For without the dictatorship of the proletariat the people will be unable to obtain either a democratic peace, or the return of the land to the peasants, or complete liberty (that is to say, an entirely democratic republic). The march of events during these six months of revolution, the struggle of classes and of parties, the development of the crises of April 20–21,[1] of June 9–10,[2] of June 18–19[3] and July 3–5,[4] and of August 27–31,[5] have shown and proved it.
We are now faced with such a sudden, such a surprising upheaval of the Russian revolution, that we are in a position as a Party to propose a voluntary compromise, not to the bourgeoisie, our direct and principal enemy, but to those adversaries who are nearer to us, to the petit bourgeois democratic parties in office, to the S.-R.'s and to the Mensheviks.
It is only by way of exception, it is only in virtue of a special situation which apparently will last a very short time, that we can propose a compromise to those parties, and that we ought, it seems to me, to do so.
What is a compromise to us is the return to our demand of before July: All power to the Soviets! Formation of a Government of Social Revolutionaries and of Mensheviks responsible before the Soviets.
Now, and only now, during a few days, or perhaps one or two weeks, could such a Government be created and peacefully consolidated. It very much looks as if it could assure the peaceful
- ↑ A crisis caused by a note in which Miliukoff, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, promised to the Allies to continue the war until guarantees (Constantinople, &c.) were obtained. It led to the retirement of Miliukoff, and the formation of the first Coalition Government of May 6.
- ↑ A demonstration, arranged for the tenth of June by the Central Bureau of Factory Committees and the Bolshevik Party, to protest against "industrial anarchy and lock-outs by the employers," had to be cancelled on the 10th, on account of the opposition of the Congress of Soviets then assembled.
- ↑ On the 18th, the demonstration prepared by the opportunists changes into a triumph for the Bolshevik slogans: All Power to the Soviets! Down with the Ten Capitalist Ministers! Down with the political offensive! On the 19th a bourgeois counter-demonstration took place.
- ↑ A crisis caused by the resignation of the bourgeois ministers, leading to a spontaneous demonstration of the workers and soldiers that came under the direction of the Bolshevik Party, but was crushed by the Government which thenceforward gave itself over to reaction.
- ↑ A stroke by Kornilov's Commander-in-Chief to get, with or without Kerensky, the military dictatorship.
