The Russian Revolution; The Jugo-Slav MovementPetrunkevitch, Alexander
History
The Russian Revolution; The Jugo-Slav Movement
Petrunkevitch, Alexander
Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921; Soviet Union -- Politics and government -- 1917-1936; Yugoslavs
people, on the whole, were on the street that morning aside from the
soldiers and Cossacks who were guarding the bridges and keeping an eye
out for disturbances. After luncheon I started to make a call and as
I passed the barracks of the Volynski regiment, situated near where I
lived, I saw a company of soldiers lined up, heard the command to load,
to shoulder arms, to march, and off they went to the Nevski. I followed
them for a distance and then turned aside and went my way. In returning
I had to cross the Nevski and found that all avenues thither were
guarded and that no one was allowed to go in that direction. I managed,
however, by showing my American passport, to get through the line and
reach the street. Excited people were moving up and down and from them I
learned that about three o'clock a number of people forced their way to
the Nevski and were fired upon by the soldiers and the machine guns that
were concealed. Among the killed of the day was a captain of police who
was knocked down by a Cossack.
Sunday night was full of excitement and fear and there were not many
who slept soundly. Firing was heard at different times but what it
portended, none of us could tell. It became evident that the situation
was becoming serious, yet we all felt that the Government could handle
it. When I went out on the street Monday morning, the first thing I saw
was the placard of the military commander announcing that unless the
workmen went to the shops, they would be sent to the front the following
day. Groups of people were talking excitedly and from them I learned
that the Volynski regiment had revolted and had killed its officers,
because the day before they had commanded the soldiers to shoot on the
people. It seems that the soldiers returned home much excited over
their deed and full of remorse. In the course of the night some of
the revolutionary soldiers from the city upbraided them and they were
greatly incensed with their officers and the Government. They, as well
as other regiments, were particularly worked up over the report that
hirelings of the secret police dressed in soldiers' uniforms went about
firing on the crowd and that the new recruits, under penalty of death,
were commanded to shoot on the people in the streets. When in the
morning the officers congratulated the men on their deed of yesterday,
they jumped on them and murdered them. I heard that other regiments had
also revolted; but there were so many rumors afloat that it was not easy
to know what to believe. About four in the afternoon, I started for home
and found the Nevski full of frightened and nervous people, and hardly
any soldiers. No one seemed to know what to expect. Sounds of shooting
were heard and they were explained as the battle between the regiments
that had revolted and those that had remained loyal. In the distance
columns of smoke were seen and report had it that palaces were burning.
Again it was difficult to know the truth. As I proceeded on my way, I
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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