Michael S. Farbman

“ The appalling condition of the army was one factor determining the struggle for peace. The other idea that obsessed the Russian democracy was the prevailing and traditional fear that Germany would come to crush the Revolution and try to reinstate the Monarchy. At this stage it is exceedingly difficult to describe how deeply and how hopefully democratic Russia wanted a revolution in Germany. The thought of a revolution in Germany was like a passion which obsessed the workers and soldiers of Russia. ”

“ And, turning to all the peoples, desolated and massacred as they are in this inhuman war, we announce that the time has come to begin the decisive struggle with the grasping ambitions of the governments of all countries; the time has come for the peoples to take into their own hands the decision of the question of war and peace.
"Conscious of its revolutionary power, the Russian democracy announces that it will use all means to oppose the annexationist policy of its ruling classes, and invites the peoples of Europe to united and vigorous action on behalf of peace. ”

“ Our deed is not yet completed: the shades of the old order have not yet dispersed, and not a few enemies are gathering their forces against the Russian Revolution. Yet our conquests are mighty. The peoples of Russia will express their will in the Constitutent Assembly, which is to be called together as soon as possible, on the basis of universal, equal, direct, and secret suffrage. And already now we can predict with certainty that the democratic republic will triumph in Russia. The Russian people enjoys full political freedom. ”

“ IN recalling the first steps of the revolutionary democracy in their struggle for peace, we are carried away by two currents of feeling. One is a deep feeling of pride and joy at their almost prophetic clearness and foresight in realising the tasks that confronted the democracy of Russia and of the world. ”

“ Whatever may be the fate of Russia, however deplorable may be the situation of the revolutionary democracy in Russia to-day, however offensive and triumphant the slanderers of the Revolution, the noble utterances and acts of that young democracy of Russia will remain as a brilliant page in history. ”

“ Workers of all lands! We hold out to you the hand of brotherhood across mountains of our brothers' corpses, across rivers of innocent blood and tears, across smoking ruins of towns and villages, across the broken treasures of civilisation: we call you to the rebirth and strengthening of international unity. ”

“ The name "idealist," when applied to a statesman, is nowadays considered as the worst criticism possible. But as a matter of fact there probably never was a better synthesis of true idealism and genuine statesmanship than in the conduct of the Russian democracy in its struggle for peace. ”

“ We are ready to support by force of arms the peoples of England, France, and Italy, if they compel their Governments to renounce all conquests and are none the less forced to defend themselves against Germany. ”

“ There was no German offensive, not because Germany had to transfer her Eastern army to the Western front, but because of the political situation in Germany and Austria. The attempt to crush the Russian Revolution by force was at that time a very risky undertaking from the point of view of Germany's rulers. And as far as a mass transference of troops from the Eastern to the Western front is concerned, it has never been proved to have taken place. It is a great misfortune that figures relating to the movements of armies are used very arbitrarily. ”

“ The repudiation of annexationist policy and the struggle for peace were expressions of the idealism of the Russian democracy. The Russian revolutionaries certainly could not have acted otherwise. They had been opponents of war all their lives ”