Page:Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - Lessons of the Revolution (1918).djvu/8



The trumpets of the March revolution, 1917, brought down the Romanov dynasty, and the rejoicing of the Russian people knew no bounds. But the events immediately following had a sobering effect upon the masses. The first burning question arose: «Is the Revolution  As the embodied answer to this question, sprang up the Soviet, a revolutionary creation, a child of the people's awakening consciousness. City, town and village, as well as each unit of the army, all formed their  Soviets to safe-guard the Revolution.

These local organs, always functioning and therefore always reflecting the thoughts, desires and will of the small communities they represent, send delegates to the capital, who form the Central, Executive Committee of all. the Soviets of Workmen's, Soldiers and Peasants' Delegates. The election to the central body is carried out on the basis of  so that the C. E. K, has always represented all the various currents and even undercurrents of the Russian Revolution.

Soon after the overthrow of Tsardom, the people felt that the newly-formed Provisional Government of Lyov—Rodzianko—Miliukov did not intend to deviate from the general policies of the old regime. This popular feeling imparted itself to the local Soviets, which resulted in the  ques-