Ten Days That Shook the World Part 24

The workers no longer knew Plekhanov, pioneer of the Russian Social Democracy!

5.

APPEAL OF THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT.

"The detachments at Gatchina, deceived by Kerensky, have laid down their arms and decided to arrest Kerensky. That chief of the counter-revolutionary campaign has fled. The Army, by an enormous majority, has p.r.o.nounced in favour of the second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, and of the Government which it has created. Scores of delegates from the Front have hastened to Petrograd to a.s.sure the Soviet Government of the Army's fidelity. No twisting of the facts, no calumny against the revolutionary workers, soldiers, and peasants, has been able to defeat the People. The Workers' and Soldiers' Revolution is victorious....

"The Tsay-ee-kah appeals to the troops which march under the flag of the counter-revolution, and invites them immediately to lay down their arms-to shed no longer the blood of their brothers in the interests of a handful of land-owners and capitalists. The Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Revolution curses those who remain even for a moment under the flag of the People's enemies....

"Cossacks! Come over to the rank of the victorious People! Railwaymen, postmen, telegraphers-all, all support the new Government of the People!"

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER X.

1.

DAMAGE TO THE KREMLIN.

I myself verified the damage to the Kremlin, which I visited immediately after the bombardment. The Little Nicolai Palace, a building of no particular importance, which was occupied occasionally by receptions of one of the Grand d.u.c.h.esses, had served as barracks for the yunkers. It was not only bombarded, but pretty well sacked; fortunately there was nothing in it of particular historical value.

Usspensky Cathedral had a sh.e.l.l-hole in one of the cupolas, but except for a few feet of mosaic in the ceiling, was undamaged. The frescoes on the porch of Blagovestchensky Cathedral were badly damaged by a sh.e.l.l. Another sh.e.l.l hit the corner of Ivan Veliki. Tchudovsky Monastery was. .h.i.t about thirty times, but only one sh.e.l.l went through a window into the interior, the others breaking the brick window-moulding and the roof cornices.

The clock over the Spa.s.skaya Gate was smashed. Troitsky Gate was battered, but easily reparable. One of the lower towers had lost its brick spire.

The church of St. Basil was untouched, as was the great Imperial Palace, with all the treasures of Moscow and Petrograd in its cellar, and the crown jewels in the Treasury. These places were not even entered.

2.

LUNATCHARSKY's DECLARATION.

"Comrades! You are the young masters of the country, and although now you have much to do and think about, you must know how to defend your artistic and scientific treasures.

"Comrades! That which is happening at Moscow is a horrible, irreparable misfortune.... The People in its struggle for the power has mutilated our glorious capital.

"It is particularly terrible in these days of violent struggle, of destructive warfare, to be Commissar of Public Education. Only the hope of the victory of Socialism, the source of a new and superior culture, brings me comfort. On me weighs the responsibility of protecting the artistic wealth of the people.... Not being able to remain at my post, where I had no influence, I resigned. My comrades, the other Commissars, considered this resignation inadmissible. I shall therefore remain at my post.... And moreover, I understand that the damage done to the Kremlin is not as serious as has been reported....

"But I beg you, comrades, to give me your support.... Preserve for yourselves and your descendants the beauty of our land; be the guardians of the property of the People.

"Soon, very soon, even the most ignorant, who have been held in ignorance so long, will awake and understand what a source of joy, strength and wisdom is art...."

3.

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE BOURGEOISIE.

[Graphic page-354]

4.

REVOLUTIONARY FINANCIAL MEASURE Order.

In virtue of the powers vested in me by the Military Revolutionary Committee attached to the Moscow Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, I decree: 1. All banks with branches, the Central State Savings Bank with branches, and the savings banks at the Post and Telegraph offices are to be opened beginning November 22nd, from 11 A. M. to 1 P. M. until further order.

2. On current accounts and on the books of the savings banks, payments will be made by the above mentioned inst.i.tutions, of not more than 150 rubles for each depositor during the course of the next week.

3. Payments of amounts exceeding 150 rubles a week on current accounts and savings banks books, also payments on other accounts of all kinds will be allowed during the next three days-November 22nd, 23d, and 24th, only in the following cases: (a) On the accounts of military organisations for the satisfaction of their needs; (b) For the payment of salaries of employees and the earnings of workers according to the tables and lists certified by the Factory Committees or Soviets of Employees, and attested by the signatures of the Commissars, or the representatives of the Military Revolutionary Committee, and the district Military Revolutionary Committees.

4. Not more than 150 rubles are to be paid against drafts; the remaining sums are to be entered on current account, payments on which are to be made in the order established by the present decree.

5. All other banking operations are prohibited during these three days.

6. The receipt of money on all accounts is allowed for any amount.

7. The representatives of the Finance Council for the certification of the authorisations indicated in clause 3 will hold their office in the building of the Stock Exchange, Ilyinka Street, from 10 A. M. to 2 P. M.

8. The Banks and Savings Banks shall send the totals of daily cash operations by 5 P. M. to the headquarters of the Soviet, Skobeliev Square, to the Military Revolutionary Committee, for the Finance Council.

9. All employees and managers of credit inst.i.tutions of all kinds who refuse to comply with this decree shall be responsible as enemies of the Revolution and of the ma.s.s of the population, before the Revolutionary Tribunals. Their names shall be published for general information.

10. For the control of the operations of Branches of the Savings Banks and Banks within the limits of this decree, the district Military Revolutionary Committees shall elect three representatives and appoint their place of business.

Fully-authorised Commissar of the Military Revolutionary Committee, S. SHEVERDIN-MAKSIMENKO.

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XI.

1.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS CHAPTER.

This chapter extends over a period of two months, more or less. It covers the time of negotiations with the Allies, the negotiations and armistice with the Germans, and the beginning of the Peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk, as well as the period in which were laid the foundations of the Soviet State.

However, it is no part of my purpose in this book to describe and interpret these very important historical events, which require more s.p.a.ce. They are therefore reserved for another volume, "Kornilov to Brest-Litovsk."

In this chapter, then, I have confined myself to the Soviet Government's attempts to consolidate its political power at home, and sketched its successive conquests of hostile domestic elements-which process was temporarily interrupted by the disastrous Peace of Brest-Litovsk.

2.

PREAMBLE-DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLES OF RUSSIA.

The October Revolution of the workers and peasants began under the common banner of Emanc.i.p.ation.

The peasants are being emanc.i.p.ated from the power of the landowners, for there is no longer the landowner's property right in the land-it has been abolished. The soldiers and sailors are being emanc.i.p.ated from the power of autocratic generals, for generals will henceforth be elective and subject to recall. The workingmen are being emanc.i.p.ated from the whims and arbitrary will of the capitalists, for henceforth there will be established the control of the workers over mills and factories. Everything living and capable of life is being emanc.i.p.ated from the hateful shackles.

There remain only the peoples of Russia, who have suffered and are suffering oppression and arbitrariness, and whose emanc.i.p.ation must immediately be begun, whose liberation must be effected resolutely and definitely.

During the period of Tsarism the peoples of Russia were systematically incited against one another. The result of such a policy are known: ma.s.sacres and pogroms on the one hand, slavery of peoples on the other.

There can be and there must be no return to this disgraceful policy. Henceforth the policy of a voluntary and honest union of the peoples of Russia must be subst.i.tuted.

In the period of imperialism, after the March revolution, when the power was transferred into the hands of the Cadet bourgeoisie, the naked policy of provocation gave way to one of cowardly distrust of the peoples of Russia, to a policy of fault-finding, of meaningless "freedom" and "equality" of peoples. The results of such a policy are known: the growth of national enmity, the impairment of mutual confidence.

An end must be put to this unworthy policy of falsehood and distrust, of fault-finding and provocation. Henceforth it must be replaced by an open and honest policy leading to the complete mutual confidence of the peoples of Russia. Only as the result of such a trust can there be formed an honest and lasting union of the peoples of Russia. Only as the result of such a union can the workers and peasants of the peoples of Russia be cemented into one revolutionary force able to resist all attempts on the part of the imperialist-annexationist bourgeoisie.

3.

DECREES On the Nationalisation of the Banks.

In the interest of the regular organisation of the national economy, of the thorough eradication of bank speculation and the complete emanc.i.p.ation of the workers, peasants, and the whole labouring population from the exploitation of banking capital, and with a view to the establishment of a single national bank of the Russian Republic which shall serve the real interests of the people and the poorer cla.s.ses, the Central Executive Committee (Tsay-ee-kah) resolves: 1. The banking business is declared a state monopoly.

2. All existing private joint-stock banks and banking offices are merged in the State Bank.

3. The a.s.sets and liabilities of the liquidated establishments are taken over by the State Bank.

4. The order of the merger of private banks in the State Bank is to be determined by a special decree.

5. The temporary administration of the affairs of the private banks is entrusted to the board of the State Bank.

6. The interests of the small depositors will be safeguarded.

On the Equality of Rank of All Military Men.

In realisation of the will of the revolutionary people regarding the prompt and decisive abolition of all remnants of former inequality in the Army, the Council of People's Commissars decrees: 1. All ranks and grades in the Army, beginning with the rank of Corporal and ending with the rank of General, are abolished. The Army of the Russian Republic consists now of free and equal citizens, bearing the honourable t.i.tle of Soldiers of the Revolutionary Army.

2. All privileges connected with the former ranks and grades, also all outward marks of distinction, are abolished.

3. All addressing by t.i.tles is abolished.

4. All decorations, orders, and other marks of distinction are abolished.

5. With the abolition of the rank of officer, all separate officers' organisations are abolished.

Note.-Orderlies are left only for headquarters, chanceries, Committees and other Army organisations.

President of the Council of People's Commissars, VL. ULIANOV (LENIN).

People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, N. KRYLENKO.

People's Commissar for Military Affairs, N. PODVOISKY.

Secretary of the Council, N. GORBUNOV. * * * * *

_On the Elective Principle and the Organisation of Authority in the Army_ 1. The army serving the will of the toiling people is subject to its supreme representative-the Council of People's Commissars.

2. Full authority within the limits of military units and combinations is vested in the respective Soldiers' Committees and Soviets.

3. Those phases of the life and activity of the troops which are already under the jurisdiction of the Committees are now formally placed in their direct control. Over such branches of activity which the Committees cannot a.s.sume, the control of the Soldiers' Soviets is established.

4. The election of commanding Staff and officers is introduced. All commanders up to the commanders of regiments, inclusive, are elected by general suffrage of squads, platoons, companies, squadrons, batteries, divisions (artillery, 2-3 batteries), and regiments. All commanders higher than the commander of a regiment, and up to the Supreme Commander, inclusive, are elected by congresses or conferences of Committees.

Note.-By the term "conference" must be understood a meeting of the respective Committees together with delegates of committees one degree lower in rank. (Such as a "conference" of Regimental Committees with delegates from Company Committees.-Author.) 5. The elected commanders above the rank of commander of regiment must be confirmed by the nearest Supreme Committee.

Note. In the event of a refusal by a Supreme Committee to confirm an elected commander, with a statement of reasons for such refusal, a commander elected by the lower Committee a second time must be confirmed.

6. The commanders of Armies are elected by Army congresses. Commanders of Fronts are elected by congresses of the respective Fronts.

7. To posts of a technical character, demanding special knowledge or other practical preparation, namely: doctors, engineers, technicians, telegraph and wireless operators, aviators, automobilists, etc., only such persons as possess the required special knowledge may be elected, by the Committees of the units of the respective services.

8. Chiefs of Staff must be chosen from among persons with special military training for that post.

9. All other members of the Staff are appointed by the Chief of Staff, and confirmed by the respective congresses.

Note.-All persons with special training must be listed in a special list.

10. The right is reserved to retire from the service all commanders on active service who are not elected by the soldiers to any post, and who consequently are ranked as privates.

11. All other functions beside those pertaining to the command, with the exception of posts in the economic departments, are filled by appointment of the respective elected commanders.

12. Detailed instructions regarding the elections of the commanding Staff will be published separately.

President of the Council of People's Commissars.

VL. ULIANOV (LENIN).

People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, N. KRYLENKO.

People's Commissar for Military Affairs, N. PODVOISKY.

Secretary of the Council, N. GORBUNOV.

On the Abolition of Cla.s.ses and t.i.tles.

1. All cla.s.ses and cla.s.s divisions, all cla.s.s privileges and delimitations, all cla.s.s organisations and inst.i.tutions and all civil ranks are abolished.

2. All cla.s.ses of society (n.o.bles, merchants, petty bourgeois, etc.),and all t.i.tles (Prince, Count and others), and all denominations of civil rank (Privy State Councillor, and others), are abolished, and there is established the general denomination of Citizen of the Russian Republic.

3. The property and inst.i.tutions of the cla.s.ses of n.o.bility are transferred to the corresponding autonomous Zemstvos.

4. The property of merchant and bourgeois organisations is transferred immediately to the Munic.i.p.al Self-Governments.

5. All cla.s.s inst.i.tutions of any sort, with their property, their rules of procedure, and their archives, are transferred to the administration of the Munic.i.p.alities and Zemstvos.

6. All articles of existing laws applying to these matters are herewith repealed.

7. The present decree becomes effective on the day it is published and applied by the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies.

The present decree has been confirmed by the Tsay-ee-kah at the meeting of November 23d, 1917, and signed by: President of the Tsay-ee-kah, SVERDLOV.