Page:Michael Farbman - Russia & the Struggle for Peace (1918).djvu/138

 126 The first point of confusion is the question: Was the Revolution provoked by the Government? Those who adhere to the theory that the Duma created the Revolution affirm that "to imagine that he (Protopopov) 'provoked' the Revolution would be to accept a palpable absurdity." According to the majority of observers in Russia, the provocation of the Revolution was, however, to say the least of it, a palpable fact. It was deliberately organised many weeks in advance of the Revolution.

This is indicated by a whole series of Government measures—measures which were utterly senseless except on the assumption that they were deliberately intended to provoke revolt. First there was the sudden and unfounded arrest of the Workers' representatives in the War Industrial Committee, which was bound to arouse the greatest possible indignation among the munition workers. Then there were the aggressive proclamations of the Military Commandant of the Petrograd district, Habalov, especially the one which was issued on the day of the opening of the Duma, a fortnight before the Revolution. These proclamations threatened to crush by force any attempted demonstrations; but there were in fact no crowds in the Petrograd streets at that time except the food queues. There