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

ARMING THE REPUBLIC 445
inflicted on itself so much devastation, this beautiful Red Petrograd
remains what it has been-the torch of revolution .... 1
Of the effect of Trotsky's intervention we have many eyewitness
accounts. The following comes from Lashcvich, who at
this time was, as we know, anything but friendly towards
Trotsky and himself played an eminent role in these events:
Like fresh reinforcements arriving ... Trotsky's presence on the
spot at once showed itself: proper discipline was restored and the
military and administrative agencies rose to tl1eir task. \Vhoever
was inefficient was demoted. The higher and the middle commanding
personnel were changed. Trotsky's orders, clear and precise, sparing
nobody and exacting from everybody the utmost exertion and accurate,
rapid execution of combat orders, at once showed that there was
a firm directing hand .... The inward rallying had begun. The
staffs got into working order. Liaison, hitherto defective, became
satisfactory. The supply departments began to function without a
hitch. Desertion from the front was radically reduced. In all detachments
field tribunals were in session .... Everybody began to realize
that only one road was left-forward. All avenues of retreat had been
cut. Trotsky penetrated into every detail, applying to every item of
business his seething, restless energy and his amazing perseverance.2
For a few days Yudenich's advance continued. The appearance
of British tanks on the outskirts of the city caused a panic.
On horseback Trotsky gathered terror-stricken and retreating
men and led them back into the fighting-line. In a spurt of
improvisation factories, working within the range ofYudcnich's
artillery, began to turn out tank-like \'chicles; and the panic
was over. Regular troops, hastily formed Red Guards, even
detachments of women, fought back, as Yudenich put it, with
'heroic madness'. A week after Trotsky's arrival, the defenders
passed to the offensive. On the second anniversary of the revolution,
which was also his fortieth birthday, Trotsky was back in
Moscow to report victory to the Central Executive of the Soviets.
The last act of the civil war had begun. On the southern
front, too, the White Guards were reeling back and disintegrating.3
The Red Army pressed forwards towards Kharkov, Kiev,
1 Trotsky,. Sochinenya, vol. xvii, book 2, p. 287.
•Barba za Petrograd, pp. 52-53.
3 Th~ reasons for the collapse of the White armies have by nobody been stated
more bluntly and truthfully than hy Denikin himself: 'The liberation by ourselves
of enormous areas should have brought about ... a rising of all elements hostile to