The Revolutionary Age Chronicle and Interpretation of International Events Vol. I, No. 25 Saturday, April 5, 1919 Price Cents The International Revolutionary Epoch war. July 1914 the world was jogging peacefully end, that they were at last free. But nothing changed Out of the new situation it gradually developed that along. Poverty, misery, mass murder in the form except in name, the war continued, the was not a new battle, line was forming, not on nation lines of small or colonial wars, breadliness, police brut theirs, the slavery in the factories. was not ended. of nation against nation, but on class lines of class ality, unemployment, pogroms and all the accompani Liberals and parliamentary Socialists took control but against class. And then the Hungarian workers, peasments of capitalist society were ever present it is true, the masses remained in bondage, Then revolutionary ants and soldiers rose against the bourgeoisie and but as they were isolated, seemingly disconnected and Socialism intervened and pointed the way to the new seized all power.
did not interfere with the general routine of society, the society.
world was considered to be at peace. Here and there With the success of the proletarian revolution in individuals and small groups reacted to the misery Conscious of their power by their victory over Czar Hungary the new lines of antagonism emerged in pregnant in Capitalism and set to work to reform the ism and awakened to a realization of the fundamental bolder relief. The great powers assumed a new ofsystem through liberalism, laborism and parliarmentary causes of their misery by the intervening months offensive for the express purpose of crushing the revSocialism. Here and there revolutionary Socialists bourgeois government, the workers, the soldiers and olution and restoring the bourgeoisie to power, and called for the abolition of the system and the estab peasants of Russia marched to the assault on Capital the Hungarian workers turned to Russia for aid.
lishment of a new order of society but for the most ism, conquered, and proclaimed their victory to their The struggle against Russia, which had been waged part they were looked upon as extremists, theorists brothers throughout the world.
under a hundred forms, became the struggle against and impossibilists.
With the rise to power of the Russian proletariat Hungary and definitely emerged as a struggle against the insurgent masses everywhere. From out of the Then the storm clouds gathered and ere the inasses Capitalism was shaken to its foundations. All over old war waged by nation against nation developed the had realized that the sky was darkening the clouds the world the class conscious workers pointed the way burst, deluging the earth in the blood of orld war. to their fellows and the war took on a new aspect. new war waged by Imperialism against revolution.
Europe resounded with the battle call of trumpets, Russia proposed peace only to meet with summary remobilization swept over the lands like a plague, leav jection by her erstwhile allies and a lying acceptance ing the wail of forsaken women and children in its by her military opponents. Then followed the BrestThe era of the Social Revolution is here. When wake. Parliamentary Socialism, caught in the trap Litovsk negotiations and the workers of all lands re Russia threw off her chains, only to find herself within of its own reform platforms, made a weak gesture of ceived an answer to their questions. But they were a ring of steel, the revolutionary epoch was born. So dissent and succombed to the general hysteria almost unable to understand and Capitalism continued the long as the Russian workers maintained their victory over night. After the first shock of disaster the massso long they menaced Capitalism but while the fight es quietened their fears with the hope of sudden victor Russia declared peace. But Germany continued to was continued within the borders of Russia, Capitalism ies and the early cessation of hostilities. But the vict fight against her and gradually the Allies also advanc hoped to crush revolution and once more entrench itories did not materialize and gradually the realization ed upon her. From within reaction created a new self in its old position. Revolutionary Russia recogcf a sustained and overwhelming disaster permeated front and out of the confusion developed a new phase nized that while she alone defied Capitalism the revthe minds of the people.
of the war war between the Russian workers and the olution might prove to be still born.
Instead of the passing days bringing hope of a de governments of theworld, aided by the deposed govBut the revolution has spread and each day brings cisive battle the people saw new nations become inernment within Russia. Alone the workers, peasants new developments. Capitalism masses its forces to volved and the conflict spread over Europe and over and soldiers prepared to defend their victory. To the crush the workers but its forces are already opposed the world. The magnitude of the disaster stunned workers, peasants and soldiers of all lands they ap to the task that lies ahead and the cost of crushing the the peoples and through their age long training they pealed, pointing to the reasons for the misery of war instinctively turned to destroy each other and to pre and the misery of peace. Against Germany in partic revolution in Russia and Hungary will be the outbreak of the revolution within the forces sent to crush it.
serve that with which they had previously been dis ular did the Russian masses oppose their ideas, and Spurred on to new efforts by the developments in Hunsatisfied the capitalist structure within their own the German workers listened and grasping the purport gary the proletariat of Germany are preparing to once countries. But as the fighting continued, as the misery of the masses in its immediate application they moved more advance against the German bourgeoisie. Within accumulated, and as the hopelessness of relief through against their masters and the Kaiser was swept away Serbia the fight is on. The period of the final strugvictory increased the masses turned from the misery on the wrath of the people masses.
gle of the workers against Capitalism is here.
of the front line trenches to the misery within their The war ended. The peoples of the world rejoiced own countries and dissatisfaction with that which but before the echo of their shouts had died awav the Russia lias waited sixteen months, defending the they continued fighting to preserve increased.
revolution with her life, and 110w the struggle begins sound of guns was heard in Russia.
to bring results. The revolution is on but it is not a Louder and louder grew the clamour for the end of The war was over but fighting continued and the matter of weeks or even months but of years. In this, the war but as yet it was for an end through victory workers were amazed. Peace was to bring relief from the final struggle, there will be an ebb and flow now Covernments rose and fell in quick succession but the all their burdens, but peace was here and the fighting sinking down to the dark depths of defeat, now rising war continued and victory seemed as far off as ever. continued, the burdens were still heavy on their up to the shining peaks of victory, but always in action.
Gradually the masses began to ponder, to ask why. shoulders. In Germany the war gave place to a new Why did not victory crown their efforts and then war; a war between the workers and the bourgeoisie. the cleavage is clear: bourgeois reaction triumphant The struggle is on and must be fought to a finish, why was the war being fought and then why did the throughout the other countries the workers began to war begin. The governments answered victory feel the real weight of the burdens they carried and and the working masses crushed to earth for genercould only come through renewed sacrifices, civiliz strikes developed. From all the victorious countries ations to come, or victory for the workers and the ation was threatened, the enemy started the war.
establishment of Socialism throughout the world. But the statesmen assembled to conclude the terms of And the masses fell back grumbling, convinced agaiast peace. The peoples of Europe greeted the arrival of the fact of the struggle shows the failure of Capitaltheir wills, only to again ask why. More and more the peace delegates with joy the war was to be defin ism to satisfy, the masses, no longer by cajolery and the idea grew that the war was born out of the system itely ended, peace was to be restored to a stricken trickery can it be maintained, force is its only safeof society and that when the war ceased other wars world. But as the Peace Conference met and the days guard. But the people are weary of force and the would begin.
passed it becanie apparent that peace was still afar waging of the war necessary to crush the revolution will itself inevitably bring revolution.
And then Russia sickened of the war and of the off. Instead of settling the war, plans were laid for Czar. The masses rose against the Czar and in a combatting the rise of the masses, arnies remained The struggle is on and in its very nature it must be night he and all the power he represented crumbled mobolized and Europe instead of being divided on a a prolonged struggle but the result is certain. Out of irito dust. The workers and peasants dazed at their gigantic battle front between two contending armies the fight must emerge the triumph of the workers and own power were content to believe that they had ac became clivided into a series of internal and external the establishment of the Socialist federation of the complished their task, that now their misery would fronts with armies divided against themselves. world.