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

FAREWELL LETTER TO SWISS WORKERS369government intent on continuing the imperialist war, a warin alliance with the imperialist bourgeoisie of England andFrance, a war for the seizure of Constantinople, Armenia,Galicia, etc.,—we would most resolutely oppose such agovernment and would be against the “defence of thefatherland” in such a war.*A contingency approaching the above has now arisen.The new government of Russia, which has negotiated withthe brother of Nicholas II for restoration of the monarchy,and in which the most important and influential posts areheld by the monarchists Lvov and Guchkov, this governmentis trying to deceive the Russian workers with the slogan,“the Germans must overthrow Wilhelm” (correct! but whynot add: the English, the Italians, etc., must overthrowtheir kings, and the Russians their monarchists, Lvov andGuchkov??). By issuing this slogan, but refusing to publishthe imperialist, predatory treaties concluded by thetsar with France, England, etc., and confirmed by thegovernment of Guchkov-Milyukov-Kerensky, this government istrying to represent its imperialist war with Germany as awar of “defence” (i.e., as a just war, legitimate even from thestandpoint of the proletariat). It is trying to represent awar for the defence of the rapacious, imperialist, predatoryaims of capital—Russian, English, etc., as “defence” ofthe Russian republic (which does not yet exist, and whichthe Lvovs and the Guchkovs have not even promised!).If there is any truth in the latest press reports about arapprochement between the avowed Russian social-patriots(such as Plekhanov, Zasulich, Potresov, etc.) and the “Centreparty”, the party of the “Organising Committee”, theparty of Chkheidze, Skobelev, etc., based on the commonslogan: “Until the Germans overthrow Wilhelm, our warremains a defensive war,”—if this is true, then we shallredouble our energy in combating the party of Chkheidze,Skobelev, etc., which we have always fought for its opportunist,vacillating, unstable political behaviour.Our slogan is: No support for the Guchkov-Milyukovgovernment! He who says that such support is necessary toprevent restoration of the monarchy is deceiving the people.* See present edition, Vol. 21, pp. 401-04.—Ed.