Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/405

 now necessary to overcome our shortcomings in bringing up the heavy artillery, we do not at all admit that the victorious cavalry attack was a mistake.

We were frequently reproached by the servants of the bourgeoisie for conducting a "Red Guard" attack on capital. An absurd reproach, worthy indeed of the servants of the money pouch. For the "Red Guard" attack on capital was at that time absolutely dictated by the circumstances.

First, capital was offering military resistance through Kerensky and Krasnov, Savinkov and Gotz, (Gegechkori is even now offering such resistance), Dutoff and Bogajevsky. Military resistance can be crushed only by military means, and the Red Guards were contributing to the noblest and greatest historical cause, the cause of the emancipation of the exploited toilers from the oppression of the exploiters.

Second, we did not at that time give preeminence to the method of management over the method of suppression for the additional reason that the art of management is not an inherent quality, but is gained through experience. At that time we did not have this experience. But now we have it.

Third, then we would not have had at our disposal specialists in different branches of knowledge and technology, for they were either fighting in the ranks of the Bogajevskys, or were still in a position to offer systematic and persistent passive resistance through sabotage.

Does this mean that the "Red Guard" attack on capital is the right method always and in all circumstances, and that we have no other methods of fighting capital? To think so would be very naive. We have won with light cavalry, but we also have heavy artillery at our disposal. We have won thus far by the method of suppression. We shall be able to win also by methods of management. We should be able to change our fighting methods with the changing circumstances. We do not for a moment reject the "Red Guard" suppression of the Savinkovs and Gegechkoris as well as of any other bourgeois counter-revolutionist. But we will not be so stupid as to give exclusive preference to the "Red Guard" methods.

At present, when the epoch of the necessity of "Red Guard" attacks is, in the main, past (and completed victoriously), it is becoming urgent for the proletarian state authority to make use of