Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

128V. I. LENINSocial-Democracy is obliged to do everything it possiblycan to retain that role for the proletariat in the approachingnew phase of the revolutionary struggle, a phasecharacterised more than ever before by a preponderance ofpolitical consciousness over spontaneity. To achieve thatend Social-Democracy must strive with all its might forhegemony over the democratic masses and for developingrevolutionary energy among them.Such a striving brings the party of the proletariat intosharp conflict with the other class political organisations,for whom, by virtue of the group interests which they represent,a democratic revolution is hateful and dangerousnot only for its own sake but especially in view of the hegemonyof the proletariat in it, a hegemony fraught withthe danger of socialism.It is perfectly clear and beyond doubt that both theDuma majorities—the Black-Hundred-Octobrist and theOctobrist-Cadet—with the alternate backing of which theStolypin government hopes to balance itself, that boththese majorities, each in its own way—on different issues—will be counter-revolutionary. There can be no question ofany struggle with the Ministry on the part of one or theother of these majorities or even of their separate elements—a struggle in any way systematic or regular. Only separatetemporary conflicts are possible. Such conflicts are possiblefirst of all between the Black-Hundred elements of thefirst-named majority and the government. It should notbe forgotten, however, that these conflicts cannot be deepseated,and the government, without abandoning its counter-revolutionarybasis, can quite comfortably and easilyemerge the victor in these conflicts through the backingof the second majority. With the best will in the world,revolutionary Social-Democracy and, together with it, allthe other revolutionary-minded elements of the Third Dumacannot use these conflicts in the interests of the revolutionother than for purely propaganda purposes; there canbe no question whatever of “supporting” any of the conflictingsides, because such support, in itself, would be acounter-revolutionary act.Somewhat greater and better use, perhaps, could bemade of possible conflicts between various elements of the