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Page Four The New International, February, 1918 isting bureaucracy of the Czar, including ganda the Bolshevik tried to convince the Imperialism and England and America more reliable troops to cover systematithe military, which they claimed to put delegates that their ministers and through demanded: blood for gold. No new loan, cally all the important strategic points into the service of the revolution.
them the Council played into the hands unless the offensive was launched. In se and so gradually succeeded in mastering The social patriots co operated in this of the bourgeoisie by these tactics. The cret conferences the plan was schemed the situation. The history of these days policy. They were bound to assist, be majority of the peasant soldiers allowed with the generals of the English and (July 16th 19th) is not yet known in cause otherwise they had to break the themselves, however, to be carried away American rulers; with great energy Ker details, because of the immediate closing coalition, an act they did not want; here by the fine phrases of Kerensky and Tsere ensky organized the campaign started on of the frontiers by the Government. But the causes of the defeat of the proletariat again was shown: Socialists co operating telli, who always talked revolution and July 1st.
in a bourgeois government are forced to democracy, fatherland and freedom. And Nothing characterizes the nature of of Petrograd are easily understood after assist in and take responsibility for a bour also the Congress of Councils from all this offensive better than the fact that what has been stated above. The workers geois policy. Whoever does not want parts of the country, which met in the it was kept secret for the Russian people. alone were too weak against the peasants Socialist policy, must accept bourgeois latter part of June and where against If the preparations had been publicly and bourgeoisie organized into an army, policy, which under present conditions al 150 internationalists (Bolsheviki, Crot known, the warnings of Lenine and his The policy of the Bolsheviki was based friends that the offensive was bound to on creating a mutual interest between ways means imperialistic policy. But it zky, Martov) stood a block of 600 sowas not even a forced solidarity with their cial patriots who supported the Govern fail, on account of the lack of fighting workers and peasants, but actual condicolleagues only; when they persistently ment.
spirit of the soldiers, and that the power tions made this difficult to attain immetold the people that war against Germany And this support became essentially a of the generals would greatly increase the diately. Conditions caused the peasantswas necessary as a war of defense of the sruggle against the Left Wing. The or reaction, might have exercised a strong soldiers (small owners) to follow the sorevolution against the strongest, most reac of the bourgeosie had for a long time influence upon the public opinion of the cial patriotic leaders, who in fear of a tionary state power, this was largely de recognized the Bolsheviki as their most Council. For this reason the offensive revolutionary Socialist policy accepted a magogy, but in which they themselves as dangerous foes and they demanded had to be a surprise. In London and bourgeois imperialistic policy. Because in social patriots also believed.
strong action against these anarchists. Paris the papers announced the offensive these July days the Council unreservedly took sides with the Government and In this they did not take a stand differ The struggle of the Bolsheviki, which days in advance; in Petrograd it was ent from the social patriots in England they carried on as spokesmen for the proonly announced after it had started and strongly denounced the demand of the and France, who also claimed to carry letariat against the government, gradually the Germans were repulsed. And the pro revolutionary workers to take power into on the war as champions of democracy was considered as treason towards the visional government rightly figured that its own hands as the representative of and freedom against German militarism fatherland, treason towards the revolu this success would break the opposition democracy, and because they declared the and German autocracy. Plechanov al tion; and now the Council, as guardian that might have prevented the plan in demonstrators foes of the fatherland, the advance.
ready had given them an argument by of the Government, proceeded stronger After long discussions the soldiers did not immediately see any other claiming that the German workers could against its minority. When on June 23rd Council passed a motion to approve the way but to obey the orders of their genonly be brought to revolt through a war erals and to suppress the revolutionary a demonstration was contemplated to offensive against a strong majority of 271 against Germany. And this warpolicy show the dissatisfaction of the workers votes many more than the number of demonstration by force.
Bolsheviki. The great change in characincluded, in addition to the illusion and with the Government policy, it was TsereIn a certain respect, the struggle of promise to win over the Entente Govern telli who accused the Bolsheviki in the ter of the Council from a revolutionary July 16th 19th can be compared with ments for the revolutionary peace terms, Council of planning an armed overthrow into a governmental organ also was dem the events of June 1848 in Paris. The no annexations, etc. at the same time the of the Government; in order to avoid an onstrated by the fact that now, instead of defeat of the proletariat by the coalition reality of coperating in an imperialistic open conflict the Government had troops planning peace with the revolutionists of of middle class (peasants) and bourwar of conquest directed by secret diplo in readiness the demonstration was not all countries, they prepared for a peace geoisie gives a deciding turn towards reconference with social patriots. On the action. From now on everything is gradmacy in the service of French English held. By its organized contact with the capital.
small bourgeois agrarian elements the same day on which the offensive started, ually broken down, that which the revothe delegates of the Council shook hands lution had gained in democratic achieveThe result has shown how perfectly proletariat had lost its freedom of action.
ments. As a matter of course, the victors right was the conception of the Bolshe Never in 1905, wrote Trotzky, was with Scheidemann in Stockholm.
In DeThe Council did not realize that by started by taking revenge on their eneviki and revolutionary Socialism gen proletariat so isolated as now.
eral: the class struggle is paramount. Each cember 1905 the workers had to try a this action they committed suicide. For mies, who had been so long attacking an offensive, not as a small trick, but in definite struggle before the reserve forces war, no matter for what splendid cause, them and who now were disarmed. After a campaign of weeks and months in the waged together with the bourgeoisie of the agricultural classes had been mob deadly earnest, and under these circumstances, demands a well disciplined army, bourgeois press denouncing the Bolsheviki against another country, is to forsake the ilized: but then there was no friendship of these awakening masses against the demands discipline in the military sense of class struggle and therefore is class treason, as adulterers, thieves, scoundrels, paid is a crime against the cause of the prole proletariat. This has been achieved the word, demands ending whatever con agents of foreign powers, to prepare the tariat. From this clear viewpoint Lenine now This was indeed the meaning trol the soldiers had, demands therefore right feelings, they now were arrested and his group carried on the struggle for and the result of the participation of soultimately the abolishment of the Council Lenine himself succeeded in escapingaccused of high treason, revolt against peace and attacked the social patriots. cial democrats in a coalition cabinet: itself. With the offensive the Govern ment of Kerensky and Tseretelli openly the government, bribed by German gold.
But although strong in theory, it was most small bourgeois and peasants were tied to and willingly entered the road of the counThe Bolshevik newspapers difficult to win the masses for this concepthe bourgeosie and the proletariat was isosupThe change in government on ter revolution. And all elements that put pressed; a posse formed by the former tion under the existing conditions. For lated.
black hundred who now again venpeace was not matter of one or two May 2nd, this victory of the revolution their hope in counter revolution, the bourpeoples, the international war could only was in fact the beginning of the road geosie and its politicians, applauded the tured into the open destroyed the editorial office of the Pravda which fact the govoffensive as the beginning of sound conend by an international peace, and a redownwards.
ditions. And in their way they were ernment cabled to Western Europe as a volutionary proletariat that stood for peace When in the end of June this became right. The authority of the generals over proof of the hatred of the people in one country could not end the war. Le more and more evident the counter revothe troops was increasingly recovered, against the anarchists. The workers nine knew perfectly well that a separate lutionary forces appeared. Rodzianko and this was the basis for the recovering in Petrograd were disarmed. Martial peace of revolutionary Russia with auto called the members of the Duma to Mos of the bourgeois order. And at the same law and capital punishment, which were cratic Germany was psychologically as cow to be ready when required: this retime that the proletarians and revolutionreintroduced, demonstrated the brand of well as politically an impossibility. As actionary crowd sensed some future possi ary soldiers prepared a sharper opposition Socialism of the social patriots. And at long as the German workers refused to re bilities. The Don Cossacks called a con against this policy, they the same time the offensive at the front volt against their government, the policy gress and recommended themselves in strongly attacked by the social patriots collapsed, in accordance with the predicof the Bolsheviki, therefore, was no doubt, their well known pacity reliable tools blind pioneers and tools of the reactiontions of the Bolsheviki, because large logical and possible, but it could not ex of order. Kerensky delivered enthusiastic pect to win the masses easily. The Rus talks at the front to get the soldiers and accused of being agents of Germany units refused fight, and the Russian and traitors to the revolution.
armies were driven from Galicia. The tersian revolutionary fire had to spread over warmed up for a new beginning of the Europe or to smother in its own insufficiA clash could not be avoided. The ror of order reigned in Petrograd.
war and those who opposed or voiced their Bolshevik leaders tried again and again The most decided, the most radical ency mistrust in the capitalist government were to prevent and to postpone this until conforce of the revolution was forced down The participation of Socialists as reprearrested. When at the Rumanian front ditions would clearly show the government for the time being and consequently the sentatives of the Council of Workers and four regiments refused to go to the to be a failure. But the conflict could government tactics shifted greatly to the Soldiers in the coalition Government, pro trenches, they were surrounded at the ornot be avoided. On July 15th the Gov. right.
The government felt compelled duced the same results as elsewhere. The ders of a general aand forced to submit.
ernment ordered the Petrograd machine to concentrate all patriotic forces to save Menshiviki Socialists participated in and The dream of freedom and peace had to gun regiment to the front; it refused arthe fatherland; a conference was called supported bourgeois policy, which it is end: the offensive was prepared.
guing that it was not willing to fight in (in Moscow. where together with the true did not interefere in the direct eco The offensive was the way out of the favor of English French Imperialism, and Councils of Workmen and Soldiers as nomic struggle, but in broad lines fol untenable situation of the provisional gov would only submit if the Government pub a matter of course excluding the crimlowed a policy in the interest of Capital. ernment. To them the financial condition lished the secret treaties in accordance inal Leninites and delegates of the They sanctioned this policy by their in was worst of all, and as they were not with its promise. It also refused to give peasants, different organs of the bourfluence with the masses. And as they willing to follow the line of the Bolshekwere bound to their bourgeois colleagues, iki confiscation of banks, high taxes on up its arms; two other regiments joined.
geoisie were united to work out new tacWhen at the same time a crisis broke tics.
Even now they did not feel strong so was the organization that delegated capital being a capitalist government, out in the Government, the Cadets re enough simply to push aside the socialthem. The Council could not denounce there was no way out than begging the fusing to grant the moderate autonomy patriots; the leaders of the Cadets, Naits delegates; to show its confidence in Entente. Rightly the Pravda correspond demanded by the Ukraine and resigning bokof, Rodischef, Milyukof, refused to these leaders it had to proclaim its conence claims that by accepting the Bol as ministers the workers in the factories fidence in the Government. The Councilsheviki suggestions, and so becoming finanparticipate in a ministry: to them circumalso became active; in great masses the stances were not yet ripe. First the Counbecame a governmental organ; the Coun cially independent, the Government could workers and soldiers moved through the cil of Soldiers and Workers, the organ cil became a tool, which made it accept have threatened with repudiation of nathe deeds of the bourgeois ministerstional debts and forced the Entente govstreets on the evening of July 16th. Keren of democracy, had to be removed. The without protest.
sky narrowly escaped when they tried to Council originally the Center between ernments by the revolt of the French small arrest him. The Government now took right and left, now became the utmost In May and June the Council in Pe bourgeoisie to start serious peace negotia its measures; although the Cossacks were left and its leaders discovered with alarm trograd was the scene of a persistent struggle; by means of a powerful propations. By its policy the provisional gov defeated in some of the streets, the Gov how uncertain its position had become.
ernment became the slave of the Entente ernor of Petrograd ordered more and They suddenly realized what they rewere were more