1917 Leon Trotsky

Pravda No. 28, April 22 (9), 1917. Signed: N. Lenin. Published according to the text in Pravda.

Written between April 8 and 13 (21 and 26), 1917

A brief note by Lenin on Blancism, written in early 1917.

A brief note by Lenin on his April Theses.

(1) Economic debacle is imminent. Therefore removal of the bourgeoisie is a mistake.

(This is the conclusion of the bourgeoisie. The more imminent the debacle, the more essential is it that the bourgeoisie be removed.)

(2) Proletariat is unorganised, weak, lacking class-consciousness.

Capitalist newspapers like Rech and Novoye Vremya have published articles attacking our passage through Germany and insinuating that the new arrivals were aiding the German imperialists. Izvestia of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies reprints in full the report published in yesterday’s Pravda which was presented to the Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies on the very first day after our arrival. In addition to the report, Izvestia publishes the resolution of the Executive Committee, which it gives in the following words:

First published in Russian in 1924 in Lenin Miscellany II. Published in Volksrecht No. 81, April 18 (5), 1917. Signed: N. Lenin.

This article was a report to the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet made by Lenin the day after his arrival in Petrograd on April 17 (4), 1917, on behalf of the emigrants who returned from Switzerland together with him.

The question of chief interest, now, to the governments and the peoples of the world is, What will be the influence of the Russian Revolution on the War? Will it bring peace nearer? Or will the revolutionary enthusiasm of the people swing towards a more vigorous prosecution of the war?

This letter was written in mid-March as Lenin was preparing to travel to Russia. In it he appealed to Russian war prisoners in Germany and Austria to return to Russia in order to support the revolution agasint the ruling classes.