The Forgotten Heroes of the Russian Revolution: Fighters for a Liberties and Democracy against the oppressive Bolshevik government

 Por: Marco Roncagliolo

The Forgotten Heroes of the Russian Revolution are people who decided to fight for a free society and some type of democratic ideals, but they failed because the Bolshevik power was overwelming. The first part, mentions the attempt of the Constituent Assembly to establish a constitution and a new democratic government. It also mentions the winners of the election were the Socialist Revolutionaries with more votes than the Bolsheviks. At the end, Vladimir Lenin, the head of the Sovnarkom, decided to disolve the Assambly and follow an authoritarian way of government. 

Another important moment, War Communism, began by the nationalization of the land and the requisition of grain and vegetables by soldiers. Followed by the distress in the people, especially in the Kronstadt Rebellion on 28th February, 1921, when the sailors passed a resolution for full political freedoms. They were repressed by the Cheka and later executed for counterevolutionary crimes.

And finally, Fanny Kaplan was an anarchist, who attempted on the life of Vladimir Lenin, which helped the Bolshevik claimed she was an agent in a British Conspiracy to overthrow the government. Felix Dzerzhinsky, head of the Cheka, ordered the arrest of British agents. This resulted in the death of the British naval attaché, who resisted arrest and was killed.

The new Provisional Government introduces a Constituent Assembly. Elections were due to take place in November, but some leading Bolsheviks believed that the election should be postponed. When the elections were to be cancelled, five members of the Bolshevik Central Committee, Victor Nogin, Lev Kamevev, Gregory Zinoviev, Alexei Rykov and Vladimir Milyutin submitted their resignations. They issued a statement, on 4 November, 1917, “The leading group in the Central Committee... has firmly decided ... to fight for a purely Bolshevik government however it can and whatever the sacrifices this costs the workers and soldiers. 

From 25th of November to 9th December, the balloting began and continued. Morgan Philips Price, a journalist working for the Manchester Guardian, reported: “The elections for the Constituent Assembly have just taken place here. The polling was very high. Every man and woman votes all over this vast territory, even the Lapp in Siberia and the Tartar of Central Asia. The one thing that troubles us all and hangs like a cloud over our heads is the fear of famine.” Thirty-six millions cast their secret ballot, the voting under the Bolshevik auspices, yet a total 703 candidates were elected in November, included Socialist Revolutionaries (299), Bolsheviks (168), Mensheviks (18) and Constitutional Democratic Party (17).

The elections disclosed that the Socialist-Revolutionaries were the dominant in the north, north-west, central black earth, south-eastern Volga, in the north Caucasus, Siberia, most of Ukraine and soldiers of the south-western and Rumanian fronts, and the sailors of the Black Sea fleet. Bolsheviks, in the White Sea, central provinces, in Petrograd and Moscow. The Mensheviks were virtually limited to Transcaucasia, and the Kadets to the metropolitan centres of Moscow and Petrograd where, in any case, they took place to the Bolsheviks.” 

Demonstration in support of the Russian Constituent 

Vladimir Lenin demobilized the Russian Army and announced that he seek an armistice with Germany. In December 1917, Leon Trostky led the Russian delegation at Brest-Litovsk that was negotiating with representatives from Germany and Austria. By delaying tactics Trostky hoped that socialist revolutions would spread from Russia to Germany and Austria-Hungary. 

The Constituent Assembly opened on 18th January 1918, the Bolsheviks and Left Socialist Revolutionaries occupied the extreme left of the house; next the Socialist Revolutionary majority, then the Mensheviks. Yakov Sverlov was the first to read a statement that demanded all the state power be vested in the Soviets and that all attempts on any person or institution will be regarded as a counter-revolutionary act. This statement was ignored; members demanded the election of a President, which the candidates were Victor Chernov (Socialist Revolutionaries) and Maria Spiridonova (Left-Social-Revolutionaries), which Victor Chernov won of 244 against 151. 

The Only Session Of The All-Russian Constituent Assembly

Irakli Tsereteli, the leader of the Mensheviks, raise to speaks but was confronted with soldiers and sailors pointing rifles and pistols, but finally pleaded for civil liberty and the warning of a civil war. Lenin did not speak, smiled, jested, and wrote on a slip of paper, then fall sleep. When the Assembly refused to support the program of the new Soviet government, the Bolsheviks walked out. The following day, Lenin announced that the Constituent Assembly had been dissolved. (http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSassembly.htm)

Kronstadt Rebellion

The new Bolshevik government abolished private ownership of land and began distributing it among the peasants. Banks and large companies like Putilov Metal Works, were nationalized and worker control of factory production. During the Civil War the government decided to introduce War Communism. All companies were nationalized and the government decided what should they produce. 

The government had the power to force men and women to work, because soldiers were sent into rural areas to requisition grain and vegetables. There were also peasant risings in 1920 in the Volga basin and Siberia. Vladimir Lenin justified this policy by claiming that these measures were necessary to defeat the White Army. The policy created social distress and led to riots, strikes and demonstrations.(http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSwar.htm)

In 1921, Kronstadt sailors had become disillusioned with the Bolshevik government for the lack of democracy and the policy of War Communism. On 28 of February 1921, the crew of the battleship, Petropavlovsk, passed a resolution calling for a return of full political freedoms. The Bolshevik government led by Lenin denounces the protest as a plot instigated by the White Army, and their European supporters. 

On 6 March, Leon Trotsky announced that he was going to order the Red Army to attack the Kronstadt sailors. However, only in 17 March that the government forces take control of Kronstadt. An estimated 8,000 sailors and people left Kronstadt and went to live in Finland. The Cheka dealt with the sailors arrested during the Kronstadt Uprising. Official figures suggest 527 people were killed and 4,127 were wounded. According to Victor Serge over 500 sailors at Kronstadt were executed for their part in the rebellion.

Leo Trostky in his desk.

Boris Savinkov, a former Russian terrorist of the Socialist Revolutionary Party, and Sidney Reilly, an agent of MI6, decided to establish his anti-Bolshevik organization, Monarchist Union of the Central Russia (Trust). Savinkov was given assurance of massive support from the anti-Boshevik outside Russia as Richard Deacon, the author of A History of the Russian Secret Service in 1972. Savinkov asked Reilly to carry out investigations into “The Trust”. 

Russian revolutionary Boris Savinkov (1879 - 1925)

Reilly contacted Ernest Boyce, the head of the Russian section of MI6, who confirmed that the organization was a movement of considerable power within Russia. Their agents have supplied valuable intelligence to the Secret Service and were conviced it was not under the control of the Russian Secret Service. Sidney Reilly knew Winston Churchill was a supporter of intervention and Boris Savinkov was the best man to coordinate an overthrow of the Bolsheviks. Primer Minister David Lloyd George had doubts about trying to overthrow the Bolsheviks.

On 10 August 1924, Savinkov left for Russia. Nineteen days later Izvetia announced that Savinkov had been arrested. Next few months the newspaper announced that he had been condemned to death; sentenced had been commuted to ten years. Savinkov wrote to Sidney Reilly, that he had changed his views of the Bosheviks: "How many illusions and fairy tales have I buried here in the Loubianka! I have met men in the GPU whom I have known and trusted from my youth up and who are nearer to me than the chatterboxes of the foreign delegation of the Social-Revolutionaries... I cannot deny that Russia is reborn.” Reilly believed the letter had been written by the GPU. Since my arrival on July 19th, I have spent every day with Savinkov up to August 10th, the day of his departure…and all of his plan have been elaborated conjointly with me…"

Boris Savinkov under arrest.

Reilly recalled: "At a given signal, the soldiers were to close the doors and cover all the people in the Theatre with their rifles, while a selected detachment was to secure the persons of Lenin and Trotsky... In case there was any hitch in the proceedings, in case the Soviets showed fight or the Letts proved nervous... the other conspirators and myself would carry grenades in our place of concealment behind the curtains." However, at the last moment, the Soviet Central Executive Committee meeting was postponed until 6th September.




On 31 August 1918, Dora Kaplan attempted to assassinate Lenin. The Cheka led by Felix Dzerzhinsky, head of the Cheka, rounded up the agents, with the claims that the British conspiracy wanted to overthrow the Bolshevik government. The naval attaché, Francis Cromie was killed resisting arrest. According to Robert Bruce Lockhart: "The gallant Cromie had resisted to the last; with a Browning in each hand he had killed a commissar and wounded several Cheka thugs, before falling himself riddled with Red bullets. Kicked and trampled on, his body was thrown out of the second floor window.” (http://spartacus-educational.com/RUScheka.htm#section6)

"Attempt on Vladimir Lenin's life, Aug. 30, 1918"




Conclusions

The new Provisional Government introduces a Constituent Assembly to take place in November, but some leading Bolsheviks believed should be postponed. When elections were cancelled, five members of the Central Committee decided to resign to fight for a purely Bolshevik government, even at the cost of the workers and soldiers. 

From 25 of November to 9th December, the balloting began; the result in the elections for the Constituent Assembly was a total 703 candidates were elected, included Socialist-Revolutionaries (299), Bolsheviks (168), Mensheviks (18) and Constitutional Democratic Party (17). 

The elections show Socialist-Revolutionaries were dominant in the North, North-west, Black Earth, South-Eastern Volga, North Caucasus, Siberia, most of Ukraine, and soldiers of South-western and Rumanian fronts, and sailors of the Black Sea fleet. The Bolsheviks won in White Sea, central provinces, in Petrograd and Moscow. The Mensheviks were limited to Transcaucasia, and the Kadets to the Metropolitan of Moscow and Petrograd. 

The Bolshevik government, led by Lenin demobilized the Russian Army and announced an armistice with Germany. In December 1917, Leon Trostky led the delegation at Breast-Litvosk, by delaying tactics in the hope that socialist revolutions would spread to Germany and Austria-Hungary. 

The leader of the Mensheviks, Irakli Tsereteli, tried to plead for civil liberty and the warning of a civil war, but was confronted with soldiers and sailors pointing rifles and pistols. When the Assembly refused to support the program of the new Soviet government, the Bolshevik walked out. The following day, Lenin announced that the Constituent Assembly had been dissolved. 

The day the Constituent Assembly opened on 18 January, 1918, Yakov Sverlov read a statement that demanded all the state power be vested in the Soviets, and all attempts on any person or institution be regarded as counter-revolutionary act. The members of the assembly ignored it and demanded election of the President, being Victor Chernov and Maria Spiridonova the candidates; Chernov won of 244 against 151. 

The War Communism, a policy by Vladimir Lenin to nationalize all companies, through the force of soldiers on peasants through requisition of grain and vegetables. These measures created social distress, motivated the peasant risings in 1920 in the Volga and Siberia, in strikes and demonstrations.

The Kronstadt sailor of battleship, Petropavlovsk, had become disillusioned with the Bolshevik government for the lack of democracy and War Communism. On 28 of February 1921, the sailors passed a resolution for return of full political freedoms. The Bolshevik government, through Lenin said the uprising was a plot instigated by the White Army. On 6 March, Trosky announced that he was going to send the Red Army causing 8,000 sailors and people to leave Kronstadt to Finland. The Cheka finally dealt with the sailor arrested by execution of 500 to more arrest.  

Boris Savinkov, a former Russian terrorist of the Socialist Revolutionary Party, and Sidney Reilly, an agent of the MI6, decided to establish his anti-Bolshevik organization, Monarchist Union of the Central Russia (Trust). Reilly decided to investigate “The Trust”, so he contacted Ernest Boyce, head of the Russian section of MI6, who confirmed that the organization was a movement of considerable power within Russia. On August 1924, Savinkov left to Russia, to be arrested nineteen days later. Savinkov wrote a letter that he changed his view of the Bolsheviks, and said Russia is reborn. 

Reilly thought the letter was written by the GPU. Reilly had a grand plan to arrest all the Red leaders on August 28 in a meeting of the meeting of the Soviet Central Executive Committee, and de-bag them by making them to march through the street of Moscow bereft of trousers and underpants, to destroy their power by ridicule. In the theater, Reilly had soldiers with orders to close the doors and cover all the people with their rifles; he and other conspirators would carry grenades. The meeting was postponed until 6th September.

Reilly had a gran plan was to arrest the entire Red leader in one swoop on August 28th when a meeting of the Soviet Central Executive Committee was to be held. He wanted to de-bag the Bolshevik hierarchy and with Lenin and Trostky in front, to march them through the street of Moscow bereft of trousers and underpants, to destroy their power by ridicule than to make martyrs by shooting them, said Robing Bruce Lockhart, the author of Reilly: Ace of Spies of 1992. 

On 31 August 1918 Dora Kaplan attempted to assassinate Lenin. The Cheka claimed it was a British conspiracy to overthrow the Bolshevik government. Felix Dzerzhinsky, head of the Cheka, ordered the arrest of the agents like Francis Cromie, a naval attaché, who was killed while resisting arrest with his Browning.

The Forgotten Heroes of the Russian Revolution are real people, who with their actions resisted the oppression and repression by the Bolshevik government. Either by trying to establish a democratic government and a Constitution, rebelling against he abuses of the government or attempting to kill the leader of the government to follow the downfall of Bolshevism. They should be remembered in Russia like the heroes to fight opression by a Dictatorship by the Bolshevik.