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

NOTES OF A PUBLICIST199and that we must march towards it in a new way (in a differentway from the previous one; not merely in the waywe did before; not merely with those weapons and means ofstruggle we used before); that the autocracy itself is notthe same as it was before. It is just this point that the advocatesof otzovism refuse to see. They persistently want toremain one-sided and thereby, in spite of themselves, consciouslyor unconsciously, they are rendering a service to theopportunists and liquidators; by their one-sidedness inone direction they are supporting one-sidedness in anotherdirection.The autocracy has entered a new historical period. Itis taking a step towards its transformation into a bourgeoismonarchy. The Third Duma represents an alliance withdefinite classes. The Third Duma is not an accidental, buta necessary institution in the system of this new monarchy.Nor is the autocracy’s new agrarian policy accidental;it is a necessary link in the policy of the new tsarism,necessary to the bourgeoisie and necessary because of its bourgeoischaracter. We are confronted by a specific historicalperiod with specific conditions for the birth of a new revolution.It will be impossible to master these specific conditionsand prepare ourselves for this new revolution if weoperate only in the old way, if we do not learn to utilisethe Duma tribune itself, etc.It is this last point that the otzovists cannot grasp. Andthe defenders of otzovism, who declare it to be a “legitimateshade of opinion” (p. 28 of the pamphlet under review),cannot even now grasp the connection this point has withthe whole cycle of ideas, with the recognition of the specificcharacter of the present moment and with the effort totake it into account in their tactics! They repeat that weare passing through an “inter-revolutionary period” (p. 29),that the present situation is “transitional between two wavesof the democratic revolution” (p. 32); but they cannot understandwhat it is that is specific in this “transition”. However,unless we do understand this transition it will beimpossible to survive it with advantage to the revolution,it will be impossible to prepare for the revolution,to go over to the second wave! For the preparation for thenew revolution cannot be restricted to repeating that it is