382 THE CLASS STRUGGLE THE INVINCIBLE POWER 383 Government, that is, such an apparatus in which the head executives are persons directly elected by the Soviets of Workers Peasants and Soldiers Deputies, there can be no contradiction between the executive power and the masses of the workers, just as there exists no antagonism between the supervisory council of a union and the general assembly of its members. And hence there can be no grounds to fear the appointment of persons of the commanding personnel by the executive organs of the Soviet power. The true solution of the problem of the commanding personnel consists in establishing courses of instruction for the advanced soldiers and workers and in this way gradually training a new commanding personnel in keeping with the spirit of the Soviet regime. This task we have undertaken.
The question of the creation of an army has become for us a question of life and death. You understand this as well as do. But we cannot create an army, not by means of our present administrative apparatus, which is really very bad. If we have a powerful apparatus, it is an ideal apparatus, and this apparatus is our Party. You will create the army, Comrades And you will do everything in your power to weed out the prejudices of which have spoken, you will help us to fill ou the skeleton of the Revolutionary Army with willing and de voted workers and peasants. You will use your power to pu through obligatory military training in the industrial plants anc factories and among the peasants, and in this way you will cre ate a fighting machine for the defense of the Soviet Republic, dead on the various battlefields and those that went down to the bottom of the deep seas, never to come up again, dragged along with them the czars, the kaisers, the kings, and the princes whose families have ruled over peoples and countries for thousands of years. But the question is: has the power of their thrones also passed away forever? Has this power of the kings and kaisers been torn out with its very roots, or is there, somewhere, a rascal of the monarchial type who will at an opportune moment spring up again? For it is well known that hydras possess a few heads. And so if one head is removed another one takes its place, which in turn ejects poison in all directions.
What guarantee have we that the power of the czar and the kaiser will not once more arise in Russia and Germany the power that would again rob the people of their inalienable rights?
For did we not have just such examples in history? And furthermore what guarantees have we that in the present struggle between the forces of democracy and those of autocracy, between the people and the former rulers, the people will ultimately be the victors? Is it not a fact that there are very dark forces such as the Kolchaks, the Ludendorffs and the Denikins, the von der Goltz, Yudenich and many others who lie in wait for the opportune moment to arrive when they will spring out from their hidden places and throw themselves upon the throats of the people?
Such and similar questions give us no rest. Almost the entire world has been roused. Each nation turned into a strong, violent, wrathful current. But where is the outlet for this current? Will this current entirely wash away the old institutions and make room for a newer, more beautiful world, or will it after the turmoil, the agitation will have passed away, become a quiet calm river where the Nicholases, the Wilhelms and their relatives will thrive and multiply? do not pretend to be a prophet. It is very foolish for one to attempt to fortell what will happen in the future: But one thing is certain that is czarism and kaiserism, the remnants of the ancient and barbarous medieval times have passed away forever. There will be no resurrection of these powers. The people awoke. They awoke not merely because they felt vexed and downtrodden. They rose fully aware of their might and they are determined not to lay down their arms until victory will be theirs.
The characteristic feature of the present revolution in Russia and Germany is that the people revolt intellectually. They The Invincible Power of the Russian Revolution By Sachs What will the appearance of our little world be in the immediate future? Who will be our recognized leader? What melodies will the historical music produce? Who will be in the saddle and hold the very destiny of the world in their hands and who will have to blindly follow and say amen to everything the individuals in control may do? These are some of the questions confronting us today.
The war brought about a radical upheaval in many countries. The over thirty millions of victims that fell dead or half