peoples against their will, and therefore there can be no question of any annexation of Galicia, unless it be a unison of free Galicia with free Russia. The Austrian Chauvinists tell us that we want to dismember their Empire. Yes, we do want to dismember this Empire, this Empire of violence and tortures, this Empire whose history throughout the nineteenth century is a history of violence, deceit, corruption, falsehood, perfidy and cruelty. … Citizens, we aim at the liberation of Armenia. The establishment of an autonomous Armenia: is that an annexation? We have a great sin on our souls, in our indifference to the fate of the Armenians at the time when the voice of free England called us out in defence of Armenia. And Constantinople? From whom are we going to annex it? From the Turks. Gentlemen, you know that Constantinople is least of all a Turkish city. You know that, if our memory does not deceive us, there are 140,000 Turks there and the remainder are Christians, Greeks and Jews.[1] Citizens, in this war we have our duty to our Allies. … At the end of the war I want to look them straight in the face; I do not want to expect them to ask: What then, when we were sacrificing our children, our sons and brothers on the peninsula of Gallipoli in order to open up the way to Constantinople for you, was that merely your caprice? … It is our duty to raise our voice and cry: Russia is with you. Do not depart one iota from her legitimate demands, one iota from her life-interests; do not let yourselves be confused by the shouts that you may hear on your way; stand firm to the end we shall support you."
Rodichev's speech was received with tremendous ovations by the Cadet Congress, and made a deep impression on them. It was immediately proposed to close
- ↑ The non-Cadet Press criticised Rodichev's speech very strongly. The Den remarked: "Constantinople being inhabited by Turks, Greeks, and Jews, it is only right that it should therefore belong to Russia!"
