To Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers! -V. I. Lenin
Pravda No. 93, April 23, 1924
Comrades! The Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries, to which Kerensky belongs, appeals to you in its paper Dyelo Naroda (of September 30) “to be patient”.
The paper asks us "to be patient" and urges that power be left in the hands of Kerensky’s government, that power should not pass to the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies. Let Kerensky rely on the landowners, capitalists and kulaks, let the Soviets that have carried through the revolution and vanquished the Kornilovite generals "be patient", we are told. Let them have patience until the Constituent Assembly, which will soon be convened.
Comrades! Look around you, see what is happening in the countryside, see what is happening in the army, and you will realise that the peasants and the soldiers cannot tolerate it any longer. An uprising of the peasants from whom the land has hitherto been withheld by fraud is sweeping like a broad river over the whole of Russia. The peasants cannot tolerate it any longer. Kerensky sends troops to suppress the peasants and to defend the landowners. Kerensky has again come to an agreement with the Kornilovite generals and officers who stand for the landowners.
Neither the workers in the cities nor the soldiers at the front can tolerate this military suppression of the just struggle of the peasants for the land.
As to what is going on in the army at the front, Dubasov, a non-Party officer, has declared before all of Russia: "The soldiers will not fight any longer." The soldiers are tired out, the soldiers are barefooted the soldiers are starving, the soldiers do not want to fight for the interests of the capitalists, they do not want to "be patient" when they are treated only to beautiful words about peace, while for months there has been a delay (as Kerensky is delaying it) in the peace proposal, the proposal for a just peace without annexations, to be offered to all the belligerent peoples.
Comrades! Know that Kerensky is again negotiating with the Kornilovite generals and officers to lead troops against the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, to prevent the Soviets from obtaining power! Kerensky "will under no circumstances submit" to the Soviets, Dyelo Naroda openly admits.
Go, then, to the barracks, go to the Cossack units, go to the working people and explain the truth to them.
If power is in the hands of the Soviets, then not later than October 25 (if the Congress of Soviets opens on October 20) a just peace will be offered to all the belligerent peoples. There will be a workers’ and peasants’ government in Russia; it will immediately, without losing a single day, offer a just peace to all the belligerent peoples. Then the people will learn who wants the unjust war. Then in the Constituent Assembly the people will decide.
If power is in the hands of the Soviets, the landowners estates will immediately be declared the inalienable property of the whole people.
This is what Kerensky and his government fight against, relying on the village exploiters, capitalists and landowners!
This is for whom and for whose interests you are asked to "be patient".
Are you willing to "be patient" in order that Kerensky may use armed force to suppress the peasants who have risen for land?
Are you willing to "be patient" in order that the war may be dragged out longer, in order that theoffer of peace and the annulling of the former tsar’s secret treaties with the Russian and Anglo-French capitalists may be postponed?
Comrades, remember that Kerensky deceived the people once when he promised to convene the Constituent Assembly! On July 8 he solemnly promised to convene it not later than September 17, and he has deceived the people. Comrades! Whoever believes in the Kerensky government is a traitor to his brothers, the peasants and soldiers!
No, not for one more day are the people willing to suffer postponement. Not for a single day longer can we suffer the peasants to be suppressed by armed force, thousands upon thousands to perish in the war, when a just peace cart and must be offered at once.
Down with the government of Kerensky, who is conniving with the Kornilovite landowning generals to suppress the peasants, to fire on the peasants, to drag out the war!
All power to the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies!
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