Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

395QUESTIONS TO DELEGATESTO THE ARMY CONGRESS ON THE DEMOBILISATIONOF THE ARMY 148(1) Is the likelihood of the Germans starting an offensivein the near future great or small—(a) from the viewpoint of the physical and technicalpossibility of a winter offensive;(b) from the viewpoint of the mood of the mass of theGerman soldiers; is that mood capable of preventing anoffensive, or at least of retarding it?(2) Can it be assumed that the Germans, if we immediatelybreak off peace negotiations, and if their troops immediatelytake the offensive, are capable of inflicting a decisivedefeat upon us? Will they be able to take Petrograd?(3) Is it to be feared that the news of the peace negotiationshaving been broken off will result in widespread anarchistsentiments in the army and in desertions from thefront, or may we be confident that the army will staunchlyhold the front even after the receipt of such news?(4) Would our army be capable, from the military viewpoint,of resisting a German offensive, if it began onJanuary 1? If not, when would our army be in a positionto resist a German offensive?(5) In the event of a swift German advance, could our armyretire in good order and preserve its artillery, and if 50.could the Germans’ advance into the heart of Russia be heldup for long?(6) General conclusion: from the point of view of the stateof the army, should we strive to drag out the peace negotiations?or would it be preferable to break them off immediatelyin revolutionary fashion, because of the Germans’