Page:Michael Farbman - Russia & the Struggle for Peace (1918).djvu/93



OW let us see what happened to the army during the war. I am very sorry that I was not in Russia in the first eight days of the mobilisation and did not see the send-off of the Petrograd garrison, notably of the Imperial Guard, on their way to the front. I imagine that when they went the war spirit and patriotic upheaval of the people was at its highest. On my return to Russia I witnessed the endless march of troops from the provinces through Petrograd. And I must state that the absence of any patriotic enthusiasm or even of any excitement or high temper among the soldiers themselves struck me very forcibly at that time.

The troops as they were marching to the front looked as Russian soldiers always look; like "God's poor little grey cattle." The army was, as it has long been, a resigned, obedient, amorphous human mass put into motion by other people towards some unknown destination, moving in blind faith towards an unknown destiny and for an unknown purpose. There was no fighting spirit, no feeling of duty, nor indeed any feeling of spiritual exaltation whatsoever. There was, once more, obedience and nothing else.

But there was one thing during this early period of the war which made the mobilisation very remarkable, indeed almost historic. For the first time in history there seemed to be a real point of contact between the army and the people. For the first time, the Russian troops were really heartily welcomed and cheered by the people. Hitherto there was only pity for the individual soldier and fear and hatred of the army as a whole. Now, for the first time, fear and hatred were