Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 16 - From Marx to Mao

138V. I. LENINity is not excluded” that we can successfully contend for theleadership of the rural and urban masses (except the workers):let us try by talking about our “radicalism” to secure aniche in the people’s movement just as our talk of beingHis Majesty’s Opposition secured us a niche in London.Inadvertently the Cadet conference has signally confirmedthe tactics of our Party. We must survive this new historicalperiod when the autocracy is trying to save itself ina new way and is plainly heading for bankruptcy again onthis new path. We must survive this period, systematically,persistently, patiently working to build up a broader andstronger organisation of the more politically conscious massesof the socialist proletariat and the democratic peasantry.We must utilise all conditions and opportunities for Partyactivity at a time when both the Black-Hundred Duma andthe monarchy are obliged to take the path of partyism. Wemust use this time as a period for training fresh masses ofthe people, on a new basis, under new conditions, to wagea more vigorous revolutionary struggle for our old demands.The revolution and the counter-revolution have shown thatthe monarchy is quite incompatible with democracy, rule bythe people, freedom of the people—we must carry out amongthe masses propaganda for the abolition of the monarchy, forrepublicanism, as the condition without which the peoplecannot be victorious, we must make the slogan of “downwith the monarchy” as popular a “household word” as theslogan of “down with the autocracy” became as a result ofthe long years of persistent work by the Social-Democratsin 1895-1904. The revolution and the counter-revolutionhave shown in practice the full power and significance of thelandlord class—we must sow among the masses of the peasantrypropaganda for the complete abolition of this class,the complete destruction of landlordism. The revolution andcounter-revolution have shown in actual fact the true natureof the liberals and bourgeois intelligentsia—we must ensurethat the masses of the peasantry clearly understand that theleadership of the liberals will ruin their cause, that withoutindependent revolutionary mass struggle whatever the Cadet“reforms”, they will inevitably remain in bondage to thelandlord. The revolution and counter-revolution have shownus the alliance of autocracy and the bourgeoisie, the alliance