History of the World War, Volume 4 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest warMarch, Francis A., Jr.
History
History of the World War, Volume 4 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest war
March, Francis A., Jr.
World War, 1914-1918
A Bolsheviki Cabinet was named. The Premier was Nicholas Lenine; the
Foreign Minister, Leon Trotzky. The other Cabinet members were all
Bolsheviki, including Bibenko, a Kronstadt sailor, of the Committee on
War and Marine, and Shliapnikov, a laborer, who was Minister of Labor.
Lenine’s personality has already been described. Trotzky, the chief aid
of Lenine’s rebellion, had been living in New York City three months
before the Czar was overthrown, but he had previously been expelled
from Germany, France, Switzerland and Spain. His real name was Leber
Braunstein, and he was born in the Russian Government of Kherson, near
the Black Sea.
When the insurrection occurred, Kerensky succeeded in escaping from
Petrograd, and persuaded about two thousand Cossacks, several hundred
Military Cadets, and a contingent of Artillery, to fight under his
banner. He advanced toward Petrograd, but his forces were greatly
outnumbered by the Bolsheviki. At Tsarskoe-Selo a battle took place,
the Kerensky troops met defeat, and its leader saved himself by flight.
At Moscow the entire city passed into the control of the Bolsheviki
but not without severe fighting in which more than three thousand
people were slain. On the collapse of the Kerensky government
conditions throughout Russia became chaotic. Ukraine declared its
independence, and Finland also severed its connection with Russia.
General Kaledines declared against the Bolsheviki, and organized an
army to save the country. Siberia, Bessarabia, Lithuania, the Caucasus
and other districts declared their complete independence of the Central
Government.
The Bolsheviki, in control at Petrograd, opened negotiations with
the Central Powers for an armistice along the entire front from the
Baltic to Asia Minor, and on December 17th, such an armistice went
into effect. Meanwhile they began negotiations for a treaty of peace.
General Dukholin, the Commander-in-Chief on November 20th, was ordered
by Lenine to propose the armistice. To this request he made no reply,
and on November 21st, he was deposed and Ensign Krylenko was appointed
the new Commander-in-Chief. General Dukholin was subsequently
murdered, by being thrown from a train after the Bolsheviki seized the
general headquarters.
Trotzky sent a note to the representatives of neutral powers in
Petrograd, informing them of his proposal for an armistice, and
stating, “The consummation of an immediate peace is demanded in all
countries, both belligerent and neutral. The Russian Government counts
on the firm support of workmen in all countries in this struggle for
peace.” Lenine, however, declared that Russia did not contemplate a
separate peace with Germany, and that the Russian Government, before
agreeing to an armistice, would communicate with the Allies and make
a certain proposal to the imperialistic governments of France and
England, rejection of which would place them in open opposition to the
wishes of their own people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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