Graham R (Ed.) - Anarchism - A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas Volume One - From Anarchy to Anarchism (300 CE to 1939)

310 / ANARCHISM
chists pretended to be able to achieve the Social Revolution by "guiding" the masses,
such a pretension would be an illusion, as was that of the Bolsheviki, and for the same
reason.
That is not all. In view of the immensity-one might say the universality-and the
nature of the task, the working class alone cannot lead the true Revolution to a satisfactory
conclusion. lfit has the pretentiousness of acting alone and imposing itself upon the
other elements ofthe population by dictatorship, and fo rcibly making them follow it, it
will meet with the same failure. One must understand nothing about social phenomena
nor of the nature of men and things to believe the contrary ...
Three conditions are indispensable-in the fo llowing order of importance-for
a revolution to sllcceed conclusively.
1. It is necessary that great masses-millions of persons in several countries-driven
by imperative necessity, participate in it of their own free will.
2. That, by reason of this fa ct, the more advanced elements, the revolutionists,
part of the working class, et al., do not have recourse to coercive measures of a
political nature.
3. That for these two reasons, the huge "neutral" mass, carried without compulsion
by the fa r-sweeping current, by the free enthusiasm of millions of humans,
and by the first positive results of this gigantic movement, accept of their own
free will thefait accompli and come over more and more to the side of the true
revolution.
Tilus tile achievement of the true emancipating revolution requires the active participation,
the strict collaboration, conscious and without rfservaiiuns, uf nliiiions oj men of aU social
conditions, declassed, unemployed, levelled, and thrown into the Revolution by the fo rce of
events.
But, in order that these millions of men be driven into a place from which there
is no escape, it is necessary above everything else that this fo rce dislodge them from
the beaten track of their daily existence. And fo r this to happen, it is necessary that
this existence, the existing society itself, become impossible; that it be ruined from top
to bottom-its economy, its social regime, its politics, its manners, customs, and prejudices.
Such is the course history takes when the times are ripe for the true revolution,
fo r true emancipation.
It is here that we touch upon the heart of the problem.
I think that in Russia this destruction had not gone far enough. Thus the political
idea had not been destroyed, which permitted the Bolsheviks to take power, im-