V. I. Lenin

Resolution of C.C. of the R.S.D.L.P.(B.) on the Opposition
within the C.C.

November 2 (15), 1917

The Central Committee considers that the present meeting is of
historic importance and that it is therefore necessary to record
the two positions which have been revealed here.

1. The Central Committee considers that the opposition formed
within the Central Committee has departed completely from all
the fundamental positions of Bolshevism and of the proletarian class struggle in general by reiterating the
utterly un-Marxist talk of the impossibility of a socialist
revolution in Russia and of the necessity of yielding to the
ultimatums and threats of resignation on the part of the
obvious minority in the Soviet organisation, thus thwarting
the will and the decision of the Second All-Russia Congress
of Soviets and sabotaging the dictatorship of the proletariat
and the poor peasantry which has been inaugurated.

2. The Central Committee lays the whole responsibility for
hindering revolutionary work and for the vacillations, so
criminal at the present moment, on this opposition, and
invites them to transfer their discussion and their scepticism to the press and to withdraw from the practical
work they do not believe in. For this opposition reflects
nothing but intimidation by the bourgeoisie and the sentiments of the exhausted (not the revolutionary) section
of the population.

3. The Central Committee affirms that the purely Bolshevik
government cannot be renounced without betraying the slogan
of Soviet power, since the majority at the Second All-Russia
Congress of Soviets, without excluding anybody from the
Congress, entrusted power, to this government.

4. The Central Committee affirms that, without betraying the
slogan of the power of the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and
Peasants' Deputies, there can be no entering into petty
bargaining over the affiliation to the Soviets of organisations of a non-Soviet type, i.e., organisations which
are not voluntary associations of the revolutionary vanguard
of the people who are fighting for the overthrow of the
landowners and capitalists.

5. The Central Committee affirms that to yield to the ultimatums
and threats of the minority of the Soviets would be tantamount to complete renunciation not only of Soviet power
but of democracy, for such yielding would be tantamount to
the majority's fear to make use of its majority, it would be
tantamount to submitting to anarchy and inviting the repetition of ultimatums on the part of any minority.

6. The Central Committee affirms that, not having excluded
anybody from the Second All-Russia Congress of Soviets, it is
even now fully prepared to permit the return of those who
walked out and to agree to a coalition within the Soviets
with those who walked out, and that, consequently, all talk
about the Bolsheviks refusing to share power with anybody is
absolutely false.

7. The Central Committee affirms that on the day the present
government was formed, a few hours before its formation, the
Central Committee invited three representatives of the Left
Socialist-Revolutionaries to attend its meeting and formally
proposed that they should join the government. The refusal of
the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries, although it was provisional and conditional, places on these Left
Socialist-Revolutionaries the entire responsibility for the
fact that an agreement with them was not reached.

8. The Central Committee recalls that a resolution, proposed by
the Bolshevik group, was adopted by the Second All-Russia
Congress of Soviets expressing readiness to reinforce the
Soviet both by soldiers from the trenches and by peasants
from the localities, from the villages, and that therefore
the assertion that the Bolshevik government is opposed to a
coalition with the peasants is absolutely false. On the
contrary, the Central Committee declares that the land law of
our government, which was wholly copied from the
Socialist-Revolutionary Mandate, is practical proof of the
complete and most sincere readiness of the Bolsheviks to
effect a coalition with the vast majority of Russia's population.

9. The Central Committee affirms, finally, that despite all
difficulties, the victory of socialism both in Russia and in
Europe can only be ensured by the unswerving continuation of
the present government's policy. The Central Committee expresses its firm belief in the victory of this socialist
revolution and calls upon all sceptics and waverers to abandon their waverings and whole-heartedly and with supreme
energy support the actions of this government.

Lenin