To A. M. Kollontai
А. М. КОЛЛОНТАЙ
Date: 1917-03-16
Source: ru:PSS/v49
Translated by: AI (Claude)

16.III.1917.

Dear A.M.! We have just received the second government telegrams about the revolution of 1(14).III in Petersburg. A week of bloody battles of the workers and Milyukov + Guchkov + Kerensky are in power!! According to the "old" European pattern...

Well then! This "first stage of the first (of those engendered by the war) revolution" will be neither the last nor only Russian. Of course, we will remain against defense of the fatherland, against the imperialist slaughter directed by Shingaryov + Kerensky and Co.

All our slogans are the same. In the last issue of "Sotsial-Demokrat" we spoke directly of the possibility of a government "of Milyukov with Guchkov, if not Milyukov with Kerensky." It turned out both-and: all three together. Delightful! Let us see how the Party of Popular Freedom (after all, it is in the majority in the new ministry, for Konovalov is even almost "more leftist," and Kerensky is directly more left!) will give the people freedom, bread, peace... Let us see!

The main thing now - the press, organization of workers into a revolutionary Social-Democratic party.

Chkhenkeli must now (he promised!) give money for "defense of the fatherland." And Mr. Chkheidze, although he spoke arch-left speeches during the revolution or on the eve of it (when Yefremov also spoke no less rrrevolutionarily), but of course deserves not a drop of trust after all his "policy" with Potresov and Co., with Chkhenkeli, etc. The greatest misfortune would be if the Cadets now promised a legal workers' party and if ours went for "unity" with Chkheidze and Co.!!

But this will not happen. Firstly, the Cadets will not give a legal workers' party to anyone except Messrs. Potresov and Co. Secondly, if they do give it, we will create as before our own separate party and will necessarily combine legal work with illegal work.

Under no circumstances again according to the type of the Second International! Under no circumstances with Kautsky! Necessarily a more revolutionary program and tactics (K. Liebknecht has elements of it, the S.L.P. in America, the Dutch Marxists, etc.) and necessarily a combination of legal work with illegal work. Republican propaganda, struggle against imperialism, as before revolutionary propaganda, agitation and struggle with the aim of the international proletarian revolution and conquest of power by "Soviets of workers' deputies" (and not by Cadet swindlers).

...After the "great rebellion" of 1905 - the "glorious revolution" of 1917!..

Be so kind as to forward this letter to Lyudmila and drop me a couple of words about how far we agree, how far we diverge, and also about A.M.'s plans, etc.

Sent from Zurich
First published in the 4th edition of Collected Works
Printed from the manuscript