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
Strange to say, as evening came a kind of fear seized the population,
particularly the more ignorant. It was difficult for them to shake
off the terror of the old police; all the time that they were talking
against the tsar they had a feeling that they were doing wrong, and that
some one was denouncing them. It was hard for them to believe that all
that they saw and heard during the day was real and that the old regime
was powerless. Some one would start a rumor that a monarchist general
with an army was marching on the city and that he would kill and burn.
Early Friday evening, March 16, as I was walking down the street,
soldiers ran by me shouting for every one to get under cover for several
hundred police from Tsarskoe Selo were coming and that there would
be street fighting. Frightened mothers grabbed their little ones and
hurried home, storekeepers closed the shops, porters barricaded the
gates, housewives extinguished the lights, and the streets became as
dark and as silent as a cemetery. This lasted for an hour or more and
then came more soldiers announcing that all was well, that the supposed
policemen were revolutionary soldiers who had come to take the oath of
allegiance.
The exultation reached its highest point when the first temporary
government, with Prince Lvov at the head, was announced. Every one
was pleased with the men selected, they were without doubt the ablest
leaders of the country, men who had always fought for the cause of
liberty and for the interests of the public. There was nothing but
praise for them and assurances of support. The fact that there was a
"pravitelstvo" (government) calmed the people and they gradually went
back to their old occupations, but as new men, with broader outlooks and
with higher aspirations.
The taking of the oath of office by the new Ministry was the last act of
that wonderful week to be unanimously approved by the people. When the
temporary government attempted to govern it was interfered with by the
Council of Workmen's and Soldiers' Deputies; the cry was raised by the
Socialist groups that it was they who had won the revolution and that
they, therefore, should have all the power. Since then the country has
become more and more divided against itself, love has turned into hate,
joy into sorrow.
THE JUGO-SLAV MOVEMENT
By Robert J. Keener
[FN: As used in this paper, the term Jugo-Slav comprehends
the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but not the Bulgars. It is
not necessary here to consider whether the latter are Slavs
or Slavicized Tartars, but merely to point out that since
the Congress of Berlin in 1878, the Bulgars have taken no
part in the movement which has resulted in the creation of
Jugo-Slav nationalism. The word "jug" means "south" in
Slavic. It is also written "youg" and "[iu]g."]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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