Lenin CW-Vol. 23.pdf - From Marx to Mao

297LETTERS FROM AFARF I R S T L E T T E RTHE FIRST STAGE OF THE FIRST REVOLUTION 127The first revolution engendered by the imperialist worldwar has broken out. The first revolution but certainly notthe last.Judging by the scanty information available in Switzerland,the first stage of this first revolution, namely, of theRussian revolution of March 1, 1917, has ended. This firststage of our revolution will certainly not be the last.How could such a “miracle” have happened, that in onlyeight days—the period indicated by Mr. Milyukov in hisboastful telegram to all Russia’s representatives abroad—a monarchy collapsed that had maintained itself for centuries,and that in spite of everything had managed tomaintain itself throughout the three years of the tremendous,nation-wide class battles of 1905-07?There are no miracles in nature or history, but everyabrupt turn in history, and this applies to every revolution,presents such a wealth of content, unfolds such unexpectedand specific combinations of forms of struggle and alignmentof forces of the contestants, that to the lay mind thereis much that must appear miraculous.The combination of a number of factors of world-historicimportance was required for the tsarist monarchy to havecollapsed in a few days. We shall mention the chief ofthem.Without the tremendous class battles and the revolutionaryenergy displayed by the Russian proletariat during thethree years 1905-07, the second revolution could not possiblyhave been so rapid in the sense that its initial stage was