Page:Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - Lessons of the Revolution (1918).djvu/48

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

— 45 —

the dictatorship of the proletariat, including the poorest peasants. I. Prilajaiev, without being conscious of it, craves that very dictatorship.

What would such dictatorship mean? Nothing less than that the resistance of the Kornilov followers would be overcome, and the complete democratization of the army accomplished. Ninety-nine per cent of the army, would declare themselves ardent adherents of this dictatorship two days after its realization. This dictatorship would give the land to the peasents and full power to the peasants' local committees; how can any, sane man doubt that the peasants would support such a dictatorship? What Pechekhonov only imagined, («the resistance of the capitalists is broken», he said before the Soviets), this dictatorship would convert into reality without the least harm to the inchoate democratic organizations for food supply, industrial control, etc.; on the contrary, it would support and develop them, while removing all obstacles in their way.

Only the dictatorship of the proletariat and the poor peasants is capable of breaking the resistance of the capitalists, of manifesting a truly majestic courage and resoluteness of power, of securing to itself the enthusiastic, loyal and heroic support of the army masses and the peasant masses.

All Power to the Soviets—the sole power which cam render further evolution gradual, peaceful and tranquil, pro-