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

THIRD ALL-RUSSIA CONGRESS OF SOVIETS459are not in the least disturbed by the howls of those peoplewho consciously or unconsciously side with the bourgeoisie,or who are so frightened by them, so oppressed by their rule,that they have been flung into consternation at the sightof this unprecedentedly acute class struggle, have burst intotears, forgotten all their premises and demand that we performthe impossible, that we socialists achieve completevictory without fighting against the exploiters and withoutsuppressing their resistance.As far back as the summer of 1917 the exploiters understoodthat it is a matter of “the last and decisive battles”,and that if the Soviets came to power the last bulwark ofthe bourgeoisie, their principal source for suppressing theworking people, would be torn out of their hands.That is why the October Revolution began this systematicand unswerving struggle to compel the exploiters to ceasetheir resistance and to become reconciled to the idea, nomatter how difficult that may be for even the best of them, thatthe rule of the exploiting classes has gone never to return,that from now on the ordinary peasant will give the ordersand that they must obey, however unpleasant that may be.This will entail many difficulties, sacrifices and mistakes;it is something new, unprecedented in history andcannot be studied from books. It goes without saying thatthis is the greatest and most difficult transition that hasever occurred in history; but there is no other way to makethis great transition and the fact that Soviet power hasbeen established in Russia has shown that it is the revolutionarypeople who are richest of all in revolutionary experience—whenmillions come to the assistance of a few scoreof Party people—the people who actually take their exploitersby the throat.That is why civil war has acquired predominance in Russiaat the present time. Against us is advanced the slogan:“Down with civil war!” I happened to hear this shouted fromthe Right benches of the so-called Constituent Assembly.Down with civil war.... What does that mean? Civil waragainst whom? Against Kornilov, Kerensky and Ryabushinskywho are spending millions to bribe vagabonds and officials?Against the saboteurs who, consciously or unconsciously,are accepting these bribes? Undoubtedly, among the latter