Communism -- Soviet Union; Goldman, Emma, 1869-1940; Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921 -- Personal narratives, American
Discussing the activities and rôle of the Anarchists in the Revolution,
Kropotkin said: "We Anarchists have talked much of revolutions, but
few of us have been prepared for the actual work to be done during the
process. I have indicated some things in this relation in my 'Conquest
of Bread.' Pouget and Pataud have also sketched a line of action in
their work on 'How to Accomplish the Social Revolution.'" Kropotkin
thought that the Anarchists had not given sufficient consideration
to the fundamental elements of the social revolution. The real facts
in a revolutionary process do not consist so much in the actual
fighting--that is, merely the destructive phase necessary to clear
the way for constructive effort. The basic factor in a revolution is
the organization of the economic life of the country. The Russian
Revolution had proved conclusively that we must prepare thoroughly for
that. Everything else is of minor importance. He had come to think that
syndicalism was likely to furnish what Russia most lacked: the channel
through which the industrial and economic reconstruction of the country
may flow. He referred to Anarcho-syndicalism. That and the coöperatives
would save other countries some of the blunders and suffering Russia
was going through.
I left Dmitrov much comforted by the warmth and light which the
beautiful personality of Peter Kropotkin radiated; and I was much
encouraged by what I had heard from him. I returned to Moscow to help
with the completion of the preparations for our journey. At last, on
July 15, 1920, our car was coupled to a train bound for the Ukraine.
CHAPTER XVIII
EN ROUTE
Our train was about to leave Moscow when we were surprised by an
interesting visitor--Krasnoschekov, the president of the Far Eastern
Republic, who had recently arrived in the capital from Siberia. He had
heard of our presence in the city, but for some reason he could not
locate us. Finally he met Alexander Berkman who invited him to the
Museum car.
In appearance Krasnoschekov had changed tremendously since his Chicago
days, when, known as Tobinson, he was superintendent of the Workers'
Institute in that city. Then he was one of the many Russian emigrants
on the West Side, active as organizer and lecturer in the Socialist
movement. Now he looked a different man; his expression stern, the
stamp of authority on him, he seemed even to have grown taller. But at
heart he remained the same--simple and kind, the Tobinson we had known
in Chicago.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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