Ten Days That Shook the World Part 26

"Establish a strict control over production and the accounting for products. Arrest and turn over to the Revolutionary Tribunal of the People every one who injures the property of the People, by sabotage in production, by concealment of grain-reserves, reserves of other products, by r.e.t.a.r.ding the shipments of grain, by bringing confusion into the railroads, the posts and the telegraphs, or in general opposing the great work of bringing Peace and transferring the Land to the peasants....

"Comrades workers, soldiers, peasants-all toilers!

"Take immediately all local power into your hands.... Little by little, with the consent of the majority of peasants, we shall march firmly and unhesitatingly toward the victory of Socialism, which will fortify the advance-guards of the working-cla.s.s of the most civilised Countries, and give to the peoples an enduring peace, and free them from every slavery and every exploitation."

13.

"To All Workers of Petrograd!

"Comrades! The Revolution is winning-the revolution has won. All the power has pa.s.sed over to our Soviets. The first weeks are the most difficult ones. The broken reaction must be finally crushed, a full triumph must be secured to our endeavours. The working-cla.s.s ought to-must-show in these days THE GREATEST FIRMNESS AND ENDURANCE, in order to facilitate the execution of all the aims of the new People's Government of Soviets. In the next few days decrees on the Labour question will be issued, and among the very first will be the decree on Workers' Control over the production and regulation of Industry.

"STRIKES AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE WORKER Ma.s.sES IN PETROGRAD NOW CAN ONLY DO HARM.

"We ask you to cease immediately all economic and political strikes, to take up your work, and do it in perfect order. The work in the factories and all the industries is necessary for the new Government of Soviets, because any interruption of this work will only create new difficulties for us, and we have enough as it is. All to your places.

"The best way to support the new Government of Soviets in these days-is by doing your job.

"LONG LIVE THE IRON FIRMNESS OF THE PROLETARIAT! LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION!"

Petrograd Soviet of W. & S. D.

Petrograd Council of Trade Unions.

Petrograd Council of Factory-Shop Committees.

14.

APPEALS AND COUNTER-APPEALS.

_From the Employees of the State and private Banks To the Population of Petrograd:_ "Comrades workers, soldiers and citizens!

"The Military Revolutionary Committee in an 'extraordinary notice' is accusing the workers of the State and private banking and other inst.i.tutions of 'impeding the work of the Government, directed towards the ensuring of the Front with provisions.'

"Comrades and citizens, do not believe this calumny, brought against us, who are part of the general army of labour.

"However difficult it be for us to work under the constant threat of interference by acts of violence in our hard-working life, however depressing it be to know that our Country and the Revolution are on the verge of ruin, we, nevertheless, all of us, from the highest to the lowest, employees, artelshtchiki, counters, labourers, couriers, etc., are continuing to fulfil our duties which are connected with the ensuring of provisions and munitions to the Front and country.

"Counting upon your lack of information, comrades workers and soldiers, in questions of finance and banking, you are being incited against workers like yourselves, because it is desirable to divert the responsibility for the starving and dying brother-soldiers at the Front from the guilty persons to the innocent workers who are accomplishing their duty under the burden of general poverty and disorganisation.

"REMEMBER, WORKERS AND SOLDIERS! THE EMPLOYEES HAVE ALWAYS STOOD UP FOR AND WILL ALWAYS STAND UP FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE TOILING PEOPLE, PART OF WHICH THEY ARE THEMSELVES, AND NOT A SINGLE KOPEK NECESSARY FOR THE FRONT AND THE WORKERS HAS EVER BEEN DETAINED AND WILL NOT BE DETAINED BY THE EMPLOYEES.

"From November 6th to November 23d, i.e., during 17 days, 500 million rubles were dispatched to the Front, and 120 millions to Moscow, besides the sums sent to other towns.

"Keeping guard over the wealth of the people, the master of which can be only the Const.i.tuent a.s.sembly, representing the whole nation, the employees refuse to give out money for purposes which are unknown to them.

"DO NOT BELIEVE THE CALUMNIATORS CALLING YOU TO TAKE THE LAW INTO YOUR OWN HANDS!"

_Central Board of the All-Russian Union of Employees of the State Bank._ _Central Board of the All-Russian Trade Union of Employees of Credit Inst.i.tutions._ * * * * *

To the Population of Petrograd.

"CITIZENS: Do not believe the falsehood which irresponsible people are trying to suggest to you by spreading terrible calumnies against the employees of the Ministry of Supplies and the workers in other Supply organisations who are labouring in these dark days for the salvation of Russia. Citizens! In posted placards you are called upon to lynch us, we are accused falsely of sabotage and strikes, we are blamed for all the woes and misfortunes that the people are suffering, although we have been striving indefatigably and uninterruptedly, and are still striving, to save the Russian people from the horrors of starvation. Notwithstanding all that we are bearing as citizens of unhappy Russia, we have not for one hour abandoned our heavy and responsible work of supplying the Army and population with provisions.

"The image of the Army, cold and hungry, saving our very existence by its blood and its tortures, does not leave us for a single moment.

"Citizens! If we have survived the blackest days in the life and history of our people, if we have succeeded in preventing famine in Petrograd, if we have managed to procure to the suffering army bread and forage by means of enormous, almost superhuman, efforts, it is because we have honestly continued and are still continuing to do our work....

"To the 'last warning' of the usurpers of the power we reply: It is not for you who are leading the country to ruin to threaten us who are doing all we can not to allow the country to perish. We are not afraid of threats; before us stands the sacred image of tortured Russia. We will continue our work of supplying the Army and the people with bread to our last efforts, so long as you will not prevent us from accomplishing our duty to our country. In the contrary case the Army and the people will stand before the horrors of famine, but the responsibility therefor belongs to the perpetrators of violence.

_Executive Committee of the Employees of the Ministry of Supplies._ * * * * *

To the Tchinovniki (Government Officials).

It is notified hereby, that all officials and persons who have quitted the service in Government and public inst.i.tutions or have been dismissed for sabotage or for having failed to report for work on the day fixed, and who have nevertheless received their salary paid in advance for the time they have not served, are bound to return such salary not later than on November 27th, 1917, to those inst.i.tutions where they were in service.

In the event of this not being done, these persons will be rendered answerable for stealing the Treasury's property and tried by the Military Revolutionary Court.

The Military-Revolutionary Committee.

December 7th, 1917.

From the Special Board for the Supplies CITIZENS.

"The conditions of our work for the supplying of Petrograd are getting more and more difficult every day.

"The interference with our work-which is so ruinous to our business-of the Commissars of the Military Revolutionary Committee is still continuing.

"THEIR ARBITRARY ACTS, their annulling of our orders, MAY LEAD TO A CATASTROPHE.

"Seals have been affixed to one of the cold storages where the meat and b.u.t.ter destined for the population are kept, and we cannot regulate the temperature SO THAT THE PRODUCTS WOULD NOT BE SPOILT.

"One carload of potatoes and one carload of cabbages have been seized and carried away no one knows where to.

"Cargoes which are not liable to requisition (khalva) are requisitioned by the Commissars and, as was the case one day, five boxes of khalva were seized by the Commissar for his own use.

"WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO DISPOSE OF OUR STORAGES, where the selfappointed Commissars do not allow the cargoes to be taken out, and terrorise our employees, threatening them with arrest.

"ALL THAT IS GOING ON IN PETROGRAD IS KNOWN IN THE PROVINCES, AND FROM THE DON, FROM SIBERIA, FROM VORONEZH AND OTHER PLACES PEOPLE ARE REFUSING TO SEND FLOUR AND BREAD.

"THIS CANNOT GO ON MUCH LONGER.

"The work is simply falling out of our hands.

"OUR DUTY is to let the population know of this.

"To the last possibility we will remain on guard of the interests of the population.

"WE WILL DO EVERYTHING TO AVOID THE ONCOMING FAMINE, BUT IF UNDER THESE DIFFICULT CONDITIONS OUR WORK IS COMPELLED TO STOP, LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT IS NOT OUR FAULT...."

15.

ELECTIONS TO THE CONSt.i.tUENT a.s.sEMBLY IN PETROGRAD.

There were nineteen tickets in Petrograd. The results are as follows, published November 30th: +---------+ | Party | Vote | +---------+ | Populist Socialists | 19,109 | +---------+ | Cadets | 245,006 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Christian Democrats | 3,707 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Bolsheviki | 424,027 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Socialist Universalists | 158 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | S. D. and S. R. Ukrainean and Jewish Workers | 4,219 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | League of Women's Rights | 5,310 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Socialist Revolutionaries (oborontsi) | 4,696 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Left Socialist Revolutionaries | 152,230 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | League of the People's Development | 385 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Radical Democrats | 413 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Orthodox Parishes | 24,139 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Feminine League for Salvation of Country | 318 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Independent League of Workers, Soldiers, Peasants | 4,942 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Christian Democrats (Catholic) | 14,382 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Unified Social Democrats | 11,740 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Mensheviki | 17,427 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | Yedinstvo group | 1,823 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ | League of Cossack Troops | 6,712 | +---------------------------------------------------+---------+ 16.

FROM THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE's COMMISSARS TO THE TOILING COSSACKS.

"Brothers-Cossacks.

"You are being deceived. You are being incited against the People. You are told that the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies are your enemies, that they want to take away your Cossack land, your Cossack 'liberty'. Don't believe it, Cossacks.... Your own Generals and landowners are deceiving you, in order to keep you in darkness and slavery. We, the Council of People's Commissars, address ourselves to you, Cossacks, with these words. Read them attentively and judge yourselves which is the truth and which is cruel deceit. The life and service of a Cossack were always bondage and penal servitude. At the first call of the authorities a Cossack always had to saddle his horse and ride out on campaign. All his military equipment a Cossack had to provide with his own hardly earned means. A Cossack is on service, his farm is going to rack and ruin. Is such a condition fair? No, it must be altered for ever. THE COSSACKS MUST BE FREED FROM BONDAGE. The new People's Soviet power is willing to come to the a.s.sistance of the toiling Cossacks. It is only necessary that the Cossacks themselves should resolve to abolish the old order, that they should refuse submission to their slave-driver officers, land-owners, rich men, that they should throw off the cursed yoke from their necks. Arise, Cossacks! Unite! The Council of People's Commissars calls upon you to enter a new, fresh, more happy life.

"In November and December in Petrograd there were All-Russian Congresses of Soviets of Soldiers', Workers', and Peasants' Deputies. These Congresses transferred all the authority in the different localities into the hands of the Soviets, i.e., into the hands of men elected by the People. From now on there must be in Russia no rulers or functionaries who command the People from above and drive them. The People create the authority themselves. A General has no more rights than a soldier. All are equal. Consider, Cossacks, is this wrong or right? We are calling upon you, Cossacks, to join this new order and to create your own Soviets of Cossacks' Deputies. To such Soviets all the power must belong in the different localities. Not to hetmans with the rank of General, but to the elected representatives of the toiling Cossacks, to your own trustworthy reliable men.

"The All-Russian Congresses of Soldiers', Workers', and Peasants' Deputies have pa.s.sed a resolution to transfer all landowners' land into the possession of the toiling people. Is not that fair, Cossacks? The Kornilovs, Kaledins, Dutovs, Karaulovs, Bardizhes, all defend with their whole souls the interests of the rich men, and they are ready to drown Russia in blood if only the lands remain in the hands of the landowners. But you, the toiling Cossacks, do not you suffer yourselves from poverty, oppression and lack of land? How many Cossacks are there who have more than 4-5 dessiatins per head? But the landowners, who have thousands of dessiatins of their own land, wish besides to get into their hands the lands of the Cossack Army. According to the new Soviet laws, the lands of Cossack landowners must pa.s.s without compensation into the hands of the Cossack workers, the poorer Cossacks. You are being told that the Soviets wish to take away your lands from you. Who is frightening you? The rich Cossacks, who know that the Soviet AUTHORITY WISHES TO transfer the landowners' lands to you. Choose then, Cossacks, for whom will you stand: for the Kornilovs and Kaledins, for the Generals and rich men, or for the Soviets of Peasants', Soldiers', Workers' and Cossacks' Deputies.

"THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE's COMMISSARS elected by the All-Russian Congress HAS PROPOSED TO ALL NATIONS AN IMMEDIATE ARMISTICE AND AN HONOURABLE DEMOCRATIC PEACE WITHOUT LOSS OR DETRIMENT TO ANY NATION. All the capitalists, landowners, Generals-Kornilovists have risen against the peaceful policy of the Soviets. The war was bringing them profits, power, distinctions. And to you, Cossack privates? You were perishing without reason, without purpose, like your brothers-soldiers and sailors. It will soon be three years and a half that this accursed war has gone on, a war devised by the capitalists and landowners of all countries for their own profit, their world robberies. To the toiling Cossacks the war has only brought ruin and death. The war has drained all the resources from Cossack farm life. The only salvation for the whole of our country and for the Cossacks in particular is a prompt and honest peace. The Council of People's Commissars has declared to all Governments and peoples: We do not want other people's property, and we do not wish to give away our own. Peace without annexations and without indemnities. Every nation must decide its own fate. There must be no oppressing of one nation by another. Such is the honest, democratic, People's peace which the Council of People's Commissars is proposing to all Governments, to all peoples, allies and enemies. And the results are visible: ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT AN ARMISTICE HAS BEEN CONCLUDED.

"The soldier's and the Cossack's blood is not flowing there any more. Now, Cossacks, decide: do you wish to continue this ruinous, senseless, criminal slaughter? Then support the Cadets, the enemies of the people, support Tchernov, Tseretelli, Skobeliev, who drove you into the offensive of July 1st; support Kornilov, who introduced capital punishment for soldiers and Cossacks at the front. BUT IF YOU WISH A PROMPT AND HONEST PEACE, THEN ENTER THE RANKS OF THE SOVIETS AND SUPPORT THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE's COMMISSARS.

"Your fate, Cossacks, lies in your own hands. Our common foes, the landowners, capitalists, officers-Kornilovists, bourgeois newspapers, are deceiving you and driving you along the road to ruin. In Orenburg, Dutov has arrested the Soviet and disarmed the garrison. Kaledin is threatening the Soviets in the province of the Don. He has declared the province to be in a state of war and is a.s.sembling his troops. Karaulov is shooting the local tribes in the Caucasus. The Cadet bourgeoisie is supplying them with its millions. Their common aim is to suppress the People's Soviets, to crush the workers and peasants, to introduce again the discipline of the whip in the army, and to eternalise the bondage of the toiling Cossacks.

"Our revolutionary troops are moving to the Don and the Ural in order to put an end to this criminal revolt against the people. The commanders of the revolutionary troops have received orders not to enter into any negotiations with the mutinous Generals, to act decisively and mercilessly.

"Cossacks! On you depends now whether your brothers' blood is to flow still. We are holding out our hand to you. Join the whole people against its enemies. Declare Kaledin, Kornilov, Dutov, Karaulov and all their aiders and abettors to be the enemies of the people, traitors and betrayers. Arrest them with your own forces and turn them over into the hands of the Soviet authority, which will judge them in open and public Revolutionary Tribunal. Cossacks! Form Soviets of Cossacks' Deputies. Take into your toil-worn hands the management of all the affairs of the Cossacks. Take away the lands of your own wealthy landowners. Take over their grain, their inventoried property and live-stock for the cultivation of the lands of the toiling Cossacks, who are ruined by the war.

"Forward, Cossacks, to the fight for the common cause of the people!

"Long live the toiling Cossacks!

"Long live the union of the Cossacks, the soldiers, peasants and workers!

"Long live the power of the Soviets of Cossacks', Soldiers', Workers' and Peasants' Deputies.

"Down with the war! Down with the landowners and the Kornilovist-Generals!

"Long live Peace and the Brotherhood of peoples!"

Council of People's Commissars.

17.

FROM THE COMMISSION ON PUBLIC EDUCATION ATTACHED TO THE CENTRAL CITY DUMA.

"Comrades Workingmen and Workingwomen!

"A few days before the holidays, a strike has been declared by the teachers of the public schools. The teachers side with the bourgeoisie against the Workers' and Peasants' Government.

"Comrades, organise parents' committees and pa.s.s resolutions against the strike of the teachers. Propose to the Ward Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, the Trade Unions, the Factory-Shop and Party Committees, to organise protest meetings. Arrange with your own resources Christmas trees and entertainments for the children, and demand the opening of the schools, after the holidays, at the date which will be set by the Duma.

"Comrades, strengthen your position in matters of public education, insist on the control of the proletarian organisations over the schools."

Commission on Public Education attached to the Central City Duma.

18.

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE OF THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT.

The notes issued by Trotzky to the Allies and to the neutral powers, as well as the note of the Allied military Attaches to General Dukhonin, are too voluminous to give here. Moreover they belong to another phase of the history of the Soviet Republic, with which this book has nothing to do-the foreign relations of the Soviet Government. This I treat at length in the next volume, "Kornilov to Brest-Litovsk."

19.

APPEALS TO THE FRONT AGAINST DUKHONIN.

"... The struggle for peace has met with the resistance of the bourgeoisie and the counter-revolutionary Generals.... From the accounts in the newspapers, at the Stavka of former Supreme Commander Dukhonin are gathering the agents and allies of the bourgeoisie, Verkhovski, Avksentiev, Tchernov, Gotz, Tseretelli, etc. It seems even that they want to form a new power against the Soviets.

"Comrades soldiers! All the persons we have mentioned have been Ministers already. They have acted in accord with Kerensky and the bourgeoisie. They are responsible for the offensive of July 1st and for the prolongation of the war. They promised the land to the peasants and then arrested the Land Committees. They reestablished capital punishment for soldiers. They obey the orders of French, English and American financiers....

"General Dukhonin, for having refused to obey orders of the Council of People's Commissars, has been dismissed from his position as Supreme Commander.... For answer he is circulating among the troops the note from the Military Attaches of the Allied imperialist Powers, and attempting to provoke a counter-revolution....

"Do not obey Dukhonin! Pay no attention to his provocation! Watch him and his group of counter-revolutionary Generals carefully...."

20.

FROM KRYLENKO Order Number Two.

"... The ex-Supreme Commander, General Dukhonin, for having opposed resistance to the execution of orders, for criminal action susceptible of provoking a new civil war, is declared enemy of the People. All persons who support Dukhonin will be arrested, without respect to their social or political position or their past. Persons equipped with special authority will operate these arrests. I charge General Manikhovsky with the execution of the above-mentioned dispositions...."

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XII.

1.

INSTRUCTION TO PEASANTS.

In answer to the numerous enquiries coming from peasants, it is hereby explained that the whole power in the country is from now on held by the Soviets of the Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies. The Workers' Revolution, after having conquered in Petrograd and in Moscow, is now conquering in all other centres of Russia. The Workers' and Peasants' Government safeguards the interests of the ma.s.ses of peasantry, the poorest of them; it is with the majority of peasants and workers against the landowners, and against the capitalists.

Hence the Soviets of Peasants' Deputies, and before all the District Soviets, and subsequently those of the Provinces, are from now on and until the Const.i.tuent a.s.sembly meets, full-powered bodies of State authority in their localities. All landlords' t.i.tles to the land are cancelled by the second All-Russian Congress of Soviets. A decree regarding the land has already been issued by the present Provisional Workers' and Peasants' Government. On the basis of the above decree all lands. .h.i.therto belonging to landlords now pa.s.s entirely and wholly into the hands of the Soviets of Peasants' Deputies. The Volost (a group of several villages forms a Volost) Land Committees are immediately to take over all land from the landlords, and to keep a strict account over it, watching that order be maintained, and that the whole estate be well guarded, seeing that from now on all private estates become public property and must therefore be protected by the people themselves.

All orders given by the Volost Land Committees, adopted with the a.s.sent of the District Soviets of Peasants' Deputies, in fulfilment of the decrees issued by the revolutionary power, are absolutely legal and are to be forthwith and irrefutably brought into execution.

The Workers' and Peasants' Government appointed by the second All-Russian Congress of Soviets has received the name of the Council of People's Commissars.

The Council of People's Commissars summons the Peasants to take the whole power into their hands in every locality.

The workers will in every way absolutely and entirely support the peasants, arrange for them all that is required in connection with machines and tools, and in return they request the peasants to help with the transport of grain.

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