BolshevismBourgeoisieCapitalismCommunismDemocracyGerman RevolutionLeninRussian RevolutionSocial DemocracySocialismSovietTrotskyWorking Class

THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, January 11, 1919 The Background of the German Revolution was a movement racy, and power froin exclusive viki TN the early days of the war between the two belligBy Louis Fraina issued for Lenin arrest, who went into hiding, from erent powers, there was a third power, silent, unwhere he continued to didrect the revolutionary camII seen, but preparing to burst forth in irresistible paign. The All Russian Soviet Central Executive The Russian Revolution action the power of the Russian Revolution. DurCommittee, dominated by the moderates, aligned itself Soviets. coalition being accepted against the violent with the Government: the moderate Socialists had being the days immediately preceding the declaration protests of the Bolsheviki.
of war, when German Imper. alism was trying to crecome the real enemy of the Revolution. The proleate a war psychelangana Socialists acutely insisted ontoiat At this stage, a bourgeois revolution had been defi tari tariat and poorer peasants, the proletarian revolunitely accomplished, not by the bourgeoisie, but by tion could conquer only by the annihilation of moderthere was a power in Russia that should be consid the proletariat, who momentarily, however, allowed ate Socialism ered in any real valuation of the situation, a power the bourgeoisie to usurp power. It was a political But the crisis had become more acute. The presmightier than Czarism, and that was the Revolu revolution. but with this change at the top, there sure of the masses increased; and a new Governtion. But this was not heeded, and was forgotten by the bottom, an elemental bursting ment was organized with the Socialist Kerensky as the German Social Democracy in the wild orgy of forth of the revolutionary activity of the people. This Premier: Socialish was now the last bulwark of social Imperialism and social patriotic insanity that activ. ty alone, destroying and reconstructing funda defense of Capitalism. The first important act of mentals, could accomplish the Revolution, by means ensued.
Kerensky was to restore the death penalty in the That the coming Russian Revolution was a prole of an implacable class struggle against Capitalism and arny, a restoration demanded by counter revolutiontarian revolution was cvident. The Revolution of Imperialism.
ary generals as a measure against the soldier democ1905, betrayed and maligned by the bourgeois liber he revolutionary masses had constituted as into call a conference at Moscow in August, als. the subsequent counter revolutionary period in struments of revolutionary action their Soviets, of at which convened all the reactionary forces of Ruswhich the bourgeoisie consolidated its power, accept: Workers, of Soldiers and of Peasants. the self sia, and where it was openly declared that the thing governing units of the organized producers, complet necessary for Russia was the abolition of the Soviets.
revolutionary conv. ctions made it clear that the so ed forms of the sections and communes of the It was apparent at this conference that the counter revcialist proletariat alone could make a revolution in French Revolution. These Soviets constituted the olutionary forces were preparing a coup against the real only Russia. This was emphasized by the bourgeois at power; but under the influence of the modRevolution. The comp materialized early in Seperate Socialists, all was yielded to the bourtember in General Kornilov revolt, which Kerensky titude during the war. enthusiastic acceptance of the had invited to crush the revolutionary masses geois Provisional Government. The Soviets were war and of its imperialistic objects, the abandonment of of even the proletarian Petrograd, but which Kornilov transformed into a and a hordinary liberal opposition in favor of victory Czarism revolution; under the pressure of revolutionary events, The Russian bourgeoisie was partially critical, truly, they usurped powers of revolut. onary action into indeveloping coup equally against Kerensky, and which Kerensky but it was within the limits of Czarism, a criticism instruments of convinced the masses of the force of the Bolshevist based upon the fact of Czarism producing defeat innents of revolutionary government. The struments mod contention either all ower to the Soviets, or the stead of victory. When the great Duma met in erate Socialists, under the of the Menshe defeat of the Revolution. The aftermath was swift and March, 1917, it did not concern itself with the needs (representing the the dominant opportunistic Social. certain: in Soviet after Soviet the Bolsheviki became of the people, the mass agony and starvation: the ism) and the Social Revolutionists, wanted to de: ascendant, Duma refused to grant powers to the Petrograd muand Leon Trotzky was elected President grade the Soviets into a parliamentary opposition. of the most influential Soviet, that of Petrograd. The nicipality necessary to provide food for the people; the revolutionary Socialists, represented by the Bol final struggle approached: the masses prepared for all the Duma liberals were interested exclusively in the sheviki, wanted all power to the Soviets, a revolution power to the Soviets, the reaction for the suppression war and victory. The intervenion of the revolution ary government of the Soviets alone. This was the of the Soviets, while the coalition government, symdecisive struggle of the Revolution, the struggle be bolizing a fictitious unity of all the classes, was marchary proletariat was necessary.
Then came the elemental mass action of the work tween the bourgeois Provisional Government and the ing to destruction.
ers of Petrograd mass strikes, demonstrations, food developing proletarian government of the Soviets; the Kerensky tried to bolster up his declining prestige riots, revolutionary action against Czarism, that anstruggle between the petty bourgeois democracy of and power, by means of a Democratic Congress and nihilated the reactionary regime mercilessly and com the Constitutiorial Assembly, and all power to the a Preliminary Parliament, which declared Russia a pletely, and which was the signal for the revolt of Soviets.
Republic an empty gesture. But Kerensky was comthe soldiers, who were still agonizing in a hopeless, The world concerned itself much with the attitude pletely discredited; he cou talk, but he dared not reactionary war. The bourgeoisie did not partici and proposals of the politicians during these early act, hesitation, compromise and intrigues character pate in this revolutionary action; their attitude was days; but the decisive events of the Revoluttion were his desperate policy. With the discrediting of comprised in intrigues to depose Czar Nicholas in being prepared by the masses. The bourgeois politicame the discrediting of the moderate, petty cal tendency, which aimed simply at a change in they canrialists in the Soviets. This process was favor of a Grand Duke who would bring victory and forms of government, enthroning the bourgeois rethe mos beta Tingio French capital directed against public and bourgeois supremacy, was superficially ensky had tried, and vainly, to secure a Fepision of the Czar Nicholas and a separate peace. It was the prolewar aims of the Allies; the Soviet Executive Comtarian masses that marched to the assault against lutionary tendency of the masses, which aimed at a mittee, still controlled by the moderates, elected Czarism, that through the Workmen and Soldiers complete annihilation of the old regime and a recon Skobeleff to represent it at the coming Allied ConferCouncil issued a call for the Republic and a call tº struction of the industrial system. This was appar ence in Paris which was presumably to discuss war the belligerent proletariat to act ent in the peasants seizing the land (monopolized by aims and peace terms; but the Entente Governments and the war. The bourgeoisie wanted a against constitu.
a few, very few, nobles and rich peasants. in spite of through Jules Cambon declared that they would not tional monarchy this was admitted by Milyukov, the prohibitions of the Provisional Government; this recognize Skobeleff, and that, moreover, the Conferthe Constitutional Democratic leader, on March was apparent in city after city, where, even at this ence was to discuss only military measures. The after the revolution. It was the revolutionary action early stage, the Soviet usurped the functions. of gov conclusion was clear: only by means of international of the masses that gave the Duma courage to disobey class action and the revolutionary struggle could peace the Czar ukase to dissolve; and it was the Work control factory production, and seizing factories closed be secured, only by means of the uncompromising down by owners as men Council that imposed a republican program measure against the Rex struggle against all Imperialism and the repudiation upon the first Provisional Government organized out The Provisional Government, being bourgeois, pali of petty bourgeois Socialism.
of the old Duma opposition.
tered on the land question, since confiscation would This was at the end of October; some time earlier But the Provisional Government was bourgeois, be inimical to the interests of the bourgeois peasants, the Bolsheviki had called for a meeting of the Allthe government of the capitalists, and accordingly capital and the banks; the Provisional Government, Russian Congress of Soviets. This created consternacounter revolutionary: Its personnel was part and being imperialistic, had to dodge and bluster about tion among the bourgeoisie and the moderate percel of the imperialistic forces and purposes instinct the war and the purposes of the war, and lie about Socialists: the Congress, it was clear, would the in the war. It established the usual bourgeois free; and the Provisional Government, being capitalist, had of the Bolsheviki. The Central Executive program Comiittee, in spite of the fact that doms; and it prepared to wage more aggressively Congress was to protect the interests of the capitalists in all vital the imperialistic war waged by Czarism, accepting due, refused to call it; but the Bolsheviki issued their measures. The old bureaucracy had been retai call the agreements and obligations of the Czar governfor a Congress to convene on November This ment to other nations. Foreign Minister Milyukov, and all progressive measures were sabotaged by these initiated the definite proletarian revolution of the Provisional Government, insisted that revolu hang overs of the old regime, as the capitalists sia, of which the uprising of November tionary Russia would fight until it secured Constantisabotaged production. The crisis developed more grad was an incident: the revolution had been accomnople; and the Provisional Government accepted Mile acutely: the revolution had only begun. But revolu plished in the local Soviets, which accepted Bolshefukov policy. But the masses, who had made the is the great educator and developer of class action vism and which had become organs of revoluttionary Revolution in the name of peace, bread and liberty. temporary reverses created a new opportunity. government as well as instruments of revolutionary nçeatived the proposition; on May and 3, the revoOn June 18, the Petrograd workers, under the in action. The insurrection of November swept the lutionary masses in Petrograd demonstrated against spiration of the Bolsheviki, determined upon a demon erensky Government away, and on the The Milyukov, the Provisional Government, and all im stration against the Provisional Government. the same day, the All Russian Congress decreed all perialistic aims. As a consequence of this and other A11 Russian Congress of Soviets, then in session in power to the Soviets a workers and peasants govPetrograd, issued a declaration against the demonpressure, Mlyukov and others were compelled to reernment instead of a bourgeois government, an instration, and the Government prepared to crush it by dustrial Socialist state instead of a parliamentary sign, and on May 18 a new Provisional Government was organized, a coalition government which conforce. The Soviet moderates had become definitely capitalist state: Socialism and the proletarian revolutained representatives of moderate Socialism, of the counter revolutionary: the demonstration was aban tion had conquered!
doned: but it broke out on July 16 17, after the ill All power to the Soviets constituted a proletarian fated July offensive (determined upon as a diplomatic revolution, necessarily; a Soviet Government implied This call to action to the belligerent proletariat was ig trick. and after the bourgeois ministers had resigned the adoption of revolutionary Socialist measures, the nored, except anong minority groups of revolutionary Socialism Philip Scheidemann, German majority Socialist hecause of a disagreement on Ukrainian autonomy. initiation of the process of introducing. Communist leader, declared it was out of the question to follow the Rus The demonstration was to have been a peaceful one; Socialism, the mediate political expropriation of the sian example, and severely scored strikes and action against but counter revolutionary gangs and government bourgeoisie and its partial economic expropriation.
the government. When the German proletariat prepared for troops provoked the masses, and for two days there But the proletarian revolution in Russia alone could Jarpe strikes and demonstrations on May Day, 1917, in symwas savage fighting in the streets, resulting in a vicpathy with the Russian Revolution. majority Socialism rerot permanently survive: it had to develop revolupudiated the plans and declared that there should be no revotory of the Government. Then followed a reign of tionary allies in the proletariat of the other belligerlution the Berlin Vorwaerts even defended the mon. terror: the revolutionary masses were disarmed, Bol ent nations, and so the Soviet Republic struggled for archy sheviki arrested, including Trotzky, and an order the international proletarian retolution.
cqually. Rus7 in Petro evening of