The Soviets. organization made its extension easy. Within a few days after its organization in 1917 the Council of Workmen admitted the soldiers' deputies and a little later the admittance of peasant deputies extended the system to all Russia. The influence and power of the system was found in the fact that it represented the people; it could do what it pleased, as it pleased to do what the people wanted. Thus gradually the real authority passed over to the Soviet, as it was called. In each village was the local Soviet representing every kind of labor, including the brain workers as well as the hand workers. The provincial Soviet was a council made up of the representatives of each local Soviet in the province, and finally the national soviet was made up of representatives from all the provinces, of all the callings, such as soldiers, mineworkers, factory workers, peasants, teachers, etc. This central committee was known as the "United Executive Committee of the All-Russian Councils of Work men's, Soldiers' and Peasants' Delegates" and consisted of more than three hundred elected representatives of the Soviets of Russia. It is important to notice that this method of representation gives democratic expression to the people in economic affairs just as representation by our western method gives such expression in political affairs and that it is just as little intended to give party domination by any one party as is our own system. Clearly, the make-up of the United Executive Committee will be the result of a nation wide election of representatives. These representatives may be and will be what the people want if the elections are not manipulated; which is no more likely to occur than in our own system. It is necessary to point this out because we must not fail to distinguish between this form of representation and the Bolsheviki government which at present controls Russia." As a matter of fact, the first United Executive Committee drew up a memorial demanding the public trial of the Bolsheviki leaders as well as strong resolutions upholding the provisional government. They likewise decreed, too late for its success, that all measures of the majority be accepted throughout Russia, and approved of the measures taken by Kerensky's government to overcome the Bolshevist propaganda. 7 How then did the minority socialist party in Russia, the Bolsheviki, secure control of the government? There are many reasons for 6 1920. 'It should be explained that the Soviets were not originally created to govern but the continued dictation by the Council of the United Soviets to the Kerensky government gave the cue to the Bolsheviki that this form of organization could become the active form of political as well as industrial organization. their success. First of all, it was the boldest party in Russia, prepared by revolution to overthrow any government that might be established other than its own. Its very nature made it the rallying ground of all discontented elements in Russia, the lawbreakers, the starving, those who suffered from injustice. The ferment in society made it difficult to administer internal affairs, collect taxes, etc., without trouble, but the war made it infinitely more impossible. War materials had to be created, the army had to be fed, transportation had to be kept going in internal Russia as well as on the frontiers. The war had to go on, the army had to be disciplined and controlled if it was to succeed. And here was the first failure. The revolution created a disorder in the army that could not be overcome, even though the death penalty for desertion at the front was put back into force. The army went to pieces and destroyed Kerensky's government because the hope of the provisional government was the success of its arms. Then came the Red Guards, an organization which was organized by the Bolsheviki to upset the government. Toward the latter The Red part of 1917 the work of the Red Guards throughout Russia tended to strengthen the representative element of the Bolsheviki in the United Executive Committee, because elections were contested by them or made impossible so that a more and more desperate group were sent up to the United Committee. Hence on November 6th, the Bolsheviki party took military possession of the government. Kerensky escaped but the other members were arrested and imprisoned. The new government formed was called the Council of the People's Commissioners but was merely a committee of the Soviets. The Duma was gone. The Constituent Assembly was not called. A small committee representing but a very small element of the people was in power. A political party had captured the government by political manipulation and by intimidation in spite of its small numbers. Guards. There has never been at any time very much of a chance that the Bolsheviki could succeed in really getting hold of Russia. Their best allies have been the general chaos resulting from the over-throw of the old system during the period of war together with the general breakdown of transportation and the consequent failure of the The distribution of food. Added to these have been the ignor- Bolsheviki. ance of the peasantry as to the causes of the war and their great desire to see its close. But except for these allies, the Bolsheviki do not represent any appreciable percentage of the people. Lenine, himself, has estimated the numbers of the Bolsheviki as 200,000 out of 180,000,000. There are many other reasons why the Bolsheviki will fail but their lack of numbers is the first reason. For it must be remembered that while the Bolsheviki are socialists and as such have much in common with all socialists the things which make them distinctive are accepted by but a small group of people. Furthermore the Bolsheviki overthrew the provisional government within three weeks of the time set for the election of the constituent assembly. It was overthrown because of the fear that the government would succeed in bringing order and peace to internal Russia and thus that political democracy should 8 SOLDIERS OF THE BOLSHEVIK ARMY. succeed. This they did not wish because of their refusal to believe that regeneration could come by way of political democracy. Moreover, in practice they have failed to achieve industrial democracy and have established a dictatorship of a few to secure the good of the people. Their character is shown by the fact that the revolution It is true that the communist government has accomplished something for Russia. Peace and order have come, slowly. Industry has been strengthened largely of course by the coöperative societies, Russia has made a working peace with most of the European Powers. It should be noted, however, that this has been done largely in opposition to the theories upon which the government rests. The people have been given the land but are suspicious and so far have refused really to trust the aims of the Bolshevist government. |