Page:Boris Zakharovich Shumyatsky - The Aims of the Bolsheviki (1919).djvu/13

 (November) Revolution, the real People's Revolution. By this Revolution they created their own workers' and peasants' power, the power of the Soviets, which have given them land and freedom.

The Bolshevik party, ever since the February (March) Revolution, had expressed that view on the land question which ultimately prevailed. It had advised the peasants to organise themselves into local soviets, to seize the land without further delay, and on no account to tolerate destruction of property, but on the contrary to make the greatest efforts to increase the production of corn and other agricultural products, as our soldiers, who at that time were still fighting for the capitalists on the different fronts, were suffering from shortage of bread. The Bolsheviki realised that, in order to give all the land to the workers, a close union between the town and village workers was essential. Without such a union it is impossible, they said, to overthrow the capitalists, for unless they are at once deprived of their power, no transference of the land to the workers will save the people from beggary. One cannot eat the land, and without money, without capital, one cannot get implements, seeds and cattle. The peasants must not put their trust in the capitalists and rich moujiks (who are also capitalists), but only in the town workers. It is only by a close union between them and the poorest peasants that the land, the railways, the banks and the factories will become the property of all the workers, and, failing this, the mere transference of the land to the people will not do away with want and poverty.

At the present time, the people have already initiated such organised transference of estates, factories, workshops and mines to their lawful owners. It is true that the process is yet only in its initial stages. Only the first step has been taken, called Nationalisation, namely, the transference of the whole economy into the hands