the o ne si de .

O n t h e o t h e r , t h e r e w a s a p r o f o u n d p r o l e t a r i a n a n d p o p u l a r m a s s

m o v e m e n t ( o f t h e e n t i r e p o o r e s t p o p u l a t i o n o f t h e c i t i e s a n d v i l -

l a g e s ) o f a r e v o l u t i o n a r y c h a r a c t e r , f o r b r e a d , f o r p e a c e , f o r r e a l

freedom .

T h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y w o r k e r s a n d s o l d i e r s h a v e d e s t r o y e d t h e i n -

f a m o u s t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y t o i t s v e r y f o u n d a t i o n s , b e i n g n e i t h e r

e l a t e d n o r c o n s t r a i n e d b y t h e f a c t t h a t , a t c e r t a i n b r i e f h i s t o r i c

m o m e n t s o f a n e x c e p t i o n a l c o m b i n a t i o n o f c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h e y a r e

a i d e d b y t h e s t r u g g l e o f B u c h a n a n , G u c h k o v , M i l i u k o v a n d C o . , w h o

s i m p l y d e s i r e t o r e p l a c e o n e m o n a r c h b y a n o t h e r .

a T h e p a r t i e s o f b i g c a p i t a l a n d l a n d o w n e r s , a n d l i b e r a l b o u r g e o i s i e r e s p e c -

t i v e l y .Ed9



T h u s , a n d o n l y t h u s , d i d i t o c c u r . T h u s , a n d o n l y t h u s , m u s t

b e t h e v i e w o f t h e p o l i t i c i a n w h o i s n o t a f r a i d o f t h e t r u t h , w h o

s o b e r l y w e i g h s t h e i n t e r r e l a t i o n o f s o c i a l f o r c e s i n a r e v o l u t i o n ,

w h o e v a l u a t e s e v e r y g i v e n m o m e n t n o t o n l y f r o m t h e v i e w p o i n t o f

i t s p r e s e n t p e c u l i a r i t i e s , b u t a l s o f r o m t h e s t a n d p o i n t o f t h e m o r e

f u n d a m e n t a l m o t i v e s , t h e d e e p e r i n t e r r e l a t i o n o f t h e i n t e r e s t s o f

t h e p r o l e t a r i a t a n d t h e b o u r g e o i s i e , i n R u s s i a a s w e l l a s t h r o u g h o u t

t h e w o r l d .

T h e w o r k e r s a n d s o l d i e r s o f P e t r o g r a d , a s w e l l a s t h e w o r k e r s

a n d s o l d i e r s o f a l l R u s s i a , s e l f - s a c r i f i c i n g l y f o u g h t a g a i n s t t h e

tsarist monarchy-for freedom, for land f o r t h e p e a s a n t s , f o r

p e a c e a s a g a i n s t t h e i m p e r i a l i s t s l a u g h t e r . Anglo-French im-

p e r i a l i s t c a p i t a l , i n o r d e r t o c o n t i n u e a n d d e v e l o p t h e s l a u g h t e r ,

e n g a g e d i n c o u r t i n t r i g u e s , i t f r a m e d c o n s p i r a c i e s , i n c i t e d a n d e n -

c o u r a g e d t h e G u c h k o v s a n d M i l i u k o v s , a n d c o n t r i v e d a n e w g o v e r n -

ment, which, ready made, seized power after the proletarian

s t r u g g l e h a d d e l i v e r e d t h e f i r s t b l o w s a g a i n s t t sa r i s m .

T h i s g o v e r n m e n t i s n o t a f o r t u i t o u s a s s e m b l a g e o f p e r s o n s .

T h e y a r e t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f t h e n e w c l a s s t h a t h a s r i s e n t o

p o l i t i c a l p o w e r i n R u s s i a , t h e c l as s o f t h e c a p i t a l i s t l a n d o w n e r s a n d

b o u r g e o i s i e t h a t f o r a l o n g t i m e h a s b e e n r u l i n g o u r c o u n t r y e c o -

n o m i c a l l y , a n d t h a t , i n t h e r e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 0 5 - 1 9 0 7 , i n t h e c o u n t e r -

r e v o l u t i o n a r y p e r i o d o f 1 9 0 7 - 1 9 1 4 , a n d t h e n , w i t h e x t r a o r d i n a r y

r a p i d i t y , i n t h e p e r i o d o f t h e w a r o f 1 9 1 4 - 1 9 1 7 , o r g a n i s e d i t s e l f

p o l i t i c a l l y , t a k i n g i n t o i t s h a n d s l o c a l s e l f - g o v e r n m e n t , popular

e d u c a t i o n , c o n v e n t i o n s o f e v e r y t y p e , t h e D u m a , t h e w a r i n d u s t r i e s

c o m m i t t e e s , e t c . This new class was a lmost i n power in 1917 ;

t h e r e f o r e t h e f i r s t b l o w s a g a i n s t t s a r i s m w e r e s u f f i c i e n t t o d e s t r o y

t h e l a t t e r , a n d t o c l e a r t h e g r o u n d f o r t h e b o u r g e i o s i e . The i m-

p e r i a l i s t w a r , r e q u i r i n g a n i n c r e d i b l e e x e r t i o n o f s t r e n g t h , s o

a c c e l e r a t e d t h e c o u r s e o f d e v e l o p m e n t o f b a c k w a r d R u s s i a t h a t a t

a s i n g l e s t r o k e ( a t l e a s t i t s e e m s l i k e a s i n g l e s t r o k e ) w e h a v e c a ug h t

u p w i t h I t a l y , E n g l a n d , e v e n F r a n c e ; w e h a v e a t t a i n e d a " c o a l i -

t i o n , " a " n a t i o n a l , " " p a r l i a m e n t a r y " g o v e r n m e n t ( i . e . , a g o v e r n m e n t

a d a p t e d t o c a r r y i n g o n t h e i m p e r i a l i s t s l a u g h t e r a n d d e c e i v i n g t h e

p e o p l e ) .

A l o n g s i d e o f t h i s g o v e r n m e n t , w h i c h , a s r e g a r d s t h e p r e s e n t w a r ,

i s b u t t h e c l e r k o f t h e b i l l i o n - d o l l a r " f i r m s " E n g l a n d a n d F r a n c e ,

t h e r e h a s a r i s e n a n e w , u n o f f i c i a l , a s y e t u n d e v e l o p e d a n d c o m p a r a -

t i v e l y w e a k , w o r k e r s ' g o v e r n m e n t , e x p r e s s i n g t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t h e

1 0



w o r k e r s a n d o f a l l t h e p o o r e r e l e m e n t s o f t h e c i t y a n d c o u n t r y

p o p u l a t i o n . T h i s i s t h e P e t r o g r a d S o v i e t o f W o r k e r s ' a n d S o l d i e r s '

D e p u t i e s .

S u c h i s t h e a c t u a l p o l i t i c a l s i t u a t i o n w h i c h w e m u s t f i r s t o f a l l

t r y t o e s t a b l i s h w i t h t h e g r e a t e s t p o s s i b l e o b j e c t i v e p r e c i s i o n , i n

o r d e r t h a t w e m a y b a s e M a r x i s t t a c t i c s o n t h e o n l y s o l i d f o u n d a t i o n

u p o n w h i c h t h e y s h o u l d b e b a s e d - t h e f o u n d a t i o n o f f a c t s .

T h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y h a s b e e n b e a t e n , b u t n o t d e s t r o y e d .

T h e O c t o b r i s t - C a d e t b o u r g e o i s g o v e r n m e n t , w i s h i n g t o c a r r y on

t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r " t o a f i n i s h , " i s i n r e a l i t y t h e a g e n t o f t h e

f i n a n c i a l f i r m " E n g l a n d a n d F r a n c e " ; i t i s f o r c e d t o p r o m i s e t o

t h e p e o p l e a m a x i m u m o f l i b e r t i e s a n d p i t t a n c e s c o m p a t i b l e w i t h

t h e m a i n t e n a n c e b y t h i s g o v e r n m e n t o f i t s p o w e r o v e r t h e p e o p l e

a n d t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f c o n t i n u i n g t h e i m p e r i a l i s t wa r .

T h e S o v i e t o f W o r k e r s ' a n d S o l d i e r s ' D e p u t i e s i s a w o r k e r s ' g o v -

ernment in e m b r y o , a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f t h e i n t e r e s t s o f a l l t h e

p o o r e s t m a s se s o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n , i . e . , o f n i n e - t e n t h s o f t h e p o p u l a-

t i o n w h i c h i s s t r i v i n g f o r p e a c e , b r e a d , a n d l i b e r t y .

T h e c o n f l i c t a m o n g t h e s e t h r e e f o r c e s d e t e r m i n e s t h e s i t u a t i o n

a s i t i s a t p r e s e n t , a t r a n s i t i o n s t ag e f r o m t h e f i r s t p h a s e o f t h e r e v o -

l u t i o n t o t h e s e c o n d .

I n o r d e r t h a t t h e r e m a y b e a r e a l s t r u g g l e a g a i n s t t h e t s a r i s t

m o n a r c h y , i n o r d e r t h a t f r e e d o m m a y r e a l l y b e s e c u r e d , n o t m e r e l y

i n w o r d s , n o t i n t h e p r o m i s e s o f r h e t o r i c a l l i b e r a l i s m , i t i s n e c e s s ar y

n o t t h a t t h e w o r k e r s s h o u l d s u p p o r t t h e n e w g o v e r n m e n t , b u t t h a t

t h i s g o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d s u p p o r t t h e w o r k e r s ! F o r t h e o n l y g u a r -

a n t e e o f l i b e r t y a n d o f a c o m p l e t e d e s t r u c t i o n o f t s a r i s m i s t h e a r m -

i n g o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t , t h e s t r e n g t h e n i n g , b r o a d e n i n g , a n d d e v e l o p -

i n g o f t h e r o l e , a n d s i g n i f i c a n c e , a n d p o w e r o f t h e S o v i e t s o f

W o r k e r s ' a n d S o l d i e r s ' D e p u t i e s .

A l l t h e r e s t i s m e r e p h r a s e s a n d l i e s , t h e s e l f - d e c e p t i o n o f t h e

p o l i t i c i a n s o f t h e l i b e r a l a n d r a d i c a l s t a m p .

H e l p t h e a r m i n g o f t h e w o r k e r s , o r , at l e a s t , d o n o t i n t e r f e r e w i t h

i t , a n d t h e l i b e r t y o f R u s s i a i s i n v i n c i b l e , t h e m o n a r c h y i n c a p a b l e

o f r e s t o r a t i o n , t h e r e p u b l i c s e c u r e d .

O t h e r w i s e t h e p e o p l e w i l l b e d e c e i v e d . Promises are cheap ;

p r o m i s e s c o s t n o t h i n g . I t i s o n p r o m i s e s t h a t a l l t h e b o u r g e o i s

p o l i t i c i a n s i n a l l t h e b o u r g e o i s r e v o l u t i o n s h a v e b e e n f e e d i n g t h e

p e o p l e a n d f o o l i n g t h e w o r k e r s .

" O u r r e v o l u t i o n i s a b o u r g e o i s r e v o l u t i o n , t h e r e f o r e t h e w o r k e r s

1 1



m u s t s u p p o r t t h e b o u r g e o i s i e , " s a y t h e w o r t h l e s s p o l i t i c i a n s a m o n g

t h e L i q u i d a t o r s . *

"Our revolution is a bourgeois revolution," say we Marxists,

"therefore the workers must open the eyes of the people to the

deceptive practices of the bourgeois politicians , must teach the

p e o p l e n o t t o b e l i e v e i n w o r d s , b u t t o d e p e n d w h o l l y o n t h e i r o w n

s t r e n g t h , o n t h e i r o w n o r g a n i s a t i o n , o n t h e i r o w n u n i t y , a n d o n t h e i r

o w n ar m s . "

The gover nment of t he Octobrists a nd Cadets, of the Guchkovs

and Miliukovs, could give neithe r peace, nor bread, nor freedom,

e v e n i f i t w e r e s i n c e r e i n i t s d e s i r e t o d o s o .

I t c a n n o t g i v e p e a c e b e c a u s e i t i s a g o v e r n m e n t f o r w a r , a g o v -

e r n m e n t f o r t h e c o n t i n u a t i o n o f t h e i m p e r i a l i s t s l a u g h t e r , a g o v e r n -

ment of conquest, a government that has not uttered one word to

r e n o u n c e t h e t s a r i s t p o l i c y o f s e i z u r e o f A r m e n i a , G a l i c i a , T u r k e y ,

of capturing Constantino ple, of reconquering Poland, Courlan d,

L i t h u a n i a , e t c . This gov ernmen t is boun d hand and f oot by Anglo-

F r e n c h i m p e r i a l i s t c a p i t a l . Russian capital is m erely on e branch

of the world "firm" known as "England and France" manipulating

h u n d r e d s o f b i l l i o n s o f r u b l e s .

It cannot give bread, since it is a bourg eois governme nt . Atb e s t it may gi v e th e peopl e, as th e go v e r n m e n t of Ge r m a n y ha s

d o n e, "h u n g e r or g a n i s e d wi t h th e ab i l i t y of ge n i u s ." But th e

people will not put up with hunge r . The people will lear n,

probably very soon, that there is bread, and it can be obtained

in no other way than by means that do not show any respect for

t h e s a n c t i t y o f c a p i t a l a n d l a n d o w n e r s h i p .

It cannot give freedom , since it is a governm ent of landowners

a n d c a p i t a l i s t s , w h i c h i s a f r a i d o f t h e p e o p l e .

In another ar ticle we will speak of the tacti cal problems con-

fronting us in our immediate behaviour towards this government .

T h e r e w e s h a l l s h o w w h e r e i n c o n s i s t s t h e p e c u l i a r i t y o f t h e p r e s e n t

moment, which is a period of transition from the fi rst stage of

t h e r e v o l u t i o n t o t h e s e c o n d , a n d w h y t h e s l o g a n , t h e " o r d e r

of the day" in the p r e s e n t m o m e n t m u s t b e : "W o r k e r s, y o u ha v e

displayed marvels of proletarian and popular heroism in the civil

w a r a g a i n s t t s a r i s m ; you must display marvels of proletarian and

* R e f o r m i s t S o c i a l i s t s - M e n s h e v i k s - w h o p r o p o s e d t h e l i q u i d a t i o n o f t h e

u n d e r g r o u n d p a r t y o r g a n i s a t i o n a n d i n s t e a d f a v o u r e d l e g a l a ct i v i t i e s.Ed

1 2



n a t i o n - w i d e o r g a n i s a t i o n i n o r d e r t o p r e p a r e y o u r v i c t o r y i n t h e

s e c o n d s t a g e o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n . "

L i m i t i n g o u r s e l v e s i n t h e m e a n w h i l e t o a n a n a l y s i s o f t h e c l a s s

s t r u g g l e a n d t h e i n t e r r e l a t i o n o f c l a s s f o r c e s i n t h i s s t a g e o f t h e

r e v o l u t i o n , w e m u s t a l s o r a i s e t h e q u e s t i o n : W h o a r e t h e a l l i e s o f

t h e p r o l e t a r i a t i n t h i s r e v o l u t i o n ?

I t h a s t w o a l l i e s : f i r s t , t h e b r o a d m a s s o f t h e s e m i - p r o l e t a r i a n

a n d , p a r t l y , t h e p e t t y p e a s a n t p o p u l a t i o n o f R u s s i a , n u m b e r i n g

s c o r e s o f m i l l i o n s a n d f o r m i n g t h e o v e r w h e l m i n g m a j o r i t y o f t h e

p o p u l a t i o n . T h i s g r e a t m a s s n e e d s p e a c e , b r e a d , l i b e r t y , l a n d .

This mass will in evitably be under a certain i n f l u e n c e o f t h e

b o u r g e o i s i e , p a r t i c u l a r l y o f t h e p e t t y b o u r g e o i s i e , w h i c h i t r e -

s e m b l e s r a t h e r c l o s e l y i n i t s c o n d i t i o n s o f l i f e , v a c i l l a t i n g , a s i t

d o e s , b e t w e e n t h e b o u r g e o i s i e a n d t h e p r o l e t a r i a t . T h e c r u e l l e s s o n s

o f t h e w a r , w h i c h w i l l b e c o m e a l l t h e m o r e c r u e l a s G u c h k o v , L v o v ,

Miliukov and Co . c a r r y o n t h e w a r w i t h g r e a t e r e n e r g y , w i l l i n -

e v i t a b l y p u s h t h i s m a s s t o w a r d t h e p r o l e t a r i a t , c o m p e l l i n g i t t o

f o l l o w t h e p r o l e t a r i a t . We must now, taking advantage of the

f r e e d o m u n d e r t h e n e w r e g i m e a n d o f t h e S o v i e t s o f W o r k e r s ' a n d

S o l d i e r s ' D e p u t i e s , s t r i v e , f i r s t o f a l l a n d a b o v e a l l , t o e n l i g h t e n

a n d o r g a n i s e t h i s m a s s . S o v i e t s o f P e a s a n t s ' D e p u t i e s , S o v i e t s o f

A g r i c u l t u r a l W o r k e r s , - t h e s e a r e a m o n g o u r m o s t u r g e n t t a s k s . Wes h a l l t h e r e b y s t r i v e n o t o n l y t h a t t h e a g r i c u l t u r a l w o r k e r s s h o u l d

e s t a b l i sh s p e c i a l S o v i e t s o f t h e i r o w n , b u t a l s o t h a t t h e p o o r e s t a n d

p r o p e r t y l e s s p e a s a n t s s h o u l d o r g a n i s e s e p a r a t e l y f r o m t h e w e l l - t o - d o

p e a s a n t s . T h e s p e c i a l t a s k s a n d s p e c i a l f o r m s o f t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n

u r g e n t l y n e e d e d a t p r e s e n t , w i l l b e d e a l t wi t h i n a n o t h e r l e t t e r .

T h e s e c o n d a l l y o f t h e R u s s i a n p r o l e t a r i a t i s t h e p r o l e t a r i a t o f

t h e w a r r i n g c o u n t r i e s a n d o f a l l c o u n t r i e s i n g e n e r a l . A t p r e s e n t ,

i t i s t o a c o n s i d e r a b l e d e g r e e w e i g h e d d o w n b y t h e w a r , a n d b y t h e

s o c i a l - c h a u v i n i s t s w h o , l i k e P l e k h a n o v , G v o z d e v , P o t r e s o v i n R u s -

s i a , h a v e d e s e r t e d t o t h e b o u r g e o i s i e , b u t a l l t o o o f t e n s p e a k i n t h e

workers' name . T h e l i b e r a t i o n o f t h e w o r k e r s f r o m t h e i r i n f l u e n c e

h a s p r o g r e s s e d w i t h e v e r y m o n t h o f t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r , and the

R u s s i a n R e v o l u t i o n w i l l n e c e s s a r i l y a c c e l e r a t e t h i s p r o c e s s t r e -

mendously .

H a n d i n h a n d w i t h t h e s e t w o a l l i e s , t h e p r o l e t a r i a t o f R u s s i a c a n

a n d w i l l p r o c e e d , w h i l e u t i l i s i n g t h e p e c u l i a r i t i e s o f t h e p r e s e n t

t r a n s i t i o n m o m e n t , t o w i n , f i r s t , a d e m o c r a t i c republic and the

v i c t o r y o f t h e p e a s a n t r y o v e r t h e l a n d l o r d s , t h e n S o c i a l i s m , w h i c h

i s



a l o n e c a n g i v e p e a c e , b r e a d , a n d f r e e d o m t o t h e p e o p l e s e x h a u s t e d

b y t h e w a r . N . L E N I N .

W r i t t e n M a r c h 2 0 , 1 9 1 7 .

F i r s t p u b l i s h e d i n P r av d a [ T r u t h ] , N o s . 1 4 - 1 5 , A p r i l 3 - 4 , 1 9 1 7 .

SECOND LETTERTHE NEW G OVERNMENT AND THE PROLETARIAT

THE m o s t i m p o r t a n t d o c u m e n t a t m y d i s p o s a l u p t o d a t e ( M a r c h

2 1 ) i s t h e M a r c h 1 6 i s s u e o f t h e E n g l i s h u l t r a - c o n s e r v a t i v e an d

u l t r a - b o u r g e o i s n e w s p a p e r , T i m e s , w h i c h c o n t a i n s a s u m m a r y o f t h e

n e w s d e a l i n g w i t h t h e r e v o l u t i o n i n R u s s i a . A s o u r c e m o r e f a v o u r -

a b l y - e x p r e s s i n g i t m i l d l y - i n c l i n e d t o t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f G u c h k o v

a n d M i l i u k o v , t h a n t h i s p a p e r , w o u l d , o f c o u r s e , b e d i f f i c u l t t o f i n d .

Reporting from Petrograd on Wednes day, March 14, when th ere

w a s i n e x i s t e n c e o n l y t h e f i r s t P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t , i . e . , t h e

Exec u t i v e Com m i t t e e of th e Dum a c o mp o s e d o f 1 3 me n w i t h

R o d z i a n k o a t t h e i r h e a d , a n d i n c l u d i n g , a s t h e p a p e r s a y s , t w o

" S o c i a l i s t s , " K e r e n s k y a n d C h k h e i d z e , t h e Time s c o r r e s p o n d e n t

w r i t e s :

" A g r o u p o f 2 2 e l e c t e d m e m b e r s o f t h e U p p e r H o u s e [ S t a t e C o u n c i l ]

i n c l u d i n g M . G u c h k o v , M . S t a k h o v i c h , P r i n c e T r u b e t s k o y , a n d P r o f e s s o r s

V a s si l i e v , G r i m m , a n d V e r n a d s k y , y e s t e r d a y a d d r e s s e d a t e l e g r a m t o t h e

T s a r , " i n w h i c h t h e y i m p l o r e d h i m t o s a v e " t h e d y n a s t y , " e t c . , e t c . , b y

c o n v o k i n g t h e D u m a a n d b y n a m i n g s o m e o n e w h o e n j o y s t h e " c o n f i d e n c e

o f t h e n a t i o n " t o h e a d t h e g o v e r n m e n t . " W h a t t h e E m p e r o r m a y d e c i d e

t o d o o n h i s a r r i v al t o - d a y i s u n kn o w n a t t h e h o u r o f t e l e g r a p h i n g , b u t o n e

t h i n g i s q u i t e c e r t a i n . U n l e s s H i s M aj e s t y i m m e d i a t e l y c o m p l i e s w i t h t h e

w i s h e s o f t h e m o s t m o d e r a t e e l e m e n t s a m o n g h i s l o y a l s u b j e c t s , t h e i n f l u e n c e a t

p r e s e n t e x e r c i s e d b y t h e P r o vi s i o n al C o m m i t t e e o f t h e I m p e r i a l Du m a w il l

p a s s w h o l e s al e i n t o t h e h a n d s o f t h e S o c i al i s t s, w h o w a n t t o s e e a r e p u b l i c

e s t a b l i sh e d , b u t w h o a r e u n a b l e t o i n s t i t u t e a n y k i n d o f o r d e r l y g o v e r n m e n t

a n d w o u l d i n e v i t a b l y p r e c i p i t a t e t h e c o u n t r y i n t o a n a r ch y w i t h i n a n d d i s -

a s t e r w i t h o u t . "

H o w s t a t e s m a n l i k e , w i s e , a n d c l e a r ! H o w w e l l t h e E n g l i s h s y m -

p a t h i s e r ( i f n o t t h e l e a d e r ) o f t h e G u c h k o v s a n d t h e M i l i u k o v s

u n d e r s t a n d s t h e i n t e r r e l a t i o n o f c l a s s f o r c e s a n d i n t e r e s t s ! "The

m o s t mo d e r a t e el e m e n t s am o n g hi s l o y a l s u b j e c t s , " i . e . , t h e

m o n a r c h i s t l a n d o w n e r s a n d c a p i t a l i s t s , w a n t t o g a i n p o w e r , b e c a u s e

t h e y r e a l i s e p e r f e c t l y w e l l t h a t o t h e r w i s e " i n f l u e n c e " w i l l p a s s i n t o

t h e h a n d s o f t h e " S o c i a l i s t s . " W h y i n t o t h e h a n d s o f t h e " S o c i a l -

1 4



i st s," and not int o any oth er han ds ? Beca u s e th e Engl i s h Guch-

k o v i t e s e e s c l e a r l y t h a t t h e r e i s n o o t h e r s o c i a l f o r c e i n t h e p o l i t i c a l

a r e n a a n d t h a t t h e r e c a n b e n o n e . The rev olutio n was ma de by the

p r o l e t a r i a t . The proletaria t displayed heroism ; i t s h e d i t s b l o o d ;

i t s w e p t w i t h i t t h e l a r g e m a s s e s o f t h e t o i l i n g a n d v e r y p o o r s e c -

t i o n s o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n ; it demands bread, peace, and freedom ; i t

demands a republic ; i t s y m p a t h i s e s w i t h S o c i a l i s m . At th e s a m e

time a handful of landowners and capitalists headed by the Guch-

k o v s a n d M i l i u k o v s w i s h e s t o d e l u d e t h e w i l l a n d t h e a s p i r a t i o n s o f

t h e o v e r wh e l m i n g m a jo r i t y ; i t w i s h e s t o m a k e a d e a l w i t h t h e

d i s a p p e a r i n g m o n a r c h y , t o s u s t a i n a n d s a v e i t . Appoi nt Lvov a nd

Guchkov, Your Majesty, and we will support the monarchy against

the people . Th i s i s t h e w h o l e m e a n i n g a n d e s s e n c e o f t h e n e w

g o v e r n m e n t ' s p o l i c y !

B u t h o w d o t h e y p r o p o s e t o j u s t i f y t h i s d e c e p t i o n , t h i s f o o l i n g o f

t h e p e o p l e , t h i s v i o l a t i o n o f t h e w i l l o f t h e v a s t m a j o r i t y o f t h e

population?

By us i n g th e old and e v e r new me t h o d of th e b o u r g e o i s i e,- b y

maligning the people . Thus th e Engl i s h Gu ch k o v i t e ma l i g n s an d

v i l i f i e s , s p u r t s a n d s p u t t e r s : " a n a r c h y w i t h i n a n d d i s a s t e r w i t h o u t , "

no "orderly government"!!

Y ou ar e wr on g, m y wo rt hy Gu ch ko vi te ! Th e wo r k er s wa n t a

republic, which is a much more "orderly" gov ernment than a

m o n a rc h y . What assuran ce have the people that a second Romanov

w i l l n o t e s t a b l i s h a s e c o n d R a s p u t i n ? I t i s t h e p r o l o n g a t i o n o f t h e

war, it is the new government, that carries with it the threat of

d i s a s t e r . Only a proletari an republic, supported by the villa ge

workers and by the poorest section of the urban and rural popula-

t i o n , c a n i n s u r e p e a c e , b r e a d , o r d e r , a n d f r e e d o m .

T h e s e o u t c r i e s a g a i n s t a n a r c h y a r e s i m p l y m e a n t t o c o v e r u p t h e

s e l f i s h p u r p o s e s o f t h e c a p i t a l i s t s , w h o a r e i n t e n t o n e n r i c h i n g t h e m -

selves through the war and war loans, who are intent on restoring

t h e m o n a r c h y a g a i n s t t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t h e p e o p l e .

" . . . Y e s t e r d a y , " c o n t i n u e s t h e c o r r e s p o n d e n t , " t h e S o c i a l - D e m o c r a t i c

P a r t y i s s u e d a p r o c l a m a t i o n o f a m o s t s e d i t i o u s c h a r ac t e r , w h i c h w a s s p r e a d

b r o ad c as t t h r o u g h o u t t h e ci t y . T h e y a r e m e r e d o c t r i n a i r e s , b u t t h e i r p o w e r

f o r m i s ch i e f i s e n o r m o u s a t a t i m e l i k e t h e p r e s e n t . M. K e r e n s k y a n d M.

C h k h e i d z e , w h o r e a l i se t h a t w i t h o u t t h e s up p o r t o f t h e o f f i c e r s a n d t h e m o r e

m o d e r a t e e l e m e n t s o f t h e p e o p l e t h e y c a n n o t h o p e t o a v o i d a n a r ch y , h a v e t o

r e c k o n w i t h t h e i r l e s s p r u d e n t a s s o c i a t e s , a n d a r e i n s e n s i b l y d r i v e n t o

t a k e up a n a t t i t u d e w h i c h c o m p l i c a t e s t h e t a s k o f t h e P r o v i s i o n a l C o m m i t t e e . "

15



o f d o c t r i n a i r e s , e t c . ?

When and where was it ever seen that politicians who have n ot

l o s t t h e i r s e n s e s s h o u l d , i n t i m e s o f r e v o l u t i o n , i n t i m e s o f a c t i o n

o f t h e m a s s e s , , be swayed by "doctrinaires" ?

The poor English G uchkovite g ot completely lo st . Unab le t o

f a t h o m t h e s i t u a t i o n , h e c o u l d n o t t e l l a c o m p l e t e l i e n o r t h e w h o l e

t r u t h , a n d s u c c e e d e d o n l y i n b e t r a y i n g h i m s e l f .

Kerensky and Chkheidze were forced to reckon with the Social-

Dem ocr a t ic Par t y of th e Cen t r a l Com m i t t e e b eca u s e of th e in-

f l u e n c e i t e x e r c i s e s o n t h e p r o l e t a r i a t , t h e m a s s e s . Despit e t he

arrest and the exile to Siberia of our Deputies in 1914, despite

the severes t persecutions and arre sts which the Petrograd Com-

m i t t e e h a d s u f f e r e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e w a r f o r i t s u n d e r g r o u n d a c t i v i t y

a g a i n s t w a r a n d a g a i n s t t s a r i s m , o u r p a r t y w a s f o u n d w i t h t h e

m a s s e s , w i t h t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o l e t a r i a t .

The English s ay that facts a re stubbor n things . M a y w e r e -

mind our mo st worthy English Guchkov ite of this saying? The fact

t h a t d u r i n g t h e g r e a t d a y s o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n o u r p a r t y w a s l e a d i n g o r

at least bravely helping the Petrograd workers had to be admitted

by the English Guchko vite himsel f . He also had to admi t the f act

t h a t Ke r e n s k y an d Chk h e i d z e ar e vaci l l a t i n g b e twe e n th e b o u r-

g e o i s i e a n d t h e p r o l e t a r i a t . The fol lowers o f Gvozde v, the "de-

f e n c i s t s , " i . e . , t h e s o c i a l - c h a u v i n i s t s , i . e . , the defenders of the

i m p e r i a l i s t , p r e d a t o r y w a r , a r e a t t h e p r e s e n t m o m e n t i n f u l l a g r e e -

ment with the bourgeoisie . Ker e n s k y , ha v i n g b ec o m e a m e m b e r

o f t h e C a b i n e t , i . e . , of the second Provisiona l Government , has

also completely joined the bourgeoisie . Chk h e i d z e ha s n o t fo l-

l o w e d ; h e i s s t i l l w a v e r i n g b e t w e e n t h e P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t o f

the bourgeoisie, of the Guchkovs and the Miliukovs, and the "pro-

visional government" of the proletariat and the poorest masses of

t h e p e o p l e , t h e S o v i e t o f W o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s a n d t h e R u s s i a n S o c i a l -

Democra tic Labour Party unite d by the Central Committee .

I t f o l l o w s , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t t h e r e v o l u t i o n h a s p r o v e d t h a t w e w e r e

r i g h t w h e n w e m o s t p e r s i s t e n t l y c a l l e d u p o n t h e w o r k e r s t o r e a l i s e

clearly the class distincti on between the major parties and major

tendencies both in the labour movement and among the petty-

b o u r g e o i s i e , w h e n , f o r i n s t a n c e , w e w r o t e i n N o . 4 7 o f t h e G e n e v a

S o c i a l -D e m o c r a t , on October 13, 1915, that is, almost a year a nd

a h a l f a g o

1 7



A s h e r e t o f o r e w e r e g a r d a s p e r m i s s i b le t h e p a r t i ci p a t i o n o f S o c i al - De m o -

c r a t s i n a p r o v i s i o n a l r e v o l u t i o n a r y g o v e r n m e n t t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e d e m o c r a t i c

g r o u p s o f t h e p e t t y - b o u r g e o i s i e , b u t n o t t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e r e vo l ut i o n i st s-

c h a u v i n i s t s . W e c o n s i d e r a s r e v o o u t i o n i s t s - c h au v i n i s t s t h o s e w h o w a n t a v i c -

t o r y o v e r t s a r i sm i n o r d e r t o w i n a v i ct o r y o v e r G e r m a n y , i n o r d e r t o l o o t

o t h e r c o u n t r i e s , i n o r d e r t o s t r e n g t h e n t h e r u l e o f t h e G r e a t R u s si a n s o v e r t h e

o t h e r p e o p l e s o f R u s si a , e t c . T h e b a s i s f o r r e v o l u t i o n a r y c h a uv i n i s m i s t h e

c l as s p o s i t i o n o f t h e p e t t y - b o u r g e o i s i e , w h i c h i s a lw a y s va c i l l at i n g b e t w e e n

t h e b o u r g e o i s i e a n d t h e p r o l e t a r i a t . T o - d a y i t v a c i l l at e s b e t w e e n c h a u v i n i s m

( wh i c h p r e v e n t s i t f r o m b e i n g c o n s i st e n t l y r e v o l u t i o n a r y e v e n a s r e g a r d s a

d e m o c r a t i c r e p u b l i c ) a n d p r o l e t a r i an i n t e r n a t i o n a l i sm . T h e p r e s e n t p o l i t i c a l

e x p o n e n t s o f t h e p e t t y - b o u r g e o i s i e i n R u s si a a r e t h e T r u d o v i k s, * t h e S o -

c i a l i s t s - R e v o l u t i o n i s t s , t h e N a s h a Z a r i a ( t h e p r e s e n t D i e lo ) , C h k h e i d z e ' s

f a c t i on , t h e O r g an i s a t i o n C o m m i t t e e , M r . P l e k h a n o v , e t c . I f t h e r e v o l u t i o n i s t s -

c h a u v i n i s t s w e r e t o w i n p o w e r i n R u s s i a, w e w o u l d b e a g a i n s t t h e d e f e n c e

o f t h e i r " f a t h e r l an d " i n t h e p r e s e n t w a r . O u r s l o g a n i s - o p p o s e t h e c h a u -

v i n i s t s, e v e n i f t h e y b e r e v o l u t i o n i s ts a n d r e p u b l i c an s , o p p o s e t h e m a n d

d e m a n d t h e u n i o n o f t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r o l e t a r ia t f o r a S o c i a l i st r e v o l u t i o n .

B u t l e t u s r e t u r n t o t h e E n g l i s h G u c h k o v i t e .

" . . T h e P r o v i s i o n a l C o m m i t t e e o f t h e I m p e r i a l D u m a , " h e c o n t i n u e s ,

" a p p r e c i at i n g t h e d a n g e r s ah e a d , h a v e p u r p o s e l y r e f r a i n e d f r o m c a r r y i n g

o u t t h e o r i g i n a l i n t e n t i o n o f a r r e s t i n g M i n i s t e r s , a l t h o u g h t h e y c o u l d h a ve

d o n e s o y e s t e r d a y wi t h o u t t h e s l i g h t e s t d i f f i c u l t y . T h e d o o r i s t h u s l e f t

o p e n f o r n e g o t i a ti o n s, t h an k s t o wh i ch w e " (" we , " i . e . , E n g l i s h f i n a n c e c a p i t a l

a n d i m p e r i a l i s m ) " m a y o b t a i n a l l t h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e n e w r e g i m e w i t h o u t

p a s s i n g t h r o u g h t h e d r e a d o r d e a l o f t h e C o m m u n e a n d t h e a n a r c h y o f

c i v i l w a r . "

The Guchkovi tes were for c i v i l w a r f o r t h e i r o w n b e n e f i t ; t h e y

a r e a g a i n s t c i v i l w a r f o r t h e p e o p l e ' s b e n e f i t , i . e . , f o r t h a t o f t h e

a c t u a l m a j o r i t y o f t o i l e r s .

" . . T h e r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e P r o v i s i o n a l C o m m i t t e e o f t h e D u m a ,

w h i ch r e p r e s e n t s t h e w h o l e n a t i o n " (t h i s a b o ut t h e c o m m i t t e e o f t h e l a n d -

o w n e r s ' a n d c a p i t a l i s t s' F o u r t h D u m a ) " a n d t h e C o u n c i l o f W o r k e r s ' De p u t i e s ,

r e p r e s e n t i n g p u r e l y c l as s i n t e r e s t s " (t h e l a n g u a g e o f a d i p l o m a t w h o h a s h e a r d

i n p a s si n g s o m e l e a r n e d w o r d s a n d i s i n t e n t o n c o n c e a l i n g t h a t t h e S o v i e t

o f W o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s r e p r e s e n t s t h e p r o l e t a r i a t a n d t h e i m p o v e r i s h e d m a s se s ,

i . e . , n i n e - t e n t h s o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n ) " b u t i n t h e c r i s i s l i k e t h e p r e s e n t w i e l d i n g

e n o r m o u s p o w e r , h a v e a r o u se d n o s m a l l m i s g i v i n g s a m o n g r e a s o n a b l e m e n

r e g a r d i n g t h e p o s si b i l i t y o f a c o n f l i c t b e t w e e n t h e m - t h e r e s u l t s o f w h i ch

m i g h t b e t o o t e r r i b l e t o d e s c r i b e . "

" H ap p i l y t h i s d a n g e r h a s b e e n a v e r t e d , a t l e a s t f o r t h e p r e s e n t " ( n o t e t h i s

" at l e as t "! ) " t ha n ks t o t h e i n f l u e n ce o f M r . K e r e n s k y , a y o u n g l a w y e r o f

m u c h o r a t o r i c a l a b i l i t y , w h o c l e a r l y r e a l i s e s " ( i n c o n t r a d i s t i n c t i o n t o C h k h e i d z e

w h o a ls o " r e a li s e d " b u t , i n t h e o p i n i o n o f t h e G u ch k o v i t e , e v i d e n t l y l e s s

c l e a r ly ? ) " t h e n e c e s s i t y o f w o r ki n g w i t h t h e C o m m i t t e e i n t h e i n t e r e s t s o f h i s

l a b o u r c o n s t i t u e n c y " ( i . e . , t o f l i r t w i t h l a bo u r i n o r d e r t o p u l l t h e l a b o u r

v o t e ) . " A s a t i s f ac t o r y ar r a n g e m e n t w as c o n c l u d e d t o - d a y " ( We d n e s d a y ,

M a r ch 1 4 ) , " w h e r e b y a l l u n n e c e s s a r y f r i c t i o n w i l l b e a v o i d e d . "

* A p a r l i am e n t a r y g r o u p p r i m a r i l y o f p e a s an t d e p u t i e s u n d e r t h e i n f l u e n c e

o f t h e S o c i a l i s t - R e v o l u t i o n a r y P ar t y .Ed1 8



What the arrangeme nt was, whether it was with the whole S o v i e t

of Worker s' Deputies, what its condit ions are, we do not kno w .

The most important thing is no w passed over in complete silence

by the English Guchk ovite . Certainly! It is disadvantag eous to

t h e b o u r g e o i s i e t o m a k e t h e s e c o n d i t i o n s c l e a r , p r e c i s e , a n d p u b l i c ,

- f o r t h e n i t m a y p r o v e m o r e d i f f i c u l t t o v i o l a t e t h e m !

The fo r e g o i n g li n e s ha d al r e a d y b e e n wr i t t e n wh e n I cha nce d

upo n th e fo l l owi n g ve r y impo r t a n t news . First, the text of t he

proclamation iss ued by the Soviet of Workers' Deputies wherein

i t pr o m i s e s it s "s uppo r t " to th e new go v e r n m e n t, pub l i s h e d b y

t h e u l t r a - c o n s e r v a t i v e a n d u l t r a - b o u r g e o i s P a r i s n e w s p a p e r Te m p s

(Mar ch 20) ; s eco n d l y , exce rpt s fr o m th e spe ech d e l i v e r e d b y

Skobele v on March 14 before th e Imperia l Duma, reprin ted in one

of the Zurich newspapers ( N e u e Z i i r i c h e r Z e i t u n g , f i r s t n o o n e d i -

t i o n, March 21) fr o m a repo r t pub l i s h e d in a Ber l i n newspape r

( N a t i o n a l - Z e i t u n g ) .

The proclamati on issue d by the Soviet of Workers ' Deputies, if

t h e t e x t h a s n o t b e e n d i s t o r t e d b y t h e F r e n c h i m p e r i a l i s t s , i s a m o s t

r e m a r k a b l e d o c u m e n t . I t p r o v e s t h a t t h e P e t r o g r a d p r o l e t a r i a t , a t

the time it issued its proclamation, at any rate, was under the

p r e p o n d e r a n t i n f l u e n c e o f t h e p e t t y - b o u r g e o i s p o l i t i c i a n s . You will

r e c a l l t h a t I co n s i d e r g e n t l e m e n o f t h e t y p e o f K e r e n s k y a n d

Chkheidze to be politician s of the above-mentio ned type .

In the proclama tion we find two poli tical ideas a nd two cor-

r e s p o n d i n g s l o g a n s :

F i r s t , t h e p r o c l a m a t i o n s t a t e s t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t ( t h e n e w o n e )

c o n s i s t s o f " m o d e r a t e e l e m e n t s . " A s t r a n g e c h a r a c t e r i s a t i o n , u t t e r l y

inadequate, and of a purely liberal, non-Marxian nature . I , t o o ,

am ready to admit that in a certain sense,-just in which sense

w i l l b e d e m o n s t r a t e d i n m y n e x t l e t t e r , - a n y g o v e r n m e n t a t p r e s e n t ,

i . e . , a f t e r t h e c o m p l e t i o n o f t h e f i r s t s t a g e o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n , i s

bound to be "modera te ." But under no circumstances must we con-

c e a l f r o m o u r s e l v e s a n d f r o m t h e p e o p l e t h e f a c t t h a t t h i s g o v e r n m e n t

w i s h e s t o p r o l o n g t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r , t h a t i t i s t h e a g e n t o f E n g l i s h

capital, that it wants to restore the monarchy, and to strengthen

t h e r u l e o f t h e l a n d o w n e r s a n d c a p i t a l i s t s .

The proclamation declares that every democrat must "support"

the new government and that the Soviet of Work ers' Deputies re-

quests and authorises Kerensky to participate in the Provisional

1 9



Government . T h e c o n d i t i o n s a r e a s f o l l o w s : the promised reforms

m u s t b e c a r r i e d o u t wh i l e t h e wa r s t i l l l a s t s ; f r e e d o m o f " c u l t u r a l "

( o n l y c u l t u r a l ? ) d e v e l o p m e n t o f n a t i o n a l i t i e s ( a p u r e l y C a d e t a n d

poverty-stricken programme) must be guaranteed ; and a special

c o m m i t t e e f o r s u p e r v i s i n g t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f t h e P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n -

m e n t , t h e committee t o c o n s i s t o f m e m b e r s o f t h e S o v i e t o f W o r k e r s '

Deputie s and . o f t h e " m i l i t a r y , " m u s t b e f o r m e d .

The Supe r v i s i n g Com m i t t e e, which re a l l y em b o d i e s th e id e a s

a n d s l o g a n s o f s e c o n d o r d e r , w e s h a l l s e p a r a t e l y d i s c u s s l a t e r .

As for the appointme nt of Kerensky, th e Russian Louis Blanc,*

a n d t h e c a l l t o s u p p o r t t h e n e w g o v e r n m e n t , t h e s e s t e p s a r e a c l a s s i c

, e x a m p l e o f b e t r a y a l o f t h e c a u s e o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n a n d t h e c a u s e o f

t h e p r o l e t a r i a t . It was betrayals of precise ly the same kin d that

destroyed a number of revolutions of the nineteenth century ir-

r e s p e c t i v e o f h o w m u c h t h e a d h e r e n t s o f s u c h a p o l i c y w e r e s i n c e r e

a n d d e v o t e d t o S o c i a l i s m .

The proletariat cannot a nd must not support a war governm ent,

a government pledged to restore the monarchy . In ord er t o fig ht

a g a i n s t r e a c t i o n , t o f o r e s t a l l t h e p o s s i b l e a n d p r o b a b l e a t t e m p t s o f

t h e Rom a n o v s an d th e i r fr i e n d s to re s t o r e th e mo n a rch y and to

g a t h e r a c o u n t e r - r e v o l u t i o n a r y a r m y , i t i s n e c e s s a r y n o t a t a l l t o

support Guchkov, but to organise, develo p, and strengthen a pro-

letarian militia, to arm the people under the direction of the

p r o l e t a r i a t . Without this chief , basic, and radical measure, one

c a n n o t h o p e e i t h e r t o o f f e r s e r i o u s r e s i s t a n c e t o t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f

the monarchy and to the attempts at taking away or curtailing the

promised liberties, or to take a firm step on the road that leads

- t o b r e a d , p e a c e , a n d f r e e d o m .

If Chkheidze , who together with Kere nsky was a member of the

:first Provisional Gove rnment (the Duma Committee of th irteen),

has not entered the second Provisional Gove rnment because of his

l o y a l t y t o p r i n c i p l e s s i m i l a r t o t h o s e i n d i c a t e d a b o v e , t h e n a l l h o n o u r

t o h i m . This should be frankly stat ed . Unfortunately, such an

i n t e r p r e t a t i o n c o n t r a d i c t s o t h e r f a c t s , a n d m o s t o f a l l i t c o n t r a d i c t s

t h e s p e e c h d e l i v e r e d b y 'Sk o b e l e v w h o h a s a l w a y s w o r k e d h a n d

in hand with Chkheidze .

I f w e a r e t o b e l i e v e t h e a b o v e - n a m e d s o u r c e , S k o b e l e v s a i d t h a t

the "social (evidently, Social-Democratic?) group and the work-

* A F r e n c h r e f o r m i s t S o c i a l i s t wh o s i d e d w i t h t h e s u p p r e s s o r s o f t h e P a r i s

.Comm une .-Ed .

& 9



e r s ar e qu i t e re m o t e fr o m th e ai m s of th e Pro v i s i o n a l Go v e r n -

m e n t , " t h a t t h e w o r k e r s d e m a n d p e a c e , t h a t , i f t h e w a r i s c o n t i n u e d ,

d i s a s t e r i n t h e s p r i n g i s i n e v i t a b l e , t h a t " t h e w o r k e r s h a v e e n t e r e d

into a temporary truce ( e i n e v o r l d u f i g e W a f t e n f r e u n d s c h a f t ) with

s o c i e t y ( l i b e r a l s o c i e t y ) , a l t h o u g h t h e i r p o l i t i c a l a i m s a r e a s r e -

mote from those of society as heaven is from earth," and that the

" l i b e r a l s m u s t r e n o u n c e t h e i r s e n s e l e s s ( u n s i n n i g e ) w a r a i m s , " e t c .

This spe ech is a sa mpl e of wha t we d e s i g n a t e d ab o v e, in ou r

quotation from the S o c i a l - D e m o c r a t , as "vacillation" between the

b o u r g e o i s i e a n d t h e p r o l e t a r i a t . Liberal s, as long as the y remai n

l i b e r a l s , c a n n o t " r e n o u n c e " t h e " s e n s e l e s s " w a r a i m s , p a r t i c u l a r l y

s i n c e t h e s e w a r a i m s a r e n o t d e t e r m i n e d b y t h e l i b e r a l s a l o n e , b u t

by Anglo-French finance capital, a world power measu red by hun-

d r e d s o f b i l l i o n s . I t i s n o t t h e l i b e r a l s w h o m o n e m u s t " p e r s u a d e , "

but it is the workers to whom one must explain why the liberals

are perplexed, why they are bound hand and foo t, why they conceal

b o t h t h e t r e a t i e s c o n c l u d e d b e t w e e n t s a r i s m a n d E n g l a n d , e t c . , a n d

the arrang ements made between Russian and Anglo-French capital,

e t c . , e t c .

When Skobelev tells us that the workers hav e entered into some

k i n d o f a n a g r e e m e n t w i t h t h e l i b e r a l g r o u p s , a n d d o e s n o t p r o t e s t

a g a i n s t i t , a n d d o e s n o t e x p l a i n t o t h e w o r k e r s , f r o m t h e D u m a t r i b -

une, its harmfulness to them , he thereby approves of this agree-

ment, and this should not have been done .

S k o b e l e v ' s d i r e c t o r i n d i r e c t , e x p r e s s e d o r t a c i t , a p p r o v a l o f t h e

agreem ent enter ed into by the Soviet of Wor kers' Deputies with

t h e P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t , i s a s w i n g t o t h e s i d e o f t h e b o u r g e o i s i e .

S k o b e l e v ' s s t a t e m e n t t h a t t h e w o r k e r s d e m a n d p e a c e , t h a t t h e i r a i m s

a r e a s r e m o t e f r o m t h o s e o f t h e l i b e r a l s as h e a v e n i s f r o m e a r t h , i s

a s w i n g t o t h e s i d e o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t .

P u r e l y p r o l e t a r i a n , t r u l y r e v o l u t i o n a r y , t h o r o u g h l y s o u n d i n i t s

c o n c e p t i o n i s t h e s e c o n d p o l i t i c a l i d e a o f t h e p r o c l a m a t i o n o f t h e

Soviet of W orkers' Deputies now under o ur consideration , namely,

t h e id e a of cre a t i n g a "Supe r v i s i n g Com m i t t e e " (I d o no t kn o w

w h e t h e r t h i s i s t h e c o r r e c t n a m e i n R u s s i a n , i t i s a f r e e t r a n s l a t i o n

f r o m th e F r e nch ), na m e l y , th e id e a of pro l e t a r i a n an d so l d i e r

s u p e r v i s i o n o v e r t h e a c t i o n s o f t h e P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t .

T h a t ' s t h e t h i n g ! T h i s i s w o r t h y o f w o r k e r s w h o h a v e s h e d t h e i r

blood for fre edom, for peace, and for bread f or the people! This

i s a r e a l s t e p l e a d i n g t o w a r d r e a l g u a r a n t e e s a g a i n s t t s a r i s m , a g a i n s t

2 1



monarchy, as well as against the monarchists Guchkov, Lvov and

Co . ! This is a sign th at the Russian prole tariat, reg ardless of

everythin g, has gone ahead in comparison with the French pro-

l e t a r i a t o f 1 8 4 8 , w h i c h h a d " i n v e s t e d " L o u i s B l a n c w i t h f u l l p o w e r !

T h i s i s p r o o f t h a t t h e i n s t i n c t a n d t h e i n t e l l i g e n c e o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a n

m a s s e s a r e n o t s a t i s f i e d w i t h d e c l a m a t i o n s , e x c l a m a t i o n s , p r o m i s e s

o f r e f o r m s a n d l i b e r t i e s , a r e n o t s a t i s f i e d w i t h h a v i n g a " M i n i s t e r

authorised by the workers," or with like tinsel show, but that

they seek support where support really is,-in the armed masses

o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n o r g a n i s e d a n d l e d b y t h e p r o l e t a r i a t , t h e c l a s s -

conscious workers .

T h i s i s a s t e p a l o n g t h e r i g h t t r a c k , b u t o n l y t h e f i r s t s t e p .

If the "Supervising Committee" remains a purely parliament ary

i n s t i t u t i o n , o f a p u r e l y p o l i t i c a l n a t u r e , i . e . , i f i t r e m a i n s a c o m -

mission that will "interrogate" the Provisional Government and

r e c e i v e a n s w e r s f r o m i t , t h e n i t i s n o t h i n g b u t a t o y , t h e n i t d o e s

not amount to anything .

If, however, it leads toward the cre ation, immedi ately and un-

f a i l i n g l y , o f a r e a l l y p o p u l a r , r e a l l y p r o l e t a r i a n m i l i t i a o r w o r k e r s '

armed force, composed of men and women, who will not merely take

the place of the police who have been removed and killed off, but

r e n d e r i m p o s s i b l e t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f s u c h a p o l i c e b y a n y m o n a r c h i -

c a l - c o n s t i t u t i o n a l o r d e m o c r a t i c - r e p u b l i c a n g o v e r n m e n t , e i t h e r i n

Petrograd or anywhere else in Russia,-then the advanced Russian

w o r k e r s a r e a c t u a l l y m o v i n g t o w a r d n e w a n d g r e a t v i c t o r i e s , t o w a r d

putting an end to the war, toward the actual realisation of t he

slogan, which, according to the n ewspapers, was displayed on the

b a n n e r s o f t h e c a v a l r y r e g i m e n t s i n Pe t r o g r a d w h e n t h e y w e r e

demonstr ating on the s quare in fro nt of the Imperial Duma :

"Long Live th e Social ist Republics of All Count rie s!"

My ideas concerning this proletarian militia will be presented

i n t h e n e x t l e t t e r .

I n i t I s h a l l t r y t o s h o w , o n t h e o n e h a n d , t h a t t h e c r e a t i o n o f

a p o p u l a r m i l i t i a u n d e r t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e w o r k e r s i s t h e c o r r e c t

s l o g a n o f t h e d a y , m e e t i n g t h e t a c t i c a l r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e u n i q u e

t r a n s i t i o n pe r i o d wh ich th e Rus s i a n Rev o l u t i o n (a n d th e wor l d

r e v o l u t i o n ) i s n o w g o i n g t h r o u g h ; o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h a t i n o r d e r

t o i n s u r e t h e s u c c e s s o f s u c h a w o r k e r s ' m i l i t i a , i t m u s t , f i r s t , b e a

n a t i o n a l , a u n i v e r s a l m a s s m i l i t i a , e m b r a c i n g t h e e n t i r e a b l e - b o d i e d

population of both sexes ; second, it must proceed to combine not

22



o n l y p o l i c e f u n c t i o n s p u r e a n d s i m p l e , b u t a l s o g e n e r a l g o v e r n -

m e n t a l f u n c t i o n s w i t h m i l i t a r y o n e s , a n d w i t h c o n t r o l o v e r s o c i a l

p r o d u c t i o n a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n o f p r o d u c t s . N. LENIN .

Z u r i c h , M a r c h 2 2 , 1 9 1 7 .

P . S . I f o r g o t t o d a t e t h e p r e c e d i n g l e t t e r a s o f M a r c h 2 0 , 1 9 1 7 .

F i r s t p u b l i s h e d f r o m m a n u s c r i p t i n t h e L e n i n C o l l e c t i o n , Vol . I I , 1 9 24 .

THIRD LETTERON PROLETARIAN MILITIA

THE c o n c l u s i o n w h i c h I d r e w y e s t e r d a y r e g a r d i n g t h e v a c i l l a t i n g

t a c t i c s o f C h k h e i d z e h a s b e e n f u l l y c o n f i r m e d t o - d a y , March 23,

by two documents . T h e f i r s t i s a d e s p a t c h f r o m S t o c k h o l m t o t h e

F r a n k f u r t e r Z e i t u n g quoting from the mani festo of the Central

C o m m i t t e e o f o u r p a r t y , t h eRS- D . L . P . , i n P e t r o g r a d . T h i s d o c u -

m e n t c o n t a i n s n o t a w o r d a b o u t e i t h e r t h e s u p p o r t o f t h e G u c h k o v

government or its overthrow : the workers and the s o l d i e r s a r e

c a l l e d u p o n t o o r g a n i s e a r o u n d t h e S o v i e t o f W o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s ,

t o e l e c t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s t o t h e S o v i e t i n o r d e r t o f i g h t a g a i n s t

t s a r i s m , f o r a r e p u b l i c , f o r a n e i g h t - h o u r w o r k i n g d a y , f o r t h e c o n -

f i s c at i o n o f l a n d o w n e r s ' l an d s a n d g r a i n r e s e r v e s , a n d c h i e f l y f o r t h e

t e r m i n a t i o n o f t h e p l u n d e r e r s ' w a r . P a r t i c u l a r l y i m p o r t a n t a n d

p a r t i c u l a r l y t i m e l y i s t h e v e r y c o r r e c t i d e a o f o u r C . C . t h a t t o

o b t a i n p e a c e , r e l a t i o n s m u s t b e e s t a b l i s h e d a m o n g t h e p r o l e t a r i a n s

o f a l l t h e w a r r i n g c o u n t r i e s .

T o h o p e f o r p e a c e f r o m t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n s o f

t h e b o u r g e o i s g o v e r n m e n t s w o u l d b e s e l f - d e c e p t i o n a s w e l l a s d e -

c e p t i o n o f t h e p e o p l e .

T h e s e c o n d d o c u m e n t i s a n o t h e r d e s p a t c h f r o m S t o c k h o l m t o a n -

other German paper ( V o s s i s c h e Z e i t u n g ) r e p o r t i n g a j o i n t c o n -

f e r e n c e o f t h e C h k h e i d z e D u m a f r a c t i o n , t h e T r u d o v i k s ( A r b e i t e r -

f r a k t i o n ? ) a n d t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f f i f t e e n l a b o u r u n i o n s h e l d o n

M a r c h 1 5 , a n d t e l l i n g o f t h e p r o c l a m a t i o n i s s u e d o n t h e f o l l o w i n g

da y . O f t h e e l e v e n p o i n t s i n t h i s p r o c l a m a t i o n , t h e t e l e g r a m q u o t e s

o n l y t h r e e : t h e f i r s t , d e m a n d i n g a r e p u b l i c ; t h e s e v e n t h , d e m a n d i n g

p e a c e a n d t h e i m m e d i a t e b e g i n n i n g o f p e a c e n e g o t i a t i o n s ; a n d t h e

2 3



t h a t a " s t r a n g e r , " i . e . , one who does not belong to our party,

S k o b e l e v , c o n f i r m s t h e v e r y c o n c l u s i o n t h a t I a r r i v e d a t i n t h e

f i r s t l e t t e r , n a m e l y : t h a t t h e M a r c h r e v o l u t i o n w a s o n l y t h e f i r s t

s t a g e o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n . Russia is going thro ugh a unique his-

t o r i c al p e r i o d o f t r a n s i t i o n f r o m t h e f i r s t t o t h e n e x t s t a g e o f t h e

r e v o l u t i o n o r , a s S k o b e l e v e x p r e s s e s i t , t o " a s e c o n d r e v o l u t i o n . "

I f w e w a n t t o b e M a r x i s t s a n d t o l e a r n f r o m t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f

the revolutions the world over, we must try to understand j u s t

w h e r e i n l i e s t h e u n i q u e n e s s o f t h i s t r a n s i t i o n p e r i o d , a n d w h a t a r e

t h e t a ct i c s t h a t f o l l o w f r o m i t s o b j e c t i v e p e c u l i a r i t i e s .

T h e u n i q u e n e s s o f t h e s i t u a t i o n l i e s i n t h e f a c t t h a t t h e G u c h k o v -

M i l i u k o v g o v e r n m e n t h a s w o n t h e f i r s t v i c t o r y w i t h u n u s u a l e a s e b e -

c a u se o f t h e t h r e e f o l l o w i n g m a i n c i r c u m s t a n c e s : 1 . T h e h e l p r e c e i v e d

f r o m A n g l o - F r e n c h f i n a n c e c a p i t a l a n d i t s a g e n t s ; 2 . T h e h e l p r e -

ceived from the upper layers of the army ; 3 . T h e f a c t t h a t t h e

e n t i r e R u s s i a n b o u r g e o i s i e h a d b e e n o r g a n i s e d i n z e m s t v o a n d c i t y

i n s t i t u t i o n s , i n t h e I m p e r i a l D u m a , i n t h e w a r i n d u s t r i e s c o m m i t -

t e e s , e t c .

The Guchkov gove rnment finds itself between t h e up p e r an d

n e t h e r m i l l s t o n e s . B o u n d b y c a p i t a l i s t i n t e r e s t s , i t i s c o m p e l l e d t o

s t r i v e t o p r o l o n g t h e p r e d a t o r y w a r f o r p l u n d e r , t o p r o t e c t t h e

m o n s t r o u s p r o f i t s o f t h e c a p i t a l i s t s a n d t h e l a n d l o r d s , t o r e s t o r e

the monarchy . B o u n d b y i t s r e v o l u t i o n a r y o r i g i n a n d t h e n e c e s s i t y

o f a n a b r u p t c h a n g e f r o m t s a r i s m t o d e m o c r a c y , f i n d i n g i t s e l f u n d e r

the pressure of the hungry masses that clamour for p e a c e , t h e

g o v e r n m e n t i s f o r c e d t o l i e , t o s h i f t a b o u t , t o p r o c r as t i n a t e , t o m a k e

a s m a n y " d e c l a r a t i o n s " a n d p r o m i s e s a s p o s s i b l e ( p r o m i s e s a r e t h e

o n l y t h i n g s t h a t a r e v e r y c h e a p e v e n i n a n e p o c h o f i n s a n e l y h i g h

p r i c e s ) , a n d t o c a r r y o u t a s f e w o f t h e m a s p o s s i b l e , t o m a k e c o n -

c e s s i o n s w i t h o n e h a n d , a n d t o w i t h d r a w t h e m w i t h t h e o t h e r .

U n d e r c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s , i f c i r c u m s t a n c e s a r e m o s t f a v o u r a b l e t o

i t , t h e n e w g o v e r n m e n t , r e l y i n g o n t h e o r g a n i s i n g a b i l i t i e s o f t h e

e n t i r e R u s s i a n b o u r g e o i s i e a n d t h e b o u r g e o i s i n t e l l i g e n t s i a , m a y

t e m p o r a r i l y a v e r t t h e f i n a l c r a s h . B u t e v e n u n d e r s u c h c o n d i t i o n s

i t c a n n o t e s c a p e t h e c r as h a l t o g e t h e r , f o r i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o e s c a p e

t h e c l a w s o f t h a t t e r r i b l e m o n s t e r , b e g o t t e n b y w o r l d - c a p i t a l i s m -

the imperialist war and famine,-without abandoning the whole

b a s i s o f b o u r g e o i s r e l a t i o n s , w i t h o u t r e s o r t i n g t o r e v o l u t i o n a r y

m e a s u r e s , w i t h o u t a p p e a l i n g t o t h e g r e a t e s t h i s t o r i c a l heroism of

t h e R u s s i a n a n d t h e w o r l d p r o l e t a r i a t .

2 5



Hence the conclus ion : W e s h a l l n o t b e a b l e t o o v e r t h r o w t h e n e w

g o v e r n m e n t wi t h on e st r o k e or, sh o u l d we b e ab l e to d o so (i n

r e v o l u t i o n a r y t i m e s t h e l i m i t s o f t h e p o s s i b l e a r e i n c r e a s e d a t h o u -

sandfold), we could not retain power, unless we met t h e s p l e n d i d

o r g a n i s a t i o n o f t h e e n t i r e R u s s i a n b o u r g e o i s i e a n d t h e e n t i r e b o u r -

g e o i s i n t e l l i g e n t s i a w i t h a no r g a n i s a t i o n o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t j u s t a s

splendid, leading the vast mass of the city and country poor, the

s e m i - p r o l e t a r i a n s a n d t h e p e t t y p r o p r i e t o r s .

It matters little whether the "second revolution" has alre ady

broken out i n Petrogra d (I have stat ed that it would be absur d to

attempt to estimate from abroad the actual tempo of its growth),

w h e t h e r i t h a s b e e n p o s t p o n e d f o r a t i m e , o r w h e t h e r i t h a s b e g u n i n

i s o l a t e d l o c a l i t i e s i n R u s s i a (t h e r e a r e s o m e i n d i c a t i o n s t h a t t h i s

is the case)-in any c a s e t h e s l o g a n o f t h e h o u r r i g h t n o w , o n t h e

e v e o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n , d u r i n g t h e r e v o l u t i o n , a n d o n t h e d a y a f t e r

t h e r e v o l u t i o n , m u s t be-proletarian organisation .

Comrade-workers! Yesterday you displayed wonders of prole-

t a r i a n h e r o i s m w h e n y o u o v e r t h r e w t h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y . Sooner or

later (perha ps even now, while I am writing the se lines) you wil l

i n e v i t a b l y b e cal l e d upo n ag a i n to d i spl a y won d e r s of si m i l a r

heroism in overthrowing the power of the landowners and the capi-

talists who are waging the imperialist war . But y o u wil l no t b e

a b l e t o w i n a permanent victory i n t h i s f o r t h c o m i n g " t r u e " r e v o l u -

t i o n , u n l e s s y o u d i s p l a y wonders o f p r o l e t a r i a n o r g a n i s a t i o n !

T h e s l o g a n o f t h e h o u r i s o r g a n i s a t i o n . B u t o r g a n i s a t i o n i n i t s e l f

d o e s no t me a n much, b eca u s e, on th e on e ha n d , or g a n i s a t i o n is

a l w a y s n e c e s s a r y , a n d , h e n c e , t h e m e r e i n s i s t e n c e o n " t h e o r g a n i s a -

t i o n o f t h e m a s s e s " d o e s n o t y e t c l a r i f y a n y t h i n g , a n d b e c a u s e , o n

the other hand, he who contents himself with organisation only is

m e r e l y ech o i n g th e vi ews of th e lib e r a l s ; for the liberals, to

s t r e n g t h e n t h e i r r u l e , d e s i r e n o t h i n g b e t t e r t h a n t o h a v e t h e w o r k e r s

r e f u s e t o g o beyond the u s u a l " l e g a l " forms of organisation (from

the point of view -of "normal" bourgeois society), i . e . , to have

them merely b e c o m e m e m b e r s o f t h e i r p a r t y , t h e i r t r a d e u n i o n , t h e i r

c o - o p e r a t i v e s o c i e t y , e t c . , e t c .

T h e w o r k e r s , g u i d e d b y t h e i r c l as s i n s t i n c t , h a v e r e a l i s e d t h a t i n

r e v o l u t i o n a r y t i m e s t h e y n e e d a n e n t i r e l y d i f f e r e n t o r g a n i s a t i o n , o f

a t y p e a b o v e t h e o r d i n a r y . T h e y h a v e t a k e n t h e r i g h t a t t i t u d e s u g -

g e s t e d b y t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f o u r r e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 0 5 a n d b y t h e P a r i s

Commune o f 1871 : t h e y h a v e c r e a t e d a S o v i e t o f w o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s ,

26



t h e y h a v e s e t o u t t o d e v e l o p i t , w i d e n a n d s t r e n g t h e n i t , b y a t t r a c t -

i n g t o i t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f t h e s o l d i e r s a n d n o d o u b t o f t h e h i r e d

a g r i c u l t u r a l w o r k e r s , a s w e l l a s ( i n o n e f o r m o r a n o t h e r ) o f t h e

e n t i r e p o o r s e c t i o n o f t h e p e a s a n t r y .

T o c r e a t e s i m i l a r o r g a n i s a t i o n s i n a l l t h e l o c a l i t i e s o f R u s s i a

w i t h o u t e x c e p t i o n , f o r a l l t h e t r a d e s a n d l a y e r s o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a n

a n d s e m i - p r o l e t a r i a n p o p u l a t i o n w i t h o u t e x c e p t i o n , i . e . , f o r a l l t h e

t o i l e r s a n d t h e e x p l o i t e d ( t o u s e a n e x p r e s s i o n t h a t i s l e s s e x a c t

f r o m t h e p o i n t o f v i e w o f e c o n o m i c s b u t m o r e p o p u l a r ) , i s o u r m o s t

i m p o r t a n t a n d m o s t u r g e n t t a s k . I w i l l n o t e r i g h t h e r e t h a t t o t h e

p e a s a n t m a s s e s o u r p a r t y ( w h o s e s p e c i f i c r o l e i n t h e p r o l e t a r i a n

o r g a n i s a t i o n s o f t h e n e w t y p e I s h a l l h a v e o c c a s i o n t o d i s c u s s i n

o n e o f t h e f o r t h c o m i n g l e t t e r s ) must recommend with special

e m p h a s i s t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n o f S o v i e t s o f h i r e d w o r k e r s a n d p e t t y

a g r i c u l t u r i s t s , s u c h a s d o n o t s e l l t h e i r g r a i n , t h o s e S o v i e t s t o h a v e

n o c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e p r o s p e r o u s p e a s a n t s , - o t h e r w i s e i t w i l l b e

i m p o s s i b l e t o p u r s u e a t r u e p r o l e t a r i a n p o l i c y , i n a g e n e r a l s e n s e , *

n o r w i l l i t b e p o s s i b l e c o r r e c t l y t o a p p r o a c h t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t

p r a c t i c al q u e s t i o n i n v o l v i n g t h e l i f e a n d d e a t h o f m i l l i o n s o f p e o p l e ,

i . e . , t h e q u e s t i o n o f a n e q u i t a b l e a ss e s s m e n t o f f o o d d e l i v e r i e s , o f

i n c r e a s i n g i t s p r o d u c t i o n , e t c .

T h e q u e s t i o n , t h e n , i s : W h a t i s t o b e t h e w o r k o f t h e S o v i e t s o f

W o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s ? We repeat what we once said i n No . 4 7 o f

the Geneva S o c i a l - De m o c r a t ( O c t o b e r 1 3 , 1 9 1 5 ) : "They mu st be

r e g a r d e d a s o r g a n s o f i n s u r r e c t i o n , a s o r g a n s o f r e v o l u t i o n a r y

power . "

T h i s t h e o r e t i c a l f o r m u l a , d e r i v e d f r o m t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e

C o m m u n e o f 1 8 7 1 a n d o f t h e R u s s i a n R e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 0 5 , m u s t b e

e l u c i d a t e d a n d c o n c r e t e l y d e v e l o p e d o n t h e b a s i s o f t h e p r a c t i c a l

e x p e r i e n c e g a i n e d a t t h i s v e r y s t a g e o f t h i s v e r y r e v o l u t i o n i n R u s s i a .

W e n e e d r e v o l u t i o n a r y p o w e r , w e n e e d ( f o r a c e r t a i n p e r i o d o f

t r a n s i t i o n ) t h e s t a t e . T h e r e i n w e d i f f e r f r o m t h e A n a r c h i s t s . Th e

d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n r e v o l u t i o n a r y M a r x i s t s a n d A n a r c h i s t s l i e s n o t

o n l y i n t h e f a c t t h a t t h e f o r m e r s t a n d f o r h u g e , c e n t r a l i s e d , c o m -

m u n i s t p r o d u c t i o n , w h i l e t h e l a t t e r a r e f o r d e c e n t r a l i s e d , s m a l l -s c a l e

p r o d u c t i o n . N o , t h e d i f f e r e n c e a s t o g o v e r n m e n t a u t h o r i t y a n d t h e

* T h e r e w i l l n o w d e v e l o p i n t h e v i l l a g e a s t r u g g l e f o r t h e p e t t y , a n d p a r t l y

the middle, peasantry . The landowner s, basing the mselves o n the well-to-do

peasants, will lead them to submission to the bourgeoisie . W e , b a s i n g o u r -

selves on the hired agricultural workers and poor peasants, must lead them

t o t h e c l o s e s t p o s s i b l e a l l i a n c e w i t h t h e p r o l e t a r i a t o f t h e c i t i e s .

2 7



s t a t e c o n s i s t s i n t h i s , t h a t w e s t a n d f o r t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y u t i l i s a t i o n

o f r e v o l u t i o n a r y f o r m s o f t h e s t a t e i n o u r s t r u g g l e f o r S o c i a l i s m ,

w h i l e t h e A n a r c h i s t s a r e a g a i n s t i t .

We need the state . But we ne e d no n e of th o s e ty pe s of st a t e

v a r y i n g fr o m a con s t i t u t i o n a l mo n a rch y to th e mo s t d e m ocr a t ic

republic which the bourgeoisie has established everywhere . Andh e r e i n l i e s t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n u s a n d t h e o p p o r t u n i s t s a n d K a u t -

s k i a n s o f t h e o l d , d e c a y i n g S o c i a l i s t p a r t i e s w h o h a v e d i s t o r t e d o r

f o r g o t t e n t h e l e s s o n s o f t h e P a r i s C o m m u n e a n d t h e a n a l y s i s o f t h e s e

lesso ns by Marx and Engels . *

We need the state, but not the kind needed by the bourgeoisie,

with organs of power in the form of police, army, bureaucracy,

d i s t i n c t f r o m a n d o p p o s e d t o t h e p e o p l e . A l l b o u r g e o i s r e v o l u t i o n s

h a v e m e r e l y p e r f e c t e d t h i s g o v e r n m e n t a p p a r a t u s , h a v e m e r e l y

t r a n s f e r r e d i t f r o m o n e p a r t y t o a n o t h e r .

The proletari at, however, if it wants to preserve the gains of

t h e p r e s e n t r e v o l u t i o n a n d t o p r o c e e d f u r t h e r t o w i n p e a c e , b r e a d ,

and freedom, must " d e s t r o y , " to use Marx's word, this "ready-

m a d e " s t a t e m a c h i n e r y , a n d m u s t r e p l a c e i t b y a n o t h e r o n e , merging

the police, the army, and the bureaucracy with the u n i v e r s a l l y

a r m e d p e o p l e . Advancing alon g the road indicat ed by the experi-

ence of th e Paris Commun e of 1871 and the Russia n Revol ution o f

1905, the proletariat must orga nise and arm a l l the poorest and

m o s t e x p l o i t e d s e c t i o n s o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n , s o t h a t t h e y t h e m s e l v e s

may take into their own hands all the organs of state power, that

t h e y t h e m s e l v e s m a y c o n s t i t u t e t h e s e o r g a n s .

The workers of Russia have already, with the ve ry first st age

o f t h e f i r s t r e v o l u t i o n , M a r c h , 1 9 1 7 , e n t e r e d o n t h i s c o u r s e . Th e

whole problem now is to understand clearly the nature of this new

c o u r s e a n d c o u r a g e o u s l y , f i r m l y , a n d p e r s i s t e n t l y , t o c o n t i n u e o n i t .

The Anglo-Fr ench and the Russia n capitalis ts wanted "onl y" to

displace, or mer ely to "scare," Nicholas II, leaving the old ma-

c h i n e r y o f t h e s t a t e - t h e p o l i c e , t h e a r m y , t h e b u r e a u c r a c y - i n t a c t .

The workers hav e gone fur ther ; t h e y h a v e s m a s h e d i t . An d n o w

n o t o n l y t h e A n g l o - F r e n c h , b u t e v e n t h e G e r m a n c a p i t a l i s t s h o w l w i t h

*In o n e o f t h e f o r t h c o m i n g l e t t e r s o r i n a s p e c i a l a r t i c l e I s h a l l d w e l l

i n d e t a i l o n t h i s a n a l y s i s a s g i v e n p a r t i c u l a r l y i n M a r x ' s C i v i l W a r i n F r a n c e ,

i n E n g e l s ' p r e f a c e t o t h e t h i r d e d i t i o n o f t h a t w o r k , i n M a r x ' s l e t t e r d a t e d

A p r i l 1 2 , 1 8 7 1 , a n d i n E n g e l ' s l e t t e r s of Mar ch 18-28, 1875, also o n the

complete distortion of Marxism by Kautsky in his 1912 polemics again st

P a n n e k o e k r e l a t i v e t o t h e s o - c a l l e d " d e s t r u c t i o n o f t h e s t a t e . "

28



r a g e a n d ho r r o r wh e n th e y se e Rus s i a n so l d i e r s sh o o t i n g th e i r

officers, some of whom were even supporters of Guchkov and Miliu-

kov, as Admiral Nepenin, fo r example .

I have said that the worke rs have smashe d the old state ma-

c h i n e r y . To be more precise . The y h a v e b e g u n t o s m a s h i t .

L e t u s t a k e a c o n c r e t e e x a m p l e .

The police of Petrograd and many other places have been partly

k i l l e d o f f , a n d p a r t l y r e m o v e d . The Guchko v-Miliukov g overnme nt

w i l l n o t b e a b l e t o r e s t o r e t h e m o n a r c h y , n o r e v e n t o r e t a i n p o w e r ,

u n l e s s i t r e - e s t a b l i s h e s t h e p o l i c e a s a n o r g a n i s a t i o n o f a r m e d m e n

separated from and opposed to the people and under the comma nd

o f t h e b o u r g e o i s i e . T h i s i s a s c l e a r a s t h e c l e a r e s t d a y .

On t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h e n e w g o v e r n m e n t m u s t r e c k o n w i t h t h e

revolution ary masses, must humour them with half-concessions and

p r o m i s e s , t r y i n g t o g a i n t i m e . H e n c e i t a g r e e s t o h a l f - m e a s u r e s : i t

i n s t i t u t e s a " p e o p l e ' s m i l i t i a " w i t h e l e c t e d o f f i c e r s ( t h i s s o u n d s t e r -

r i b l y i m p o s i n g , t e r r i b l y d e m o c r a t i c , r e v o l u t i o n a r y , a n d b e a u t i f u l ! ) .

Bu t . . . b u t . . . f i r s t o f a l l , i t p l a c e s t h e m i l i t i a u n d e r t h e c o n -

t r o l o f t h e l o c a l z e m s t v o a n d c i t y o r g a n s o f s e l f - g o v e r n m e n t , i . e . ,

under the control of landowners and capitalists elected under the

laws of Nicholas the Bloody and Stolypin th e Hangman! ! S e c o n d l y ,

t h o u g h i t c a l l s i t t h e " p e o p l e ' s " m i l i t i a t o t h r o w d u s t i n t o t h e e y e s

o f t h e " p e o p l e , " i t d o e s n o t , a s a m a t t e r o f f a c t ca l l t h e p e o p l e f o r

u n i v e r s al s e r v i c e i n t h i s m i l i t i a , n o r d o e s i t c o m p e l t h e b o s s e s a n d

t h e c a p i t a l i st s t o p a y their employees the usual wage for the hours

a n d t h e d a y s t h e y d e v o t e t o p u b l i c s e r v i c e , i . e . , t o t h e m i l i t i a .

There is where th e main trick is . That i s how the lando wner

and capitalist government of the Guchkovs and Miliukovs achieves

i t s a i m o f k e e p i n g t h e " p e o p l e ' s m i l i t i a " o n p a p e r , w h i l e i n r e a l i t y

i t i s q u i e t l y a n d s t e p b y s t e p o r g a n i s i n g a b o u r g e o i s m i l i t i a h o s t i l e

t o t h e p e o p l e , f i r s t o f " 8 , 0 00 s t u d e n t s a n d p r o f e s s o r s " ( a s t h e f o r -

eign press describes the presen t militia in Petrograd) -which is

obviously a mere toy!-the n, gradually, of the old and the new

p o l i c e .

D o n o t p e r m i t t h e r e - e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f t h e p o l i c e ! D o n o t l e t g o

t h e l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t o r g a n s ! C r e a t e a r e a l l y u n i v e r s a l m i l i t i a , l e d

b y t h e p r o l e t a r i a t ! T h i s i s t h e t a s k o f t h e d a y , t h i s i s t h e s l o g a n

of the present hour, equally in accord with the correctly under-

s t o o d r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e f u r t h e r d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e c l a s s s t r u g g l e ,

t h e fu r t h e r co u r s e of th e re v o l u t i o n, and wit h th e d e m ocr a t ic

29



i n s t i n c t o f e v e r y w o r k e r , e v e r y p e a s a n t , e v e r y t o i l e r , e v e r y o n e w h o

i s e x p l o i t e d , w h o c a n n o t b u t h a t e t h e p o l i c e , t h e c o n s t a b l e s , t h e

command of landowners and capitalists over armed men who wield

p o w e r o v e r t h e p e o p l e .

What kind of police do t h e y n e e d , t h e s e G u c h k o v s a n d M i l i u k o v s ,

these landowne rs and capitalists? The same kind that existed dur-

i n g th e ts a r i s t mo n a rch y . F o l l owi ng ve r y b r i e f re v o l u t i o n a r y

p e r i o d s , a l l the bourgeois and bourgeois-democratic republics of

t h e w o r l d o r g a n i s e d o r r e - e s t a b l i s h e d p r e c i s e l y t h a t k i n d o f p o l i c e , -

a s p e c i a l o r g a n i s a t i o n o f a r m e d m e n , s e p a r a t e d f r o m a n d o p p o s e d t o

the people, and in one way or another subordinated to the bour-

g e o i s i e .

What kind of militia do we need, we, the proletariat, all the

t o i l e r s ? A r e a l p e o p l e ' s m i l i t i a , i . e . , f i r s t o f a l l , o n e t h a t c o n s i s t s

o f t h e e n t i r e p o p u l a t i o n , o f a l l t h e a d u l t c i t i z e n s o f b o t h s e x e s ;

secondly, one that combines the fun ctions of a people's army with

t h o s e o f t h e p o l i c e , a n d w i t h t h e f u n c t i o n s o f t h e m a i n a n d f u n d a -

m e n t a l o r g a n o f t h e s t a t e s y s t e m a n d t h e s t a t e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n .

To give more concretene ss to these proposition s, let us try a

schematic example . Needless to say, the idea of l aying ou t any

" p l a n " f o r a p r o l e t a r i a n m i l i t i a w o u l d b e a b s u r d : when the work-

e r s , a n d a l l t h e p e o p l e a s a r e a l m a s s , t a k e u p t h i s t a s k i n a p r a c -

tical way, they will work it out and secure it a hundred times

b e t t e r t h a n a n y t h e o r e t i c i a n c a n p r o p o s e . I a m n o t o f f e r i n g a p l a n - a l l

I w a n t i s t o i l l u s t r a t e m y t h o u g h t .

P e t r o g r a d h a s a p o p u l a t i o n o f a b o u t t w o m i l l i o n , m o r e t h a n h a l f

of which is between the ages of 15 and 65 . Let us ta k e a ha l f-

one million . Let us dedu ct one-four th to al low for th e sick or

other insta nces where people cannot be engaged in public service

f o r a v a l i d r e a s o n . T h e r e s t i l l r e m a i n 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 p e r s o n s , w h o , w o r k -

i n g i n t h e m i l i t i a o n e d a y o u t o f e v e r y f i f t e e n ( a n d c o n t i n u i n g t o

r e c e i v e p a y m e n t f r o m t h e i r e m p l o y e r s f o r t h i s t i m e ) , w o u l d m a k e u p

an a rmy of 50,000 people .

T h i s i s t h e t y p e o f " s t a t e " t h a t w e n e e d !

T h i s i s t h e k i n d o f m i l i t i a t h a t w o u l d b e , i n d e e d , a n d n o t o n l y

i n n a m e , a " p e o p l e ' s m i l i t i a . "

This is the road we must fol low if we wish to make impossible

t h e r e - e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a s p e c i a l p o l i c e , o r a s p e c i a l a r m y , s e p a r a t e d

from the people .

S u c h a m i l i t i a w o u l d , i n n i n e t y - f i v e c a s e s o u t o f a h u n d r e d , b e

3 0



o v e r w h e l m i n g m a j o r i t y o f t h e p e o p l e . S u c h a m i l i t i a w o u l d a c t u a l l y

a r m a n d g i v e m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g t o t h e p e o p l e a t l a r g e , t h u s m a k i n g

sure, in a manner not employed by Guchkov, nor Miliukov, against

a l l a t t e m p t s t o r e - e s t a b l i s h r e a c t i o n , a g a i n s t a l l e f f o r t s o f t h e t s a r i s t

a g e n t s . S u c h a m i l i t i a w o u l d b e t h e e x e c u t i v e o r g a n o f t h e " S o v i e t s

o f W o r k e r s ' a n d S o l d i e r s ' De p u t i e s , " i t wo u l d e n j o y t h e f u l l r e s p e c t

and confidence of the population , because it would, itself, be an

o r g a n i s a t i o n o f t h e e n t i r e p o p u l a t i o n . Such a mil itia wo uld chan ge

d e m ocr acy fr o m a pre t t y si g n b o a r d , hid i n g th e en s l a v e m e n t an d

deception of the people by the capitalists, into a real means for

e d u c at i n g t h e m a s se s s o t h a t t h e y m i g h t b e a b l e t o t a k e p a r t i n a l l

t h e a f f a i r s o f t h e s t a t e . Such a milit ia would draw th e youngs ters

i n t o p o l i t i c a l l i f e , t r a i n i n g t h e m n o t o n l y b y w o r d , b u t b y d e e d a n d

w o r k . S u c h a m i l i t i a w o u l d d e v e l o p t h o s e f u n c t i o n s w h i c h b e l o n g ,

t o u s e l e a r n e d t e r m s , t o t h e w e l f a r e p o l i c e , s a n i t a r y s u p e r v i s i o n , e t c . ,

b y d r a w i n g i n t o s u c h a c t i v i t i e s a l l t h e a d u l t w o m e n w i t h o u t e x c e p -

t i o n . Without drawing the women into social servi ce, into the

militia, into political life, without tearing the women away from

t h e s t u p e f y i n g d o m e s t i c a n d k i t c h e n a t m o s p h e r e i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o

s e c u r e r e a l f r e e d o m , i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o b u i l d a d e m o c r c a y , l e t a l o n e

S o c i a l i s m .

Such a militia would be a proletarian mili tia, because the in-

d u s t r i a l a n d t h e c i t y w o r k e r s w o u l d j u s t a s n a t u r a l l y a n d i n e v i t a b l y

a s s u m e i n i t t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e m a s s e s o f t h e p o o r , a s n a t u r a l l y

a n d i n e v i t a b l y a s t h e y t o o k t h e l e a d i n g . p o s i t i o n i n a l l t h e r e v o l u -

tionary st ruggles of the people in the yea rs 1905-1907, and in

1917 .

Such a militia would guar antee absolute or der and a comradely

d i s c i p l i n e p r a c t i c e d w i t h e n t h u s i a s m . At the same ti me, it woul d

afford a means of struggling in a real democratic manner against

t h e c r i s i s t h r o u g h w h i c h a l l t h e w a r r i n g n a t i o n s a r e n o w p a s s i n g ;

it would make possible the regular and prompt assessment of food

and other supply levies, the establishment of "universal labour

duty" which the French now call "civil mobilisation" and the Ger-

mans-- • " o b l i g a t o r y c i v i l s e r v i c e , " a n d w i t h o u t w h i c h , a s h a s b e e n

demonstrated, it is impossible to heal the wounds that were and

a r e b e i n g i n f l i c t e d b y t h i s p r e d a t o r y a n d h o r r i b l e w a r .

Has the proleta riat of Russia she d its blood only to receive

3 1



luxurious promises of mere political democratic reform s? Will it

not demand and make sure that every toiler sho uld see and feel a

c e r t a i n i m p r o v e m e n t i n h i s l i f e r i g h t n o w ? Th a t e v e r y f a m i l y

s h o u l d h a v e s u f f i c i e n t b r e a d ? T h a t e v e r y c h i l d s h o u l d h a v e a b o t t l e

o f g o o d m i l k , a n d t h a t n o a d u l t i n a r i c h f a m i l y s h o u l d d a r e t a k e

extra milk until al l the children are supplied? That the palaces

and luxurious homes l eft by the Tsar and the aristocracy should

not stand idle but should provide shelter to the homeless and the

d e s t i t u t e ? What other organisation except a universal people's

militia with women participating on a par with the men can effect

these measures?

Such me a s u r e s d o n o t y e t c o n s t i t u t e S o c i a l i s m . They deal with

d i s t r i b u t i o n o f c o n s u m p t i o n , n o t w i t h t h e r e o r g a n i s a t i o n o f i n d u s -

t r y . T h e y d o n o t y e t c o n s t i t u t e t h e " d i c t a t o r s h i p o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t , "

but merely a "revolutionar y-democratic dictatorship of the pro-

l e t a r i a t a n d t h e p o o r e s t p e a s a n t r y . " T h e o r e t i c a l c l a s s i f i c a t i o n d o e s n ' t

m a t t e r n o w . It would indeed be a grav e error if we trie d now to

fit the complex, urgent, rapidly unfolding practical task s of the

revolut ion into the Procrustean bed of a narrowly conceived

" t h e o r y , " i n s t e a d o f r e g a r d i n g t h e o r y f i r s t o f a l l a n d a b o v e a l l a s

a g u i d e t o a c t i o n .

W i l l t h e m a s s o f R u s s i a n w o r k e r s h a v e s u f f i c i e n t c l a s s - c o n s c i o u s -

ness, self-discipline and heroism to show "wonders of proletarian

o r g a n i s a t i o n " a f t e r t h e y h a v e d i s p l a y e d w o n d e r s o f c o u r a g e , i n i t i a t i v e

a n d s e l f - s a c r i f i c e i n d i r e c t r e v o l u t i o n a r y s t r u g g l e ? T h i s we d o n o t

know, and to make conjectures about it would be idle, for such

q u e s t i o n s a r e a n s w e r e d only b y l i f e i t s e l f .

What we do know definit ely and what we must as a party explain

to the masses is that we have on hand an historic motive power

of tremendous force that causes an unheard-of crisis, hunger and

c o u n t l e s s m i s e r i e s . This mo tive power is the war which the capi -

t a l i s t s o f b o t h warring camps are waging for predator y purposes .

This "motiv e power" has brought a number of the richest, frees t,

and most enlighten ed nations to the brink of an abyss . It f o r c e s

n a t i o n s t o s t r a i n a l l t h e i r s t r e n g t h t o t h e b r e a k i n g p o i n t , i t p l a c e s

them in an insufferable position, it makes imperative the putting

i n t o e f f e c t n o t o f " t h e o r i e s " ( t h a t i s o u t o f t h e q u e s t i o n , a n d M a r x

h a d r e p e a t e d l y w a r n e d S o c i a l i s t s a g a i n s t t h i s i l l u s i o n ) , b u t o f m o s t

extreme yet practical measures, because w i t h o u t t h e s e ext r e m e

32



m e a n s , a n d h a s w o n t h e m a j o r i t y o f i t s p o p u l a t i o n o v e r t o S o c i a l i s m .

The Russian proletariat will insure the freedom of the Finnish

r e p u b l i c , e v e n t o t h e p o i n t o f s e p a r a t i o n ( t h e r e i s h a r d l y a S o c i a l -

Dem ocr a t wh o wou l d he s i t a t e on th i s sco r e now, whe n th e Cad e t

Rodichev is so shamefully haggling in Helsingfors over bits of

p r i v i l e g e s f o r t h e G r e a t R u s s i a n s ) , a n d t h u s g a i n t h e f u l l c o n f i d e n c e

and comradely aid of the Finnish worke rs for the all-Russian pro-

l e t a r i a n c a u s e . I n a d i f f i c u l t a n d g r e a t c a u s e e r r o r s a r e u n a v o i d a b l e ,

nor shall we avoid them ; t h e F i n n i s h w o r k e r s a r e b e t t e r o r g a n i s e r s ,

t h e y w i l l h e l p u s i n t h i s a n d , in their own w ay , b r i n g n e a r e r t h e

e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a S o c i a l i s t r e p u b l i c .

R e v o l u t i o n a r y v i c t o r i e s i n R u s s i a i t s e l f , - q u i e t o r g a n i s a t i o n a l s u c-

cesses in Finland shielded by the above victories,-the Russian

wo r k e r s ta k i n g up re v o l u t i o n a r y - o r g a n i s a t i o n a l ta s k s on a new

s c a l e , - c o n q u e s t o f p o w e r b y t h e p r o l e t a r i a t a n d t h e p o o r e s t s t r a t a

o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n , - e n c o u r a g i n g a n d d e v e l o p i n g t h e S o c i a l i s t r e v o -

l u t i o n i n t h e W e s t , - t h i s i s t h e p a t h t h a t w i l l l e a d u s t o p e a c e a n d

S o c i a l i s m . N. LENIN .

Z u r i c h , M a r c h 2 4 , 1 9 1 7 .

F i r s t p u b l i sh e d f r o m m a n u s c r i p t i n t h e L e n i n C o l l e c t i o n , V o l . I I , 1 9 2 4 .

FOURTH LETTERHOW TO G ET PEACE

I HAV E just read (March 25) the following despatch sen t to the

Neue Ziiricher Zeitung (No . 5 1 7 , March 24) from Berlin :

"It is reported f rom Sweden that Maxim Gor ki has sen t both to

t h e g o v e r n m e n t , a n d t o t h e E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e [ o f t h e S o v i e t ] a n

e n t h u s i a s t i ca l l y w r i t t e n g r e e t i n g . H e h a i l s t h e v i c t o r y o f t h e p e o p l e

o v e r t h e m a s t e r s o f r e a c t i o n a n d c a l l s u p o n a l l s o n s o f R u s s i a t o

h e l p b u i l d t h e n e w R u s s i a n s t a t e e d i f i c e . A t t h e s a m e t i m e h e c a l l s

u p o n t h e g o v e r n m e n t t o c r o w n i t s w o r k o f l i b e r a t i o n w i t h t h e c o n -

c l u s i o n o f p e a c e . I t m u s t n o t b e p e a c e a t a n y p r i c e , h e s a y s ; a t t h e

present moment Russia has le ss cause to strive for peace at any

price than she has had at any other time. It mu st be a pea ce, he

:says, that would enable Russia to live ho nourably before the e yes

o f a l l t h e o t h e r p e o p l e s o f t h e e a r t h . Humanit y has bled eno ugh ;

3 4



the new government would perform the greatest service to Russia

a s we l l a s t o t h e r e s t o f h u m a n i t y , i f i t s u c e e d e d i n b r i n g i n g a b o u t

a n e a r l y p e a c e . "

T h u s r e a d s t h e r e p o r t o f G o r k i ' s l e t t e r .

O n e f e e l s e m b i t t e r e d o n r e a d i n g t h i s l e t t e r w h i c h i s p e r m e a t e d w i t h

o r d i n a r y p h i l i s t i n e p r e j u d i c e s . The prese nt write r on many occa -

sions, in mee tings with Gor ki on the Island of Capri, warned him

a n d r e p r o a c h e d h i m f o r h i s p o l i t i c a l e r r o r s . Gorki parr ied these

reproaches with his inimitably sweet smile and the candid admis-

s i o n : "I know th at I am a bad Marxist . Moreover, all of us

a r t i s t s a r e a b i t i r r e s p o n s i b l e . " I t i s n o t e a s y t o a r g u e a g a i n s t t h a t .

G o r k i h a s , n o d o u b t , g r e a t a r t i s t i c t a l e n t t h a t h a s b e e n a n d w i l l

be of great use to the proletarian movement of the world .

But why should Gork i dabble in politics?

I n m y o p i n i o n G o r k i ' s l e t t e r v o i c e s p r e c o n c e i v e d i d e a s t h a t a r e

exceedingly widespread not only among the petty bourgeoisie, but

also among a section of the workers under the influence of that

b o u r g e o i s i e . T h e e n t i r e s t r e n g t h o f o u r p a r t y , e v e r y e f f o r t o f t h e

class-conscious workers , must be directed toward a stubborn, per-

s i s t e n t , a n d m a n y - s i d e d f i g h t a g a i n s t t h e s e f a l s e i d e a s .

The ts a r i s t go v e r n m e n t b e g a n an d wag e d th e pre s e n t wa r as a

predatory, imperialist war for spoliation, to rob and crush the

weak nations . The governm ent of the Guchkovs and Miliukov s,

which is a landowners' and capitalists' government, is forced to

continue and wants to continue the very same kind of a war . To

c o m e t o t h a t g o v e r n m e n t w i t h t h e s u g g e s t i o n t h a t i t s h o u l d c o n c l u d e

a democratic peace is equival ent to approaching proprietors of

houses of ill fame with a sermon on virtue .

Let us explai n what we mea n .

What is imperialism?

In my pa mph l e t, Imperialis m, the Highest Stage of Capitalism,

w h i c h , b e f o r e t h e r e v o l u t i o n , h a d b e e n s u b m i t t e d t o t h e p u b l i s h i n g

f i r m " P a r u s , " [ S a i l ] , a c c e p t e d b y i t a n d a n n o u n c e d i n t h e m a g a z i n e

L i e t o p i s [Annals], I have answere d this questi on in the foll owing

w a y :

"Imperialism is capitalism i n that phase of its devel opment in

which the domination of monopolies and finance capital has estab-

l i s h e d i t s e l f ; i n w h i c h t h e e x p o r t o f c a p i t a l h a s a c q u i r e d v e r y g r e a t

i mpo r t ance ; in which th e d i v i s i o n of th e wor l d am o n g in t e r na -

t i o n a l t r u s t s h a s b e g u n ; i n w h i c h t h e p a r t i t i o n o f a l l t h e t e r r i t o r i e s

35



o f t h e e a r t h a m o n g t h e g r e a t e s t c a p i t a l i s t c o u n t r i e s h a s b e e n com-

p l e t e d . " (Chapter VII of the a bove-na med pamphlet , announced

i n t h e L i e t o p i s , w h e n t h e r e w a s s t i l l a c e n s o r s h i p , u n d e r t h e t i t l e :V. I l y i n , * R e c e n t C a p i t a l i s m . )

T h e w h o l e t h i n g r e d u c e s i t s e l f t o t h e f a c t t h a t c a p i t a l h a s g r o w n

to enormous dimensions . A s s o c i a t i o n s o f a s m a l l n u m b e r o f t h e

g r e a t e s t c a p i t a l i s t s (c ar t e l s , s y n d i c a t e s , t r u s t s ) m a n i p u l a t e b i l l i o n s

and divide the whole world among themselves . The ear th has

b e e n c o m p l e t e l y d i v i d e d . The war has been brou ght on by the

c l a s h o f t w o m i g h t y g r o u p s o f b i l l i o n a i r e s , t h e A n g l o - F r e n c h an d

t h e G e r m a n , o v e r t h e r e d i v i s i o n o f t h e w o r l d .

T h e A n g l o - F r e n c h g r o u p o f c a p i t a l i s t s w i s h e s f i r s t o f a l l t o r o b

Germany by taking away its colonies (almost all of them have

a l r e a d y b e e n t a k e n a w a y ) - t h e n t o r o b T u r k e y .

T h e G e r m a n g r o u p o f c a p i t a l i s t s w i s h e s t o g r a b T u r k e y f o r i t s e l f

a n d t o c o m p e n s a t e i t s e l f f o r t h e l o s s o f t h e c o l o n i e s b y s e i z i n g t h e

n e i g h b o u r i n g s m a l l s t a t e s ( B e l g i u m , S e r b i a , R u m a n i a ) .

T h i s i s t h e r e a l t r u t h , c o n c e a l e d u n d e r v a r i o u s b o u r g e o i s l i e s

s u c h a s " w a r f o r l i b e r a t i o n , " " n a t i o n a l " w a r , a " w a r f o r r i g h t a n d

j u s t i c e " a n d s i m i l a r t o y - r a t t l e s w i t h w h i c h t h e c a p i t a l i s t s a l w a y s

f o o l t h e c o m m o n p e o p l e .

R u s s i a i s f i g h t i n g t h i s w a r n o t w i t h i t s o w n m o n e y . R u s s i a n

c a p i t a l i s t h e p a r t n e r o f A n g l o - F r e n c h c a p i t a l . R u s s i a i s f i g h t i n g

t h i s w a r i n o r d e r t h a t i t m a y r o b A r m e n i a , T u r k e y , G a l i c i a .

G u c h k o v , L v o v , M i l i u k o v , o u r p r e s e n t M i n i s t e r s , a r e n o t l e a d e r s

b y a c c i d e n t . T h e y a r e t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a n d l e a d e r s o f t h e e n t i r e

c l a ss o f l a n d o w n e r s a n d c a p i t a l i s t s . T h e y a r e b o u n d b y t h e i n t e r e s t s

o f c ap i t a l . C a p i t a l i s t s a r e a s i n c a p a b l e o f s a cr i f i c i n g t h e i r i n t e r e s t s

a s m a n i s i n c a p a b l e o f l i f t i n g h i m s e l f b y h i s o w n b o o t s t r a p s .

S e c o n d l y , G u c h k o v , M i l i u k o v a n d C o . a r e b o u n d b y A n g l o - F r e n c h

c a p i t a l . T h e y h a v e b e e n a n d s t i l l a r e c o n d u c t i n g t h e w a r o n b o r -

r o w e d mo n e y . T h e y h a v e p r o m i s e d t o p a y o n t h e b o r r o w e d b i l l i o n s

i n t e r e s t a m o u n t i n g t o h u n d r e d s o f m i l l i o n s y e a r l y , t o s q u e e z e t h i s

t r i b u t e o u t o f t h e R u s s i a n w o r k e r s a n d t h e R u s s i a n p e a s a n t s .

Thirdly, Guchkov, Miliukov and Co . are boun d to Engla nd,

F r a n c e , I t a l y , J a p a n , a n d o t h e r g r o u p s o f c a p i t a l i s t - r o b b e r s b y

d i r e c t t r e a t i e s d e a l i n g w i t h t h e p r e d a t o r y a i m s o f t h e w a r . Thes e

t r e a t i e s w e r e c o n c l u d e d b y T s a r N i c h o l a s I I . Guchkov, Miliukov

a n d Co . , t a k i n g a d v a n t a g e o f t h e s t r u g g l e o f t h e w o r k e r s a g a i n s t

* O n e o f L e n i n ' s p e n n a m e s .-Ed .

3 6



t h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y , s e i z e d p o w e r , b u t t h e y h a v e c o n f i r m e d t h e

t r e a t i e s c o n c l u d e d b y t h e T s a r .

T h i s w a s d o n e b y t h e e n t i r e G u c h k o v - M i l i u k o v g o v e r n m e n t i n a

M a n i f e s t o w h i c h t h e P e t r o g r a d T e l e g r a p h A g e n c y r e p o r t e d a b r o a d

on March 20 : " T h e g o v e r n m e n t " ( o f G u c h k o v a n d M i l i u k o v ) , s a y s

t h e M a n i f e s t o , " a i m s t o l i v e u p f a i t h f u l l y t o a l l i t s t r e a t y o b l i g a -

t i o n s t o o t h e r c o u n t r i e s . " T h e n e w M i n i s t e r o f F o r e i g n A f f a i r s ,

M i l i u k o v , m a d e a s i m i l a r d e c l a r a t i o n i n h i s t e l e g r a m t o a l l t h e

r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f R u s s i a a b r o a d ( M a r c h 1 8 , 1 9 1 7 ) .

T h e s e t r e a t i e s a r e a l l s e c r e t , a n d M i l i u k o v a n d C o . d o n o t w i s h

t o p u b l i s h t h e m f o r t w o r e a s o n s : ( 1 ) T h e y a r e a f r a i d o f t h e p e o p l e ,

which does not want any predator y war . (2 ) They ar e b o u n d

b y A n g l o - F r e n c h c a p i t a l , w h i c h d e m a n d s t h a t t h e t r e a t i e s remain

s e c r e t . B u t a n y o n e w h o h a s r e a d n e w s p a p e r s a n d w h o h a s s t u d i e d

t h e s u b j e c t k n o w s t h a t t h e s e t r e a t i e s d e a l w i t h t h e l o o t i n g o f C h i n a

b y Jap a n ; of Persi a, Armen ia, Turke y ( C o n s t a n t i n o p l e i n p a r -

t i c u l a r ) , a n d G a l i c a , b y R u s s i a ; o f A l b a n i a , b y I t a l y ; o f T u r k e y ,

t h e G e r m a n c o l o n i e s , e t c . , b y F r a n c e a n d E n g l a n d .

T h a t i s h o w t h i n g s s t a n d .

T h a t i s w h y t h e r e i s j u s t a s m u c h s e n s e i n a s k i n g t h e G u c h k o v -

M i l i u k o v g o v e r n m e n t s p e e d i l y t o c o n c l u d e a n h o n e s t , d e m o c r a t i c ,

n e i g h b o u r l y p e a c e a s t h e r e i s i n t h e a p p e a l o f t h e k i n d l y v i l l a g e

p r i e s t t o t h e l a n d l o r d s a n d m e r c h a n t s t o l i v e a g o d l y l i f e , t o l o v e

their neighbours, and to turn the right cheek when o n e s t r i k e s

t h e m o n t h e l e f t . T h e l a n d o w n e r s a n d t h e m e r c h a n t s l i s t e n t o t h e

sermon, continue to oppress and rob the people and extol the

p r i e s t ' s a b i l i t y t o c o n s o l e a n d p a c i f y t h e p e a s a n t s .

P r e c i s e l y t h e s a m e r o l e - w h e t h e r t h e y r e a l i s e i t o r n o t - i s p l a y e d

b y a l l t h o s e w h o i n t h e p r e s e n t i m p e r i a l i s t w a r c o m e t o t h e b o u r -

g e o i s g o v e r n m e n t s w i t h k i n d l y p r o p o s a l s o f p e a c e . The bou rgeois

g o v e r n m e n t s a t t i m e s r e f u s e t o l i s t e n t o s u c h p r o p o s a l s a n d e v e n

p r o h i b i t t h e m a l t o g e t h e r , b u t s o m e t i m e s c o u n t e n a n c e th e m an d

i s s u e a s s u r a n c e s r i g h t a n d l e f t t h a t w h a t t h e y a r e r e a l l y f i g h t i n g f o r

i s t h e s p e e d y c o n c l u s i o n o f a " m o s t r i g h t e o u s " p e a c e , a n d t h a t t h e

o n l y o n e a t f a u l t i s t h e e n e m y . A l l s u c h p r o p o s a l s o f p e a c e a n d

a p p e a l s t o b o u r g e o i s g o v e r n m e n t s t u r n o u t i n f a c t t o b e a ho ax

u p o n t h e p e o p l e .

T h e g r o u p s o f c a p i t a l i s t s w h o h a v e d r e n c h e d t h e e a r t h i n b l o o d

o v e r t h e p a r t i t i o n o f t e r r i t o r i e s , m a r k e t s , a n d c o n c e s s i o n s , c a n n o t

conclude an "honourable" peace . They can conclu de on ly a

37



d i s h o n o u r a b l e p e a c e , a p e a c e b a s e d o n t h e d i v i s i o n o f s p o i l s , o n t h e

p a r t i t i o n o f T u r k e y a n d t h e c o l o n i e s .

Mo r e o v e r, th e Guch k o v - Mi l i u k o v go v e r n m e n t is al t o g e t h e r op-

posed to peace at the present moment, for now its share of the

spoils would include onl y Armenia and a part of Galicia, whereas

its real aim is to seize Constantinople, and to regain from the

G e r m a n s P o l a n d , a c o u n t r y t h a t w a s a l w a y s i n h u m a n l y a n d d i s -

g r a c e f u l l y o p p r e s s e d b y t s a r i s m . Furthermore, th e Guchkov-Miliu-

k o v g o v e r n m e n t i s e s s e n t i a l l y t h e e r r a n d b o y o f An g l o - F r e n c h

c a p i t a l t h a t w a n t s t o r e t a i n t h e c o l o n i e s w r e s t e d f r o m G e r m a n y a n d

also to compel Ger many to han d back Belgium a nd a part of

France . An g l o - F r e n c h c a p i t a l h a s h e l p e d t h e G u c h k o v s a n d

t h e M i l i u k o v s t o r e m o v e N i c h o l a s I I , i n o r d e r t h a t t h e G u c h k o v s a n d

the Miliukovs might help it to "vanquish" Germany .

W h a t t h e n i s t o b e d o n e ?

In order to obtai n peace (and particularly, to obta in a really

democratic, a really honourable peace), it is necessary that the

p o w e r o f t h e s t a t e s h o u l d b e i n t h e h a n d s n o t o f t h e l a n d l o r d s a n d

the capitalists, but in the hands of the workers and the poorest

p e a s a n t s . T h e l a n d l o r d s a n d t h e c a p i t a l i s t s c o n s t i t u t e a n i n s i g n i f i -

c a n t m i n o r i t y o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n ; t h e c a p i t a l i s t s , a s e v e r y o n e k n o w s ,

a r e m a k i n g e n o r m o u s p r o f i t s o u t o f t h e w a r .

The workers and the poorest peasants constitute an overwhelm-

ing majority of the population . F a r f r o m e n r i c h i n g t h e m s e l v e s

o u t o f t h e w a r , t h e y a r e a c t u a l l y b e i n g r u i n e d a n d s t a r v e d . The y

are bound neither by capital nor by treaties with predatory capi-

t a l i s t g a n g s ; they are in a position and sincerely wish to bring

t h e w a r t o a n e n d .

W e r e t h e s t a t e p o w e r i n R u s s i a t o b e l o n g t o t h e S o v i e t s o f W o r k -

e r s ' , S o l d i e r s ' a n d P e a s a n t s ' D e p u t i e s , t h e s e S o v i e t s a n d t h e A l l -

Russian Soviet elected by them could an d certainly would agree

to put into effect th e peace programme which our party (Russian

Soci a l-D em ocr a t ic Lab o u r Par t y ), had ou t l i n e d as f a r b ack as

Octobe r 13, 1915, and pr inte d in No . 4 7 o f S o c i a l - D e m o c r a t , t h e

Central Organ of our party (published then in Geneva on account

o f t h e o p p r e s s i v e t s a r i s t c e n s o r s h i p ) .

This peace programm e would probably be as follows :

1 . The All-Russian Sovie t of Wor kers ', Soldi ers' and Peasan ts'

Depu t i e s (o r th e Pet r o g r a d Sov i e t wh ich te mpo r a r i l y ta k e s i t s

pl ace ) wo u l d im m e d i a t e l y d ecl a r e th a t it was n o t b o u n d b y any

3 8



t r e a t i e s c o n c l u d e d e i t h e r b y t h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y o r b y t h e b o u r g e o i s

governments .

2 . I t w o u l d f o r t h w i t h p u b l i s h a l l t h e s e t r e a t i e s i n o r d e r t o e x p o s e

t o p u b l i c o b l o q u y t h e p r e d a t o r y a i m s o f t h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y a n d o f

a l l b o u r g e o i s g o v e r n m e n t s , w i t h o u t e x c e p t i o n .

3 . It would immediately and openly propose to all the warring

n a t i o n s t h a t a n a r m i s t i c e b e c o n c l u d e d f o r t h w i t h .

4 . It would immedi ately publish , so that eve ry one migh t know,

o u r , t h e w o r k e r s ' a n d t h e p e a s an t s ' , c o n d i t i o n s f o r p e a c e : t h e l i b e r a -

t i o n o f a l l c o l o n i e s ; t h e l i b e r a t i o n o f a l l d e p e n d e n t , o p p r e s s e d , a n d

n o n - s o v e r e i g n p e o p l e s .

5 . It would declar e that it expect ed no good to come f rom the

bourgeois govern ments and that it proposed to the workers of all

t h e c o u n t r i e s t o o v e r t h r o w t h e m a n d t o t r a n s f e r a l l t h e s t a t e p o w e r

t o S o v i e t s o f W o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s .

6. It would declare th at the bil lion-ruble de bts contracted by

t h e b o u r g e o i s go v e r n m e n t s fo r th e purpo s e of car r y i n g on th i s

c r i m i n a l a n d p r e d a t o r y w a r s h o u l d b e p a i d b y t h e c a p i t a l i s t s t h e m -

selves, and that the workers and peasants refused to recognise

t h e s e d e b t s . To pay in t e r e s t on th e s e d eb t s wo u l d me a n t o pay

t r i b u t e t o t h e c a p i t a l i s t s f o r m a n y , m a n y y e a r s f o r h a v i n g g e n e r o u s l y

permitted the workers to kill one another over the division of

s p o i l s b y t h e c a p i t a l i s t s .

The Soviet of Workers' Deputies would say : Workers and peas-

a n t s ! A r e y o u w i l l i n g t o p a y h u n d r e d s o f m i l l i o n s o f r u b l e s y e a r l y

to compensate the capitalists for a war that has been waged for

t h e p u r p o s e o f p a r t i t i o n i n g t h e A f r i c a n c o l o n i e s , T u r k e y , e t c . ?

For the enforcement of such conditions of peace the Soviet of

Workers ' Deputies, in my opinion , would agree to wage war agains t

any bourgeois government and against all bourgeois governments

of - the world, because a war in that case would be a really just

war and all the workers and toilers of all countries would work

f o r i t s s u c c e s s .

Th e G e r m a n w o r k e r s e e s n o w t h a t t h e m i l i t a r i s t m o n a r c h y i n

Russia is bei ng replaced by a milit arist republic, a republic of

c a p i t a l i s t s w h o w i s h t o c o n t i n u e t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r , w h o s a n c t i o n

t h e p r e d a t o r y t r e a t i e s o f t h e t s a r i s t m o n a r c h y .

Judge for yourselves, can the German worker trust such a re-

p u b l i c ?

39



Judge for yourselves, can the war continue, can the dominati on

o f c a p i t a l i s t s i n t h e w o r l d c o n t i n u e , i f t h e R u s s i a n p e o p l e , a l w a y s

s u s t a i n e d b y t h e l i v i n g m e m o r i e s o f t h e g r e a t r e v o l u t i o n o f 1 9 0 5 ,

wins complete freedom and places the entir e state power in the

' h a n d s o f t h e S o v i e t s o f W o r k e r s ' a n d P e a s a n t s ' D e p u t i e s ?

Z u r i c h , M a r c h 2 5 , 1 9 1 7 .

F i r s t p u b l i s h e d f r o m m a n u s c r i p t i n t h e L e n i n C o l l e c t i o n , V o l . I I , 1924 .

FIFTH LETTERPROBLEMS OF REVOLUTIONARY PROLETARIAN ORGANISATION

OF THE STATE

IN t h e f o r e g o i n g l e t t e r s t h e t a s k s o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o l e t a r i a t

of Russia have been outlined as follows : (1) To find the surest

road leading to the next stage of the revolution or to the second

revolution, which revolution (2) shall transfer the state power

from the government of landowners and capitalists (the Guchkovs,

Lvovs, Miliukovs, Kerenskys) to a government of the workers a nd

p o o r e s t p e a s a n t s . ( 3 ) The la t t e r go v e r n m e n t mu s t b e or g a n i s e d

on the m odel of th e Soviet of Workers' and Peasants' Deputies,

n a m e l y ( 4 ) , i t mu s t sh a t t e r an d compl e t e l y el i m i n a t e th e old

; g o v e r n m e n t a p p a r a t u s p r e v a i l i n g i n a l l t h e b o u r g e o i s c o u n t r i e s , t h e

army, the police, the bureaucracy, putting in its place (5) not

o n l y a m a s s o r g a n i s a t i o n b u t a n o r g a n i s a t i o n o f a u n i v e r s a l l y a r m e d

people . (6) Only such a govern ment, with "such" a class composi -

t i o n ( r e v o l u t i o n a r y - d e m o c r a t i c d i c t a t o r s h i p o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t a n d

t h e p e a s a n t r y ) a n d s u c h a d m i n i s t r a t i v e o r g a n s ( p r o l e t a r i a n m i l i t i a )

w i l l b e a b l e t o s o l v e s u c ce s s f u l l y t h e e x c e e d i n g l y d i f f i c u l t , u r g e n t ,

and most important problem of the moment, i . e . , t h e p r o b l e m o f

obtaining peace, not an imperialist peace, not agreements among

imperialist governm ents concerning the division of spoils by the

capitalists and their governments, but a true, permanent, demo-

c r a t i c p e a c e w h i c h c a n n o t b e a t t a i n e d w i t h o u t a p r o l e t a r i a n r e v o l u -

tion in a number of countries . (7) In Russia the v ictory o f the

p r o l e t a r i a t c a n b e a c c o m p l i s h e d i n t h e n e a r e s t f u t u r e o n l y i f t h e

workers are at the very outset supported by an overwhelming

m a j o r i t y o f t h e p e a s a n t r y i n i t s f i g h t f o r t h e c o n f i s c a t i o n o f a l l t h e

lands owned by the landowners, and for the nationalisation of the

40



e n t i r e l a n d , i f w e assume that the agrarian programme of the

"104" * is still essentially the agraria n programme of the peas-

a n t r y . (8) In connection with and on the ba sis of su ch a peasant

r e v o l u t i o n f u r t h e r s t e p s o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t i n u n i o n w i t h t h e p o o r e s t

s e c t i o n o f t h e p e a s a n t r y a r e p o s s i b l e a n d n e c e s s a r y , s t e p s d i r e c t e d

t owa r d s th e con t r o l of ind u s t r y an d th e d i s t r i b u t i o n of b a s i c

p r o d u c t s , t o w a r d s t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f " u n i v e r s a l l a b o u r d u t y , " e t c .

These steps are absolu tely and imperatively deman ded by the con-

ditions create d by the war, conditions which are likely to become

even more aggravated in post-war times ; i n t h e i r e n t i r e t y a n d i n

their development, these steps would represent the t r a n s i t i o n t o

S o c i a l i s m , w h i c h i n R u s s i a c a n n o t b e r e a l i s e d i m m e d i a t e l y , d i r e c t l y ,

w i t h o u t t r a n s i t i o n m e a s u r e s , wh i c h , h o w e v e r , i s p e r f e c t l y r e a l i s a b l e

a n d u r g e n t l y n e e d e d a s a r e s u l t o f s u c h t r a n s i t i o n m e a s u r e s . (9)

T h e t a s k o f i m m e d i a t e l y o r g a n i s i n g i n t h e v i l l a g e s s e p a r a t e S o v i e t s

of Worke rs' Deputies, i . e . , S o v i e t s o f h i r e d a g r i c u l t u r a l w o r k e r s ,

d i s t i n c t f r o m t h e S o v i e t s o f t h e r e s t o f t h e p e a s a n t d e p u t i e s , a p p e a r s

t o b e m o s t u r g e n t .

T h i s , i n s h o r t , i s t h e p r o g r a m m e w e o u t l i n e d , a f t e r t a k i n g s t o c k

of the class forces of the Russian and the world revolution s, as

w e l l a s o f t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f 1 8 7 1 a n d 1 9 0 5 .

L e t u s n o w a t t e m p t a g e n e r a l v i e w o f t h i s p r o g r a m m e a s a w h o l e ,

c o n s i d e r i n g a t t h e s a m e t i m e t h e m a n n e r i n w h i c h i t w a s a p p r o a c h e d

b y K . K a u t s k y , t h e g r e a t e s t t h e o r e t i c i a n o f t h e " S e c o n d " I n t e r n a -

t i o n a l (1889-1914 ) and th e mo s t co n spicu o u s repr e s e n t a t i v e of

t h e " c e n t r e " o r t h e " s w a m p " g r o u p o b s e r v a b l e i n a l l t h e c o u n t r i e s ,

i . e. , t h e g r o u p t h a t v a c i l l a t e s b e t w e e n t h e s o c i a l - c h a u v i n i s t s a n d

t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s t s. Kautsky di scussed this subject

i n h i s j o u r n a l ( D i e N e u e Z e i t , A p r i l 6 , 1 9 1 7 ) i n a n a r t i c l e e n t i t l e d ,

" T h e P r o s p e c t s o f t h e R u s s i a n R e v o l u t i o n . "

"First of all," says Kautsky, "we must make clear to ourselves

t h e p r o b l e m s c o n f r o n t i n g t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o l e t a r i a n r e g i m e . "

" T w o t h i n g s , " c o n t i n u e s t h e a u t h o r , " a r e a b s o l u t e l y n e c e s s a r y t o

t h e p r o l e t a r i a t : democracy and Socialism. "

Unfortunately, this absolutely incontestable premise is pro-

pounded by Kautsky in an extremely generalised form, so that it

r e a l l y o f f e r s n o t h i n g a n d c l a r i f i e s n o t h i n g . Miliukov a nd Kerens ky,

* T h e p r o g r a m m e f o r t h e n a t i o n a l i s a t i o n o f t h e l a n d p r e s e n t e d i n t h e S e c o n d

Duma by 104 peasant deputies.d .

4 1



m e m b e r s o f t h e b o u r g e o i s a n d i m p e r i a l i s t g o v e r n m e n t , w o u l d r e a d i l y

s u b s c r i b e t o t h i s g e n e r a l p r e m i s e , t h e o n e t o t h e f o r m e r , t h e o t h e r

t o t h e l a t t e r p a r t . . . . *

W r i t t e n A p r i l 8 , 1 9 1 7 .

F i r s t p u b l i sh e d f r o m m a n u s c r i p t i n t h e L e n i n C o l l e c t i o n , V o l . I I , 1924 .

FAREWELL LETTER TO THE SWISS WORKERSCOMRADES, SW ISS WORKERS :

L e a v i n g S w i t z e r l a n d f o r R u s s i a , i n o r d e r t o c o n t i n u e t h e r e v o l u -

tionary-internat ionalist work in our country, we, members of the

Rus s i a n Soci a l-Dem ocr a t ic Lab o u r Par t y u n i t e d un d e r th e Cen-

t r a l C o m m i t t e e ( i n d i s t i n c t i o n f r o m a n o t h e r p a r t y b e a r i n g t h e s a m e

name but united u nder the Organisation Committee), wish to con-

vey to you our fraternal greetings and expression of our profound

comradely gratitude for your comradely attitude to the political

emigrants .

I f t h e a v o w e d s o c i a l - p a t r i o t s a n d o p p o r t u n i s t s , t h e S w i s s G r u e t l i -

a n s w h o , l i k e t h e s o c i a l - p a t r i o t s o f a l l c o u n t r i e s , h a v e d e s e r t e d t h e

camp of the proletariat for the camp of the bourgeoisie ; i f t h e s e

people have openly called upon you to fight against the harmful

i n f l u e n c e o f f o r e i g n e r s u p o n t h e S w i s s l a b o u r m o v e m e n t ; i f t h e d i s -

g u i s e d s o c i a l - p a t r i o t s a n d o p p o r t u n i s t s w h o c o n s t i t u t e a m a j o r i t y

a m o n g t h e l e a d e r s o f t h e S w i s s S o c i a l i s t P a r t y h a v e b e e n p u r s u i n g

s i m i l a r t a c t i c s u n d e r c o v e r , w e t h i n k i t n e c e s s a r y t o d e c l a r e t h a t o n

t h e p a r t o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y S o c i a l i s t w o r k e r s o f S w i t z e r l a n d h o l d -

ing internationalist views we have met with warm sympathy, and

have derived a great deal of benefit from our comradely relations

with them .

We have always been particularly careful in dealing with those

questi ons of the Swiss movement, acquainta nce with which require s

prolonged participation in the local movement . But th ose of us

who have been m embers of t he Swiss Socialist Party, the number

h a r d l y e x c e e d i n g f r o m t e n t o f i f t e e n , h a v e r e g a r d e d i t a s o u r d u t y

s t e a d f a s t l y t o m a i n t a i n o u r p o i n t o f v i e w , i . e . , t h e p o i n t o f v i e w

of the "Zimmerwald Left," on general and fundamental questions

pertaining to the international and Socialist movement, to fight

* M an u s c r i p t u n f i n i s h e d .Ed4 2



determinedly not only social-patriotism, but also the line of the

s o - c a l l e d " c e n t r e " t o w h i c h b e l o n g R . Gri mm, F . S c h n e i d e r , J a c q u e s

S c h m i d t , a n d o t h e r s i n S w i t z e r l a n d , K a u t s k y , H a a s e , a n d t h e A r b e i t s -

g e m e i n s cl a af t in German y, Longuet, Pressemane , and others in

France, Snowden, Ramsay MacDonald, a nd ot hers in England,

T u r a t i , T r e v e s , a n d t h e i r f r i e n d s i n I t a l y , a n d t h e a b o v e - m e n t i o n e d

pa r t y he a d e d b y th e Org a n i s a t i o n Com m i t t e e (Axel r o d , Mar t o v ,

C h k h e i d z e , S k o b e l e v , a n d o t h e r s ) i n R u s s i a .

We have worked hand in hand with those revolutionary Social-

Dem ocr a t s of Switze r l a n d wh o wer e gr o upe d ab o u t t h e ma g a z i n e,

F r e i e J u g e n d ; who formulated and circulated (in the German and

French languages) the proposals for the holding of a referendum

r e g a r d i n g a p a r t y c o n f e r e n c e i n A p r i l , 1 9 1 7 , t o t a k e u p t h e q u e s t i o n

o f t h e p a r t y ' s a t t i t u d e t o t h e w a r ; who at the convention of the

Zurich Canton in Toss introduced the res olution of the yo ung and

t h e " L e f t s " d e a l i n g w i t h t h e q u e s t i o n o f w a r ; who in Mar ch, 1917,

i s s u e d a n d c i r c u l a t e d i n c e r t a i n l o c a l i t i e s o f F r e n c h S w i t z e r l a n d a

leaflet in the German and French langu ages entitle d, "Our Condi-

t i o n s o f P e a c e , " e t c .

We are sending our fraternal greetings to these comrades, with

wh o m we ha v e b e e n wo r k i n g to g e t h e r, in ag r e e m e n t .

W e h a v e n o t , a n d w e n e v e r h a d , t h e s l i g h t e s t d o u b t t h a t t h e i m -

p e r i a l i s t g o v e r n m e n t o f E n g l a n d w i l l u n d e r n o c i r c u m s t a n c e s p e r m i t

t h e r e t u r n t o R u s s i a o f R u s s i a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s t s , w h o a r e i r r e v o c a-

b l y ag a i n s t th e impe r i a l i s t go v e r n m e n t of Guch k o v -Mi l i u k o v an d

Co . , a n d i r r e v o c a b l y a g a i n s t t h e c o n t i n u a t i o n o f t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r

by Russi a .

In connection with this we must say a few words about our

understanding of t he tasks of the Russian Revolution . We deemthis all the mor e necessary because through the Swiss workers we

can and must address oursel ves to the German, French, and Italian

w o r k e r s , w h o s p e a k t h e s a m e l a n g u a g e s a s t h e p o p u l a t i o n o f S w i t z e r -

land that still enjoys the advantages of peace and the relatively

g r e a t e s t p o l i t i c a l f r e e d o m .

W e re m a i n unco n d i t i o n a l l y lo y a l to th e d ecl a r a t i o n wh ich we

m a d e i n t h e c e n t r a l o r g a n o f o u r p a r t y , No . 47 of t he S o c i a l -

D e m o c r a t (October 13, 1915), published in Geneva . We st a t e d

there that should the revo lution prove victorious in Russia, and

should a republican government, a government intent on continu-

i n g t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r , a w a r i n l e a g u e w i t h t h e i m p e r i a l i s t b o u r -

43



g e o i s i e o f E n g l a n d a n d F r a n c e , a w a r f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f s e i z i n g

C o n s t a n t i n o p l e , A r m e n i a , Ga l i c i a , e t c . , e t c . , f i n d i t s e l f i n p o w e r , t h a t

w e w o u l d b e m o s t r e s o l u t e l y o p p o s e d t o s u c h a g o v e r n m e n t , t h a t w e

w o u l d b e a g a i n s t t h e " d e f e n c e o f t h e f a t h e r l a n d " i n s u c h a w a r .

A c o n t i n g e n c y a p p r o a c h i n g t h e a b o v e h a s n o w a r i s e n . The n ew

g o v e r n m e n t o f R u s s i a , w h i c h h a s c o n d u c t e d n e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h t h e

b r o t h e r o f N i c h o l a s I I w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e m o n -

a r c h y i n R u s s i a , a n d i n w h i c h t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t a n d i n f l u e n t i a l

p o s t s h a v e b e e n g i v e n t o t h e m o n a r c h i s t s L v o v a n d G u c h k o v , t h i s

g o v e r n m e n t i s t r y i n g t o d e c e i v e t h e w o r k e r s b y t h e s l o g a n , " t h e G e r -

mans must overt hrow Wilhelm" (correct, but why not add : t h e

E n g l i sh , t h e I t a l i a n s , e t c . , m u s t d o t h e s a m e t o t h e i r o w n k i n g s ; an d

t h e R u s s i a n s m u s t r e m o v e t h e i r m o n a r c h i s t s L v o v a n d G u c h k o v ? ) .

T h i s g o v e r n m e n t , b y u s i n g t h e a b o v e s l o g a n , w h i l e r e f u s i n g t o p u b -

l i s h t h e i m p e r i a l i s t , p r e d a t o r y t r e a t i e s c o n c l u d e d b y t h e T s a r w i t h

F r a n c e , E n g l a n d , e t c . , a n d c o n f i r m e d b y t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f G u c h k o v -

M i l i u k o v - K e r e n s k y , i s t r y i n g t o r e p r e s e n t i t s i m p e r i a l i s t w a r w i t h

G e r m a n y a s a w a r o f " d e f e n c e " ( i . e . , a s a j u s t wa r , l e g i t i m a t e e v e n

f r o m t h e p o i n t o f v i e w o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t ) - i s t r y i n g t o r e p r e s e n t a

w a r f o r t h e d e f e n c e o f t h e b l o o d t h i r s t y , i m p e r i a l i st , p r e d a t o r y a i m s

o f c a p i t a l - R u s s i a n , E n g l i s h , e t c . - a s t h e " d e f e n c e " o f t h e r e p u b l i c

( w h i c h d o e s n o t y e t e x i s t i n R u s s i a , a n d w h i c h t h e L v o v s a n d t h e

G u c h k o v s h a v e n o t e v e n p r o m i s e d t o e s t a b l i s h ) .

I f t h e r e i s t r u t h i n t h e l a t e s t t e l e g r a p h i c r e p o r t s t h a t t h e a v o w e d

R u s s i a n s o c i a l - p a t r i o t s ( s u ch a s P l e k h a n o v , Z a s u l i c h , P o t r e s o v , e t c . )

h a v e e n t e r e d i n t o s o m e t h i n g l i k e a r a p p r o c h e m e n t w i t h t h e p a r t y o f

t h e " c e n t r e , " t h e p a r t y o f t h e " O r g a n i s a t i o n C o m m i t t e e , " t h e p a r t y

o f C h k h e i d z e , S k o b e l e v , e t c ., on the basis of a common s l o g a n :

"While the Germans do no t overthrow Wilhelm, our war remains

a d e f e n s i v e w a r , " - i f t h i s i s t r u e , t h e n w e s h a l l r e d o u b l e o u r e n e r g y

i n c a r r y i n g o n t h e s t r u g g l e a g a i n s t t h e p a r t y o f C h k h e i d z e , S k o b e l e v ,

e t c . , w h i c h w e h a v e a l w a y s w a g e d a g a i n s t t h a t p a r t y f o r i t s o p p o r -

t u n i s t , v a c i l l a t i n g , u n s t a b l e p o l i t i c al b e h a v i o u r .

O u r s l o g a n i s : N o s u p p o r t t o t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f G u c h k o v - M i l i u -

k o v ! H e w h o s a y s t h a t s u c h s u p p o r t i s n e c e s s a r y i n o r d e r t o f i g h t

a g a i n s t t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e m o n a r c h y d e c e i v e s t h e p e o p l e. On

t h e c o n t r a r y , i t i s t h i s v e r y g o v e r n m e n t o f G u c h k o v t h a t h a s a l r e a d y

c o n d u c t e d n e g o t i a t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e m o n a r c h y

i n R u s s i a . O n l y t h e a r m i n g o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a t c a n p r e v e n t G u c h k o v

and Co . f r o m r e s t o r i n g m o n a r c h y i n R u s s i a . O n l y t h e p r o l e t a r i a t o f

44



R u s s i a a n d t h e r e s t o f E u r o p e , r e m a i n i n g l o y a l t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s m ,

i s c a p a b l e o f r i d d i n g h u m a n i t y o f t h e h o r r o r s o f t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r .

W e d o n o t c l o s e o u r e y e s t o t h e t r e m e n d o u s d i f f i c u l t i e s f a ci n g t h e

r e v o l u t i o n a r y - i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s t v a n g u a r d o f t h e R u s s i a n p r o l e t a r i a t .

I n t h e s e t i m e s m o s t s u d d e n a n d s w i f t c h a n g e s a r e p o s s i b l e . In No .

4 7 o f t h e S o c i a l - De m o c r a t w e g a v e a c l e a r a n d d i r e c t a n s w e r t o t h e

q u e s t i o n t h a t n a t u r a l l y a r i s e s : What would our party do, if the

r e v o l u t i o n p l a c e d i t i m m e d i a t e l y i n p o w e r ? O u r a n s w e r w a s : 1 . We

w o u l d f o r t h w i t h o f f e r p e a c e t o a l l t h e w a r r i n g p e o p l e s ; 2 . We wou ld

a n n o u n c e o u r p e a c e c o n d i t i o n s c o n s i s t i n g o f i m m e d i a t e l i b e r a t i o n

o f a l l t h e c o l o n i e s a n d a l l t h e o p p r e s s e d a n d n o n - s o v e r e i g n p e o p l e s ;

3 . W e w o u l d i m m e d i a t e l y b e g i n a n d c a r r y o u t t h e l i b e r a t i o n o f a l l

t h e p e o p l e s o p p r e s s e d b y t h e G r e a t - R u s s i a n s ; 4 . W e d o n o t d e c e i v e

o u r s e l v e s f o r o n e m o m e n t , w e k n o w t h a t s u c h c o n d i t i o n s w o u l d b e

u n a c c e p t a b l e n o t o n l y t o t h e m o n a r c h i s t b u t a l s o t o t h e r e p u b l i c a n

b o u r g e o i s i e o f G e r m a n y , a n d n o t o n l y t o G e r m a n y , b u t a l s o t o t h e

c a p i t a l i s t g o v e r n m e n t s o f E n g l a n d a n d F r a n c e .

W e w o u l d b e f o r c e d t o c a r r y o n a r e v o l u t i o n a r y s t r u g g l e a g a i n s t

the German-and not only the German-bourgeoisie . T h i s s t r u g g l e

w e w o u l d c a r r y o n . W e a r e n o t p a c i f i s t s . We are opposed to im-

p e r i a l i s t w a r s o v e r t h e d i v i s i o n o f s p o i l s a m o n g t h e c a p i t a l i s t s , b u t

w e h a v e a l w a y s c o n s i d e r e d i t a b s u r d f o r t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o l e -

t a r i a t t o d i s a v o w r e v o l u t i o n a r y w a r s t h a t m a y p r o v e n e c e s s a r y i n

t h e i n t e r e s t s o f S o c i a l i sm .

T h e t a s k t h a t w e o u t l i n e d i n N o . 4 7 o f t h e S o c i a l - D e m o c r a t i s o f

g i g a n t i c p r o p o r t i o n s . I t c a n b e s o l v e d o n l y b y a l o n g s e r i e s o f g r e a t

c l as s co n f l i c t s b e t w e e n t h e p r o l e t a r i a t a n d t h e b o u r g e o i s i e . However ,

i t w a s n o t o u r i m p a t i e n c e , n o r o u r w i s h e s , b u t t h e o b j e c t i v e c o n d i -

t i o n s c r e a t e d b y t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r t h a t b r o u g h t h u m a n i t y t o an

i m p a s s e , t h a t p l a c e d i t i n a d i l e m m a : e i t h e r t o a l l o w t h e d e s t r u c -

t i o n o f m o r e m i l l i o n s o f l i v e s a n d u t t e r l y r u i n t h e e n t i r e E u r o p e a n

c i v i l i s a t i o n , o r t o h a n d o v e r t h e p o w e r i n a l l t h e c i v i l i s e d c o u n t r i e s

t o t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o l e t a r i a t , t o r e a l i se t h e S o c i a li s t o v e r t u r n .

T h e g r e a t h o n o u r o f b e g i n n i n g t h e s e r i e s o f r e v o l u t i o n s c a u s e d

w i t h o b j e c t i v e i n e v i t a b i l i t y b y t h e w a r h a s f a l l e n t o t h e R u s s i an p r o -

l e t a r i a t . B u t t h e i d e a t h a t t h e R u s s i a n p r o l e t a r i a t i s t h e c h o s e n

r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o l e t a r i a t a m o n g t h e w o r k e r s o f t h e w o r l d i s a b s o -

l u t e l y a l i e n t o u s . W e k n o w f u l l w e l l t h a t t h e p r o l e t a r i a t o f R u s s i a

i s l e s s o r g a n i s e d , l e s s p r e p a r e d , a n d l e s s c l a s s - c o n s c i o u s t h a n t h e

p r o l e t a r i at o f o t h e r c o u n t r i e s . I t i s n o t i t s s p e c i a l q ua l i t i e s b u t r a t h e r

45



t h e s p e c i a l c o i n c i d e n c e o f h i s t o r i c a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h a t h a s m a d e

t h e p r o l e t a r i a t o f R u s s i a f o r a c e r t a i n , p e r h a p s v e r y s h o r t t i m e , t h e

v a n g u a r d o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o l e t a r i a t o f t h e w h o l e w o r l d .

Russia is a peasa nt country, it is one of th e most backward of

European countries . Socialism cann ot triumph the re immedia tely .

B u t t h e p r e s e n t c h a r a c t e r o f t h e c o u n t r y i n t h e f a c e o f a v a s t r e s e r v e

of land retained by noblemen landowners may, to judge from the

experience of 1905, gives tremendous sweep to the bourgeo is-demo-

c r a t i c r e v o l u t i o n i n R u s s i a , a n d m a y m a k e o u r r e v o l u t i o n a p r o l o g u e

t o t h e w o r l d S o c i a l i s t r e v o l u t i o n , a s t e p f o r w a r d i n t h a t d i r e c t i o n .

I n t h e s t r u g g l e f o r t h e s e i d e a s , w h i c h h a v e b e e n f u l l y c o n f i r m e d

by the experience of 1905 and the spring of 1917, in the st ruggle

a g a i n s t a l l t h e o t h e r p a r t i e s , o u r p a r t y w a s f o r m e d , a n d f o r t h e s e

i d e a s w e s h a l l c o n t i n u e t o s t r u g g l e .

In Russia Socialism cannot tr iumph directly a nd immediate ly .

But the peasant mass may bring the inevitable and ripe agrarian

upheaval to the point of confiscating all the immense holdings of

t h e l a n d o w n e r s . T h i s h a s a l w a y s b e e n o u r s l o g a n a n d n o w t h e P e t r o -

g r a d a n d t h e C e n t r a l C o m m i t t e e s o f o u r p a r t y , a s w e l l a s t h e p a p e r

o f o ur pa rt y, Pr av da , h a v e ag a i n b r o u g h t it to th e fo r e . Thep r o l e t a r i a t i s g o i n g t o f i g h t f o r t h i s s l o g a n w i t h o u t c l o s i n g i t s e y e s

t o t h e i n e v i t a b i l i t y o f c r u e l c l a s s c o n f l i c t s b e t w e e n t h e h i r e d a g r i -

c u l t u r a l w o r k e r s a n d t h e i m p o v e r i s h e d p e a s a n t s c l o s e l y a l l i e d w i t h

them on the one hand an d the prosperous peasants whose position

has been streng thened by the agraria n "reform" of Stolypin (1907-

1 9 1 4 ) o n t h e o t h e r . O n e m u s t n o t f o r g e t t h a t 1 0 4 p e a s a n t D e p u t i e s

in the fi rst (1906) and second (1907) Dumas came f orward with a

revolution ary agrarian bill demanding the nationalis ation of all

l a n d s a n d t h e m a n a g e m e n t o f s u c h l a n d s b y l o c a l c o m m i t t e e s e l e c t e d

o n t h e b a s i s o f c o m p l e t e d e m o c r a c y .

S u c h a n o v e r t u r n w o u l d , i n i t s e l f , n o t b e S o c i a l i s m a s y e t . Bu t

it would give a great impetus to the world labour movement . It

would greatly strengthen the positi on of a Socialist overturn in

Russia, and of its influ ence on the agricultura l workers and the

p o o r e s t p e a s a n t s . I t w o u l d e n a b l e t h e c i t y p r o l e t a r i a t t o d e v e l o p ,

o n t h e s t r e n g t h o f t h i s i n f l u e n c e , a r e v o l u t i o n a r y o r g a n i s a t i o n l i k e

t h e S o v i e t s o f W o r k e r s ' D e p u t i e s , t o r e p l a c e b y t h e m t h e o l d i n s t r u .

ments of oppression used by the bourgeois states , the army, the

p o l i c e , t h e b u r e a u c r ac y ; t o p u t i n t o e f f e c t , u n d e r t h e p r e s s u r e o f t h e

u n b e a r a b l y b u r d e n s o m e impe r i a l i s t wa r and it s con s e q u e n ce s, a

46



s e r i e s o f r e v o l u t i o n a r y m e a s u r e s t o i n s u r e c o n t r o l o v e r t h e p r o d u c -

t i o n a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n o f g o o d s .

T h e R u s s i a n p r o l e t a r i a t s i n g l e - h a n d e d c a n n o t b r i n g t h e S o c i a l i s t

r e v o l u t i o n t o a v i c t o r i o u s c o n c l u s i o n . But it can giv e the Russian

Revolution a mi ghty sweep such as would create most favourabl e

c o n d i t i o n s f o r a S o c i a l i s t r e v o l u t i o n , a n d w o u l d , i n a s e n s e , s t a r t i t .

It can help create more favourabl e circumstances for its most im-

p o r t a n t , m o s t t r u s t w o r t h y a n d m o s t r e l i a b l e c o l l a b o r a t o r , t h e E u r o -

p e a n a n d t h e A m e r i c a n S o c i a l i s t p r o l e t a r i a t , t o j o i n i n t h e d e c i s i v e

b a t t l e s .

L e t t h e s c e p t i c s d e s p a i r b e c a u s e o f t h e t e m p o r a r y t r i u m p h w i t h i n

the European Socialist movemen t of such disgusti ng lackeys of the

i m p e r i a l i s t b o u r g e o i s i e a s t h e S c h e i d e m a n n s , t h e L e g i e n s , t h e D a v i d s

and Co . in Ge rmany ; Sembat, G uesde, Renaudel a nd Co . i n F r a n c e ;

t h e F a b i a n s a n d t h e L a b o u r i t e s i n E n g l a n d . W e a r e f i r m l y c o n v i n c e d

t h a t t h i s f i l t h y f r o t h o n t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e w o r l d l a b o u r m o v e m e n t

w i l l b e s o o n s w e p t a w a y b y t h e w a v e s o f t h e r e v o l u t i o n .

I n G e r m a n y t h e r e i s a l r e a d y a s e e t h i n g u n r e s t o f t h e p r o l e t a r i a n

m a s s e s t h a t c o n t r i b u t e d s o m u c h t o h u m a n i t y a n d S o c i a l i s m b y t h e i r

persistent, unyielding, sustained organisationa l work during the

many decades of the period o f European "calm" from 1871 to 1914 .

T h e f u t u r e o f G e r m a n S o c i a l i s m i s r e p r e s e n t e d n o t b y t h e t r a i t o r s ,

the Scheideman ns, Legie ns, Davids and Co . , n o r b y t h e v a c i l l a t i n g

and spineless ones, Haase, Kautsky and their ilk, who have been

e n f e e b l e d b y t h e r o u t i n e o f t h e p e r i o d o f p o l i t i c a l " p e a c e . "

The future belon gs to that tendency which has given us Kar l

Liebknecht, which has created the "Spartacus group," * which has

c a r r i e d o n i t s p r o p a g a n d a i n t h e B r e m e n A r b e i t e r p o l i t i k .

T h e o b j e c t i v e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r m a k e i t c e r t a i n

t h a t t h e r e v o l u t i o n w i l l n o t b e l i m i t e d t o t h e f i r s t s t a g e o f t h e R u s -

s i a n R e v o l u t i o n , t h a t t h e r e v o l u t i o n w i l l n o t b e l i m i t e d t o R u s s i a .

T h e G e r m a n p r o l e t a r i a t i s t h e m o s t t r u s t w o r t h y , t h e m o s t r e l i a b l e

a l l y o f t h e R u s s i a n a n d t h e w o r l d p r o l e t a r i a n r e v o l u t i o n .

When in November , 1914, our party had put fo rward the slo gan

" T u r n t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r i n t o a c i v i l w a r " o f t h e o p p r e s s e d a g a i n s t

t h e o p p r e s s o r s f o r t h e a t t a i n m e n t o f S o c i a l i s m , t h i s s l o g a n w a s m e t

w i t h t h e h a t r e d a n d m a l i c i o u s r i d i c u l e o f t h e s o c i a l - p a t r i o t s a n d w i t h

t h e i n c r e d u l o u s , s c e p t i c a l , m e e k a n d e x p e c t a n t s i l e n c e o f t h e S o c i a l -

* T h e g r o u p o f r e v o l u t i o n a r y i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s t s who later formed the Com-

munist Party of Germany .Ed47



Democratic " c e n t r e . " D a v i d , t h e G e r m a n s o c i a l - c h a u v i n i s t a nd

s o c i a l - i m p e r i a l i s t , c a l l e d i t " i n s an e , " w h i l e M r . P l e k h a n o v , t h e r e p -

r e s e n t a t i v e o f R u s s i a n ( a n d A n g l o - F r e n c h ) s o c i a l - c h a u v i n i s m , o f

S o c i a l i s m i n w o r d s , i m p e r i a l i s m i n d e e d s , c a l l e d i t " a d r e a m f a r c e "

( M i t t e l d i n g z w i s c h e n T r a u m a n d K o m o e d i e * ) . T h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s

o f t h e " c e n t r e " co n f i n e d t h e m s e l v e s t o si l e n c e o r t o c h e a p l i t t l e j o k e s

a b o u t t h i s " s t r a i g h t l i n e d r a w n i n e m p t y s p a c e . "

N o w , a f t e r M a r c h , 1 9 1 7 , o n l y t h e b l i n d c a n f a i l t o s e e t h a t t h i s

s l o g a n i s co r r e c t . T h e t u r n i n g o f t h e i m p e r i a l i s t w a r i n t o c i v i l w a r

i s b e c o m i n g a f a c t .

L o n g l i v e t h e p r o l e t a r i a n r e v o l u t i o n t h a t i s b e g i n n i n g i n E u r o p e !

U p o n t h e i n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e d e p a r t i n g c o m r a d e s , m e m b e r s o f t h e

R S . - D . L . P . ( u n i t e d u n d e r t h e C e n t r a l C o m m i t t e e ) , w h o h a v e p a s s e d

o n t h i s l e t t e r a t a m e e t i n g h e l d A p r i l 8 , 1 9 1 7 . N . L E N I N .

W r i t t e n A p r i l 8 , 1 9 1 7 , a n d f i r s t p u b i s h e d f r o m m a n u s c r i p t i n t h e P r o l e t a r .

s k a i a R e v o l u t s i a , N o . 2 , 1 9 2 1 .

* S o m e t h i n g b e t w e e n a dream and a comedy.d.

4 8



LITTLE LENIN LIBRARYThese volumes contain Lenin's and Stalin's shorter writings which have

become classics of the theory and practice of Leninism, as well as selections

from their writings dealing with special topics .

I . THE TEACHINGS OF KARL MARX $0 . 1 5

2 . THE WAR AND THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL 0 .20

3 . THE ROAD TO POWER, b y Josep h Stalin 0 . 1 5

4 . WHAT IS TO BE DONE? 0 .50

5 . THE PARIS COMMUNE 0 .20

6 . THE REVOLUTION OF 1905 0 .20

7 . RELIGION 0 . 1 5

8 . LETTERS FROM AFAR 0 . 1 5

9 . THE TASKS OF THE PROLETARIAT IN OUR REVOLUTION 0 . 1 5

10 . THE APRIL CONFERENCE 0 . 2 0

1 1 . THE THREATENING CATASTROPHE AND HOW TO

FIGHT IT 0 . 2 0

1 2 . WILL THE BOLSHEVIKS RETAIN STATE POWER? 0 . 1 5

1 3 . ON THE EVE OF OCTOBER 0 . 1 5

14 . STATE AND REVOLUTION 0 .30

15 . IMPERIALISM, THE HIGHEST STAGE OF CAPITALISM 0 . 3 0

16 . LENIN, Three Sp eeches by Joseph Stalin 0.10

17 . A LETTER TO AMERICAN WORKERS 0 . 0 5

18 . FOUNDATIONS OF LENINISM, b y Josep h Sta lin 0 .40

19 . PROBLEMS OF LENINISM, b y Josep h Stalin 0 . 2 5

20 . "LEFT-WING" COMMUNISM 0 . 2 5

21 . PROLETARIAN REVOLUTION AND RENEGADE KAUTSKY 0 .30

22 . TWO TACTICS OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY IN THE

DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION 0.30

23 . WOMEN AND SOCIETY 0.10

24 . WAR AND THE WORKERS 0.10

25 . DIALECTICAL AND HISTORICAL MATERIALISM,

Lenin Letters From Afar v I Lenin 1932 50pgs BOL SOC

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