Communism -- Soviet Union; Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921
A soldier from the Rumanian front, thin, tragical and fierce, cried,
“Comrades! We are starving at the front, we are stiff with cold. We are
dying for no reason. I ask the American comrades to carry word to
America, that the Russians will never give up their Revolution until
they die. We will hold the fort with all our strength until the peoples
of the world rise and help us! Tell the American workers to rise and
fight for the Social Revolution!”
Then came Petrovsky, slight, slow-voiced, implacable: “Now is the time
for deeds, not words. The economic situation is bad, but we must get
used to it. They are trying to starve us and freeze us. They are trying
to provoke us. But let them know that they can go too far—that if they
dare to lay their hands upon the organisations of the proletariat we
will sweep them away like scum from the face of the earth!”
The Bolshevik press suddenly expanded. Besides the two party papers,
_Rabotchi Put_ and _Soldat_ (Soldier), there appeared a new paper for
the peasants, _Derevenskaya Byednota_ (Village Poorest), poured out in
a daily half-million edition; and on October 17th, _Rabotchi i Soldat._
Its leading article summed up the Bolshevik point of view:
The fourth year’s campaign will mean the annihilation of the army and
the country…. There is danger for the safety of Petrograd….
Counter-revolutionists rejoice in the people’s misfortunes…. The
peasants brought to desperation come out in open rebellion; the
landlords and Government authorities massacre them with punitive
expeditions; factories and mines are closing down, workmen are
threatened with starvation…. The bourgeoisie and its Generals want to
restore a blind discipline in the army…. Supported by the bourgeoisie,
the Kornilovtsi are openly getting ready to break up the meeting of the
Constituent Assembly….
The Kerensky Government is against the people. He will destroy the
country…. This paper stands for the people and by the people—the poor
classes, workers, soldiers and peasants. The people can only be saved
by the completion of the Revolution… and for this purpose the full
power must be in the hands of the Soviets….
This paper advocates the following: All power to the Soviets—both in
the capital and in the provinces.
Immediate truce on all fronts. An honest peace between peoples.
Landlord estates—without compensation—to the peasants.
Workers’ control over industrial production.
A faithfully and honestly elected Constituent Assembly.
It is interesting to reproduce here a passage from that same paper—the
organ of those Bolsheviki so well known to the world as German agents:
The German kaiser, covered with the blood of millions of dead people,
wants to push his army against Petrograd. Let us call to the German
workmen, soldiers and peasants, who want peace not less than we do, to…
stand up against this damned war!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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