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isaac-deutscher-the-prophet-armed-trotsky-1879-1921

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TROTSKY IN I 905<br />

'"Let us through to <strong>the</strong> Tsar!"-­<br />

'And <strong>the</strong>n it happened!<br />

'The guns went off with a thunder .... The snow reddened with<br />

workers' blood ....<br />

'Tell all and sundry in what way <strong>the</strong> Tsar has dealt with <strong>the</strong><br />

toilers of St. Petersburg! ...<br />

'Remember, Russian peasant~, how every Russian Tsar has<br />

repeated with pride: "In my country, I am <strong>the</strong> first courtier and <strong>the</strong><br />

first landlord." ...<br />

'Russian Tsars have made <strong>the</strong> peasants into an Estate of serfs;<br />

<strong>the</strong>y have made of <strong>the</strong>m, like of dogs, presents to <strong>the</strong>ir faithful servants<br />

....<br />

'Peasants, at your meetings tell <strong>the</strong> soldiers, <strong>the</strong> people's sons who<br />

live on <strong>the</strong> people's money, that <strong>the</strong>y dare not shoot at <strong>the</strong> people.'<br />

Thus, in plain words, without weakening for a moment<br />

his grasp on <strong>the</strong> muzhik's imagination, he explained <strong>the</strong> ends<br />

his party was pursuing and <strong>the</strong> means it would employ; and he<br />

translated <strong>the</strong> alien term 'revolution' into <strong>the</strong> peasants' idiom:<br />

'Peasants, let this fire burst all over Russia at one and <strong>the</strong> same<br />

time, and no force will put it out. Such a nation-wide fire is<br />

called revolution.''<br />

In a different manner again he addressed urban workers-for<br />

instance when <strong>the</strong>y failed to respond to <strong>the</strong> party's call and<br />

demonstrate on May Day: 'You have taken fright before <strong>the</strong><br />

Tsar's soldiers .... But you are not afraid of delivering your<br />

bro<strong>the</strong>rs to <strong>the</strong> Tsar's army so that <strong>the</strong>y may perish on <strong>the</strong><br />

great, unwept-for Manchurian cemetery .... You did not come<br />

out yesterday, but you will come out tomorrow or <strong>the</strong> day after.' 2<br />

A small masterpiece of revolutionary journalism was a very<br />

short article: 'Good morning, Petersburg Dvornik.' 3 He wrote<br />

it later in <strong>the</strong> year, after <strong>the</strong> Tsar had, in <strong>the</strong> so-called October<br />

Manifesto, promised a constitution and civil liberties. The<br />

dvornik (concierge) had usually served <strong>the</strong> political police as informer<br />

and stooge; but now he became infected with revolution.<br />

'The Petersburg dvornik awakens from <strong>the</strong> police nightmare',<br />

1<br />

Iskra, no. go, 3 ~farrh 190!:'>- .'iorhinerl)·a, vol. ii, book 1, pp. 21j ·'..?4. The<br />

manuscript of this prodama1ion was found, after 1917, in <strong>the</strong> archives of <strong>the</strong><br />

gendarmcrie of Kiev-it had been seized during a raid on Krasin's printing shop.<br />

' L. Trotsky, Sochirunya, vol. ii, book 1, pp. 241-5. This proclamation, signed by<br />

<strong>the</strong> Central Committee was also found in <strong>the</strong> archives of <strong>the</strong> Kiev gcndarmerie<br />

after 1917.<br />

3 Russlcaya Ga{ela, 15 November 1go5; Sochirunya, vol. ii, book 1, pp. 300-1.<br />

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