Page:Karl Radek - Proletarian Dictatorship and Terrorism - tr. Patrick Lavin (1921).djvu/61

54 and of those of their children for taking from them the inherited right of exploiting the workers; and after they had secured to the bourgeoisie their life annuities, to assure them of an opportunity of organizing against the proletariat under the flag of democracy. but nevertheless the idea of the workers' dictatorship made great headway amongst the working classes of Western Europe and captivated always greater masses of the proletariat, not only because of the influence of the struggle of the Russian Soviet Republic, which had found a warm place in the hearts of the proletariat of the whole world, but also, and chiefly, because of the experience the working class of all lands had had of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. After the workers of Germany in November, 1918, allowed themselves to be led astray by the Haases, Ströbels, Hilferdings, Dittmanns and Kautskys who delivered them over to the fallen power of the bourgeoisie, they (the workers) soon recognized bourgeois democracy by its fruits. Between the National Assembly and the Councils there was no fundamental antagonism, asserted Haase, the leader of the Independents at the first Congress of Councils, and he recommended the convening of National Assembly. The bourgeoisie pointed out to the workers that there was only one alternative. In order to get the real power in their hands, in order to set the seal of approval of the National Assembly on the bourgeois power, they began immediately after the Congress to suppress the workers, to deprive the Workers' Councils of their rights, and to disarm the proletariat. In the period from January to March the workers' faith in the miraculous power of democracy and of the National Assembly vanished, and they declared vehemently for the dictatorship and for the domination of the Councils. At the March congress of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany, Haase and Hilferding succeeded, with great difficulty, in making the workers believe that by bringing pressure to bear on the bourgeoisie in the bourgeois National Assembly, they could get, if not control by the Councils, at least joint control, and could secure the political initiative. The chief