Page:Emile Vandervelde - Three Aspects of the Russian Revolution - tr. Jean Elmslie Henderson Findlay (1918).djvu/182

 preparation, when they begin to get irritated by such a waste of shells, that we shall give the word: Forward!"

The 6th Army Corps disposed for its artillery preparation on the part of the enemy's line that it was going to attack of about fifty rounds per metre of frontage. In short, in spite of the increased difficulties, the material conditions of the offensive seemed rather favourable to our Allies.

The chief problem seemed to be how best to deal with the moral of the troops. There were two aspects. The first question that we asked ourselves was this: In spite of the Léninist and German propaganda, in spite of the deceptive illusions aroused regarding the coming of the Messiah of Stockholm, had the Russian troops kept their will to fight sufficiently well to obey the order to attack? And the second: Supposing that the will to fight still existed, would the discipline of the army, shaken by revolution, be sufficiently strong for operations to take place that would not degenerate into disorder, confusion, and disaster?