V. I.

Lenin

Novoye Vremya fully discloses the plans of the
Russian nationalists. When reading this newspaper, which is “influential”
in nationalist quarters, as well as among the Octobrists, the plan that
they are firmly pursuing for robbing Turkey becomes obvious.

As usual, the policy of chauvinism and seizure of foreign territory is
being carried out first and foremost by inciting the general public against
Austria. “The Balkan peoples,” writes Novoye Vremya , “have
rallied together for a holy war of independence. The Austrian diplomat is
on the look-out for the moment when they can be plundered.”

Austria has torn off a chunk (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Italy has
torn off another (Tripoli); it is now our turn to enrich ourselves—such
is the policy of Novoye Vremya . “A holy war of independence” is
merely a phrase to deceive simpletons, for no one in our own Russia has so
flouted the truly democratic principles of genuine independence of
all peoples as have the nationalists and the Octobrists.

But why do the nationalists consider the time favourable for a policy
of plunder? This, too, can be clearly seen from Novoye Vremya . Italy will not fight—it says in effect; as for Austria, it
would be risky for her to start a war against the Balkan Slays because she
has a kindred population of many millions, and Germany would not venture a
European war to defeat Turkey.

The nationalists’ calculation is frank and shameless to the last
degree. While mouthing pompous words about “a holy war of independence”
of the peoples, they gamble with the lives of millions in the most
cold-blooded way by in citing the peoples to a carnage for the profit of a
handful of merchants and industrialists.

The Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria and Italy) is weak at the moment,
for Italy has spent 800 million francs on the war against the Turks, and
the “interests” of Italy and Austria do not coincide in the
Balkans. Italy wants to snatch another morsel—Albania—but Austria will
not let her. Our nationalists, who count on this, are playing a reckless
game of chance, relying on the strength and wealth of two powers in the
Triple Entente (Britain and France) and on the fact that “Europe” will
not want a general war over the Straits or over the “rounding off” of
“our” territories at the expense of Asiatic Turkey.

In a society of wage slavery, every merchant and every proprietor plays
a game of chance, saying as it were: “I shall either be ruined or make a
profit and ruin others.” Every year hundreds of capitalists go bankrupt
and millions of peasants, handicraftsmen and artisans are ruined. The
capitalist countries play a similar game of chance with the blood of
millions, whom they send into a carnage now here, now there with the aim of
seizing foreign territory and plundering their weaker neighbours.

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