ern Imperialism existed too, and might prove an obstacle to peace, was well understood, but it was not regarded as an insuperable obstacle. There was faith in the democracy of the West. It was believed that the West would be kindled by the Russian Revolution—at least to sympathy. The Russian democracy would never allow France or England to be crushed by Germany with Russia standing idly by. Russia was prepared and willing to fight for them. But it was hoped that the Western democracies in their turn would put the interests of the Russian Revolution in the forefront and would eventually agree that a just, democratic peace was to be desired, if only because it meant the salvation of Russia and the consolidation of her Revolution. Separate peace would be treason not only to Russia's Allies but to the Russian Revolution itself. A general peace as soon as it could be obtained was needed for the very existence of Russia.
The difficulty was to bring this home to the Allies; to reassure them on the one hand, and to seek their collaboration on
