Ten Days That Shook The World (52 page)
There remain only the peoples of Russia, who have suffered and are suffering oppression and arbitrariness, and whose emancipation must immediately be begun, whose liberation must be effected resolutely and definitely.
During the period of Tsarism the peoples of Russia were systematically incited against one another. The result of such a policy are known: massacres and pogroms on the one hand, slavery of peoples on the other.
There can be and there must be no return to this disgraceful policy. Henceforth the policy of a voluntary and honest union of the peoples of Russia must be substituted.
In the period of imperialism, after the March revolution, when the power was transferred into the hands of the Cadet bourgeoisie, the naked policy of provocation gave way to one of cowardly distrust of the peoples of Russia, to a policy of fault-finding, of meaningless "freedom" and "equality" of peoples. The results of such a policy are known: the growth of national enmity, the impairment of mutual confidence.
An end must be put to this unworthy policy of falsehood and distrust, of fault-finding and provocation. Henceforth it must be replaced by an open and honest policy leading to the complete mutual confidence of the peoples of Russia. Only as the result of such a trust can there be formed an honest and lasting union of the peoples of Russia. Only as the result of such a union can the workers and peasants of the peoples of Russia be cemented into one revolutionary force able to resist all attempts on the part of the imperialist-annexationist bourgeoisie.
3.
DECREES
On the Nationalisation of the Banks
In the interest of the regular organization of the national economy, of the thorough eradication of bank speculation and the complete emancipation of the workers, peasants, and the whole labouring population from the exploitation of banking capital, and with a view to the establishment of a single national bank of the Russian Republic which shall serve the real interests of the people and the poorer classes, the Central Executive Committee (Tsay-ee-kah) resolves:
1. The banking business is declared a state monopoly.
2. All existing private joint-stock banks and banking offices are merged in the State Bank.
3. The assets and liabilities of the liquidated establishments are taken over by the State Bank.
4. The order of the merger of private banks in the State Bank is to be determined by a special decree.
5. The temporary administration of the affairs of the private banks is entrusted to the board of the State Bank.
6. The interests of the small depositors will be safeguarded.
* * * * *
On the Equality of Rank of All Military Men
In realisation of the will of the revolutionary people regarding the prompt and decisive abolition of all remnants of former inequality in the Army, the Council of People's Commissars decrees:
1. All ranks and grades in the Army, beginning with the rank of Corporal and ending with the rank of General, are abolished. The Army of the Russian Republic consists now of free and equal citizens, bearing the honorable title of Soldiers of the Revolutionary Army.
2. All privileges connected with the former ranks and grades, also all outward marks of distinction, are abolished.
3. All addressing by titles is abolished.
4. All decorations, orders, and other marks of distinction are abolished.
5. With the abolition of the rank of officer, all separate officers' organizations are abolished.
Note.—Orderlies are left only for headquarters, chanceries, Committees and other Army organizations.
President of the Council of People's Commissars,
VL. ULIANOV (LENIN).
People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs,
N. KRYLENKO.
People's Commissar for Military Affairs,
N. PODVOISKY.
Secretary of the Council,
N. GORBUNOV.
* * * * *
On the Elective Principle and the Organisation of Authority in the Army
1. The army serving the will of the toiling people is subject to its supreme representative—the Council of People's Commissars.
2. Full authority within the limits of military units and combinations is vested in the respective Soldiers' Committees and Soviets.
3. Those phases of the life and activity of the troops which are already under the jurisdiction of the Committees are now formally placed in their direct control. Over such branches of activity which the Committees cannot assume, the control of the Soldiers' Soviets is established.
4. The election of commanding Staff and officers is introduced. All commanders up to the commanders of regiments, inclusive, are elected by general suffrage of squads, platoons, companies, squadrons, batteries, divisions (artillery, 2-3 batteries), and regiments. All commanders higher than the commander of a regiment, and up to the Supreme Commander, inclusive, are elected by congresses or conferences of Committees.
Note.—By the term "conference" must be understood a meeting of the respective Committees together with delegates of committees one degree lower in rank. (Such as a "conference" of Regimental Committees with delegates from Company Committees.—Author.)
5. The elected commanders above the rank of commander of regiment must be confirmed by the nearest Supreme Committee.
Note. In the event of a refusal by a Supreme Committee to confirm an elected commander, with a statement of reasons for such refusal, a commander elected by the lower Committee a second time must be confirmed.
6. The commanders of Armies are elected by Army congresses. Commanders of Fronts are elected by congresses of the respective Fronts.
7. To posts of a technical character, demanding special knowledge or other practical preparation, namely: doctors, engineers, technicians, telegraph and wireless operators, aviators, automobilists, etc., only such persons as possess the required special knowledge may be elected, by the Committees of the units of the respective services.
8. Chiefs of Staff must be chosen from among persons with special military training for that post.
9. All other members of the Staff are appointed by the Chief of Staff, and confirmed by the respective congresses.
Note.—All persons with special training must be listed in a special list.
10. The right is reserved to retire from the service all commanders on active service who are not elected by the soldiers to any post, and who consequently are ranked as privates.
11. All other functions beside those pertaining to the command, with the exception of posts in the economic departments, are filled by appointment of the respective elected commanders.
12. Detailed instructions regarding the elections of the commanding Staff will be published separately.
President of the Council of People's Commissars.
VL. ULIANOV (LENIN).
People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs,
N. KRYLENKO.
People's Commissar for Military Affairs,
N. PODVOISKY.
Secretary of the Council,
N. GORBUNOV.
* * * * *
On the Abolition of Classes and Titles
1. All classes and class divisions, all class privileges and delimitations, all class organizations and institutions and all civil ranks are abolished.
2. All classes of society (nobles, merchants, petty bourgeois, etc.),and all titles (Prince, Count and others), and all denominations of civil rank (Privy State Councillor, and others), are abolished, and there is established the general denomination of Citizen of the Russian Republic.
3. The property and institutions of the classes of nobility are transferred to the corresponding autonomous Zemstvos.
4. The property of merchant and bourgeois organizations is transferred immediately to the Municipal Self-Governments.
5. All class institutions of any sort, with their property, their rules of procedure, and their archives, are transferred to the administration of the Municipalities and Zemstvos.
6. All articles of existing laws applying to these matters are herewith repealed.
7. The present decree becomes effective on the day it is published and applied by the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies.
The present decree has been confirmed by the Tsay-ee-kah at the meeting of November 23d, 1917, and signed by:
President of the Tsay-ee-kah,
SVERDLOV.
President of the Council of People's Commissars,
VL. ULIANOV (LENIN).
Executive of the Council of People's Commissars,
V. BONCH-BRUEVITCH.
Secretary of the Council,
N. GORBUNOV.
* * * * *
On December 3d the Council of People's Commissars resolved "to reduce the salaries of functionaries and employees in all Government institutions and establishments, general or special, without exception."
To begin with, the Council fixed the salary of a People's Commissar at 500 rubles per month, with 100 rubles additional for each grown member of the family incapable of work….
This was the highest salary paid to any Government official….
4.
Countess Panina was arrested and brought to trial before the first Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal. The trial is described in the chapter on "Revolutionary Justice" in my forthcoming volume, "Kornilov to Brist- Litovsk." The prisoner was sentenced to "return the money, and then be liberated to the public contempt." In other words, she was set free!
5.
RIDICULE OF THE NEW RÉGIME
From Drug Naroda (Menshevik), November 18th:
"The story of the 'immediate peace' of the Bolsheviki reminds us of a joyous moving-picture film…. Neratov runs—Trotsky pursues; Neratov climbs a wall, Trotsky too; Neratov dives into the water—Trotsky follows; Neratov climbs onto the roof—Trotsky right behind him; Neratov hides under the bed—and Trotsky has him! He has him! Naturally, peace is immediately signed….
"All is empty and silent at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The couriers are respectful, but their faces wear a caustic expression….
"How about arresting an ambassador and signing an armistice or a Peace Treaty with him? But they are strange folk, these ambassadors. They keep silent just as if they had heard nothing. Hola, hola, England, France, Germany! We have signed an armistice with you! Is it possible that you know nothing about it? Nevertheless, it has been published in all the papers and posted on all the walls. On a Bolshevik's word of honor, Peace has been signed. We're not asking much of you; you just have to write two words….
"The ambassadors remain silent. The Powers remain silent. All is empty and silent in the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"'Listen,' says Robespierre-Trotsky to his assistant Marat-Uritzky, 'run over to the British Ambassador's, tell him we're proposing peace!'
"'Go yourself,' says Marat-Uritzky. 'He's not receiving.'
"'Telephone him, then.'
"'I've tried. The receiver's off the hook.'
"'Send him a telegram.'
"'I did.'
"'Well, with what result?'
"Marat-Uritzky sighs and does not answer. Robespierre-Trotsky spits furiously into the corner….
"'Listen, Marat,' recommences Trotsky, after a moment. 'We must absolutely show that we're conducting an active foreign policy. How can we do that?'
"'Launch another decree about arresting Neratov,' answers Uritzky, with a profound air.
"'Marat, you're a blockhead!' cries Trotsky. All of a sudden he arises, terrible and majestic, looking at this moment like Robespierre.
"'Write, Uritzky!' he says with severity. 'Write a letter to the British ambassador, a registered letter with receipt demanded. Write! I also will write! The peoples of the world await an immediate peace!'
"In the enormous and empty Ministry of Foreign Affairs are to be heard only the sound of two typewriters. With his own hands Trotsky is conducting an active foreign policy…."
6.