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

426LETTER TO THE ARMY CONGRESSON THE DEMOBILISATION OF THE ARMYDear comrades,Comrade Podvoisky has told me of your proposal and Iask you not to take amiss the fact that I am forced to confinemyself to writing a letter to you. I whole-heartedly welcomeyour confidence that you will succeed in the great task ofbuilding a socialist army—in view of all the present difficultiesand in spite of them. We may be in one of the criticalperiods of the revolution, when Soviet power is threatenedboth by an external foe—the German and other imperialists—andan internal one—the counter-revolutionarieshiding behind the slogan of “All Power to the ConstituentAssembly”.We shall overcome this crisis as well. There is not theleast doubt about it. The Soviets will retain the power theyhave won. The socialist revolution has begun. It will go on tovictory in Russia and the whole world.With best wishes of success and courage in your work.Yours,Lenin(The reading of the letter was met with loud, prolongedapplause.)Written on January 3 (16), 1918Published on January 6 (19), 1918Published accordingin the newspaper Armia i Flot to the newspaper textRabochei i Krestyanskoi Rossii No. 4