Communism -- Soviet Union; Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921
More soldiers … Gzhelshakh; for the Front delegates, announcing that
they had only decided to leave the Congress by a small majority, and
that _the Bolshevik members had not even taken part in the vote,_ as
they stood for division according to political parties, and not groups.
“Hundreds of delegates from the Front,” he said, “are being elected
without the participation of the soldiers because the Army Committees
are no longer the real representatives of the rank and file….”
Lukianov, crying that officers like Kharash and Khintchuk could not
represent the Army in this congress,—but only the high command. “The
real inhabitants of the trenches want with all their hearts the
transfer of Power into the hands of the Soviets, and they expect very
much from it!”… The tide was turning.
Then came Abramovitch, for the _Bund,_ the organ of the Jewish Social
Democrats—his eyes snapping behind thick glasses, trembling with rage.
“What is taking place now in Petrograd is a monstrous calamity! The
_Bund_ group joins with the declaration of the Mensheviki and Socialist
Revolutionaries and will leave the Congress!” He raised his voice and
hand. “Our duty to the Russian proletariat doesn’t permit us to remain
here and be responsible for these crimes. Because the firing on the
Winter Palace doesn’t cease, the Municipal Duma together with the
Mensheviki and Socialist Revolutionaries, and the Executive Committee
of the Peasants’ Soviet, has decided to perish with the Provisional
Government, and we are going with them! Unarmed we will expose our
breasts to the machine guns of the Terrorists…. We invite all delegates
to this Congress—” The rest was lost in a storm of hoots, menaces and
curses which rose to a hellish pitch as fifty delegates got up and
pushed their way out….
Kameniev jangled the bell, shouting, “Keep your seats and we’ll go on
with our business!” And Trotzky, standing up with a pale, cruel face,
letting out his rich voice in cool contempt, “All these so-called
Socialist compromisers, these frightened Mensheviki, Socialist
Revolutionaries, _Bund_—let them go! They are just so much refuse which
will be swept into the garbage-heap of history!”
Riazanov, for the Bolsheviki, stated that at the request of the City
Duma the Military Revolutionary Committee had sent a delegation to
offer negotiations to the Winter Palace. “In this way we have done
everything possible to avoid blood-shed….”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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