“THE GREATEST FAILURE IN ALL HISTORY” [Illustration] BOOKS BY JOHN SPARGO “THE GREATEST FAILURE IN ALL HISTORY” RUSSIA AS AN AMERICAN PROBLEM THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BOLSHEVISM BOLSHEVISM AMERICANISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY SOCIAL DEMOCRACY EXPLAINED HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK ESTABLISHED 1817 “THE GREATEST FAILURE IN ALL HISTORY” _A Critical Examination of The Actual Workings of Bolshevism In Russia_ BY JOHN SPARGO AUTHOR OF “BOLSHEVISM” “THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BOLSHEVISM” “RUSSIA AS AN AMERICAN PROBLEM” “SOCIAL DEMOCRACY EXPLAINED” [Illustration] HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON THE GREATEST FAILURE IN ALL HISTORY Copyright, 1920, by Harper & Brothers Printed in the United States of America Published August, 1920 G-U _To The MISGUIDED, THE MISTAKEN, AND THE MISINFORMED Who Have Hailed Bolshevism in Russia as the Advent of A NEW FREEDOM_ _I Submit a Part of the Indisputable Evidence Upon Which, as a Socialist, Who Believes in Democracy in Government and Industry--and in the Generous Individualism Which Communism of Opportunity Alone Can Give--I Base My Condemnation of Bolshevism as a Mad Attempt, by a Brutal and Degrading Tyranny, to Carry Out an Impossible Program_ NOTE My thanks are due to many friends, in this country and in Europe, for their kindly co-operation, assistance, and advice. I do not name them all--partly because many of them have requested me not to do so. I must, however, express my thanks to Mr. Henry L. Slobodin of New York, for kindly placing his materials at my disposal; Dr. S. Ingerman of New York, for his valuable assistance; Mr. Jerome Landfield of New York, for most valuable suggestions; Prof. V. I. Issaiev of London, for personal courtesies and for the assistance derived from his valuable collection of data; Dr. Joseph M. Goldstein, author of _Russia, Her Economic Past and Future_; Mr. Gregor Alexinsky; Mr. Alexander Kerensky, former Premier of Russia; Madame Catherine Breshkovsky; Dr. J. O. Gavronsky of London; the editors of _Pour la Russie_, Paris; Gen. C. M. Oberoucheff, military commander of the Kiev District under the Provisional Government; Mr. J. Strumillo, of the Russian Social Democratic Party; Mr. G. Soloveytchik of Queen’s College, Oxford; to the Institute for Public Service for the diagram used on page 65; and, finally, my old friend and colleague of twenty-five years ago, Col. John Ward, C.B., C.M.G., member of the British House of Commons, founder of the Navvies’ Union, whose courageous struggle against Bolshevism has won for him the respect and gratitude of all friends of Russian freedom. J. S. CONTENTS PAGE NOTE vii PREFACE xi I. WHY HAVE THE BOLSHEVIKI RETAINED POWER? 1 II. THE SOVIETS 8