Political Parties in Russia and the Tasks of the Proletariat Index POLITICAL PARTIES IN RUSSIA AND THE TASKS OF THE PROLETARIAT 1) WHAT ARE THE CHIEF POLITICAL PARTY GROUPINGS IN RUSSIA? 2) WHAT CLASSES DO THESE PARTIES REPRESENT? WHAT CLASS STANDPOINT DO THEY EXPRESS? 3) WHAT IS THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOCIALISM? 4) WHAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT DO THEY WANT AT PRESENT? 5) WHAT IS THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS RESTORATION OF THE ROMANOV MONARCHY? 6) WHAT IS THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE SEIZURE OF POWER? WHAT DO THEY REGARD AS ORDER, AND WHAT AS ANARCHY? 7) SHOULD THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT BE SUPPORTED? 8) FOR UNDIVIDED POWER OR DUAL POWER? 9) SHOULD A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY BE CONVENED? 10) DOES THE STATE NEED THE USUAL TYPE OF POLICE AND A STANDING ARMY? 11) DOES THE STATE NEED A BUREAUCRACY OF THE USUAL TYPE? 12) SHOULD OFFICERS BE ELECTED BY THE SOLDIERS? 13) IS IT DESIRABLE FOR THE SOLDIERS, ON THEIR OWN DECISION, TO DISPLACE THEIR SUPERIORS? 14) FOR OR AGAINST THE PRESENT WAR? 15) FOR OR AGAINST THE PREDATORY INTERNATIONAL TREATIES BETWEEN THE TSAR, GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, ETC. (FOR THE SUBJUGATION OF PERSIA, THE PARTITION OF CHINA, TURKEY, AUSTRIA. ETC.)? 16) FOR OR AGAINST ANNEXATIONS? 17) FOR OR AGAINST THE LIBERTY LOAN? 18 ) FOR OR AGAINST THE CAPITALIST GOVERNMENTS ASCERTAINING THE PEOPLES’ WILL TO PEACE? 19) MUST ALL MONARCHIES BE ABOLISHED? 20) SHALL THE PEASANTS TAKE ALL THE LANDED ESTATES IMMEDIATELY? 21) CAN WE LEAVE LAND DISPOSAL AND ALL RURAL AFFAIRS IN THE HANDS OF THE SOVIETS OF PEASANTS’ DEPUTIES ALONE? 22) SHALL THE PEOPLE TAKE OVER THE LARGEST AND MOST POWERFUL CAPITALIST MONOPOLIES, THE BANKS, THE SYNDICATES OF MANUFACTURERS. ETC.? 23) WHAT KIND OF SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTING A FRATERNAL UNION OF THE WORKERS OF ALL COUNTRIES DO THE PEOPLES NOW NEED? 24) SHOULD FRATERNISATION AT THE FRONT BETWEEN SOLDIERS OF THE BELLIGERENT COUNTRIES BE ENCOURAGED? 25) WHAT COLOUR BANNER WOULD BE IN CHARACTER WITH THE VARIOUS POLITICAL PARTIES? NOTES ALL PAGES 1917 V.I Lenin Share TweetPage 10 of 27 9) SHOULD A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY BE CONVENED?A. (to the right of the C.D.). No, for it might prejudice the landowners. You never know—the peasants in the Constituent Assembly may decide that the landowners ought to have their estates taken away from them.B. (C.D.). Yes, but without fixing a date. As much time as possible should be spent consulting professors of law; first, because, as Bebel said, jurists are the most reactionary people in the world; and, second, because the experience of all revolutions has shown that the cause of popular freedom is lost ’when it is entrusted to professors.C. (S.D. and S.R.). Yes, and as quickly as possible. A date must be fixed; we have already said so two hundred times at the meetings of the Contact Commission, and shall say so again tomorrow, for the last and two-hundred-and- first time.D. (“Bolsheviks”). Yes, and as soon as possible. But there is only one way to assure its convocation and success, and that is by increasing the number and strength of the Soviets and organising and arming the working-class masses. That is the only guarantee. Prev Next
