V. I. Lenin

Report On The Economic Condition Of Petrograd Workers And The
Tasks Of The Working Class

Delivered At A Meeting
Of The Workers’ Section
Of The Petrograd Soviet Of Workers’
And Soldiers’ Deputies
December 4 (17), 1917

Newspaper Report

The Revolution of October 25 had shown the exceptional political
maturity of the proletariat and its ability to stand firm in
opposition to the bourgeoisie, said the speaker. The complete
victory of socialism, however, would require a tremendous
organisational effort filled with the knowledge that the
proletariat must become the ruling class.

The proletariat was faced with the tasks of transforming the
state system on socialist lines, for no matter how easy it would
be to cite arguments in favour of a middle course such a course
would be insignificant, the country’s economic situation
having reached a state that would rule out any middle course. There was no place left for half-measures in the
gigantic struggle against imperialism and capitalism.

The point at issue was—win or lose.

The workers should and did understand this; this was obvious
because they had rejected half-way, compromise decisions. The
more profound the revolution, the greater the number of active
workers required to accomplish the replacement of capitalism by
a socialist machinery. Even if there were no sabotage, the
forces of the petty bourgeoisie would be inadequate. The task
was one that could be accomplished only by drawing on the
masses, only by the independent activity of the masses. The
proletariat, therefore, should not think of improving its
position at the moment, but should think of becoming the ruling
class. It could not be expected that the rural proletariat would
be clearly and firmly conscious of its own interests. Only the
working class could be, and every proletarian, conscious of the
great prospects, should feel himself to be a leader and carry
the masses with him.

The proletariat should become the ruling class in the sense of
being the leader of all who work; it should be the ruling class
politically.

The illusion that only the bourgeoisie could run the state must
be fought against. The proletariat must take the rule of the
state upon itself.

The capitalists were doing everything they could to complicate
the tasks of the working class. And all working-class organisations—trade unions, factory committees and
others—would have to conduct a determined struggle in the
economic sphere. The bourgeoisie was spoiling everything,
sabotaging everything, in order to wreck the working-class
revolution. And the tasks of organising production devolved
entirely on the working class. They should do away, once and for
all, with the illusion that state affairs or the management of
banks and factories were beyond the power of the workers. All
this could be solved only by tremendous day-to-day organisational work.

It was essential to organise the exchange of products and
introduce regular accounting and control—these were tasks
for the working class, and the knowledge necessary for their
accomplishment had been provided by factory life.

Every factory committee should concern itself not only with the
affairs of its own factory, but should also be an organisation
nucleus helping arrange the life of the state as a whole.

It was easy to issue a decree on the abolition of private
property, but it must and could be implemented only by the
workers themselves. Let there be mistakes—they would be the
mistakes of a new class creating a new way of life.

There was not and could not be a definite plan for the organisation of economic life.

Nobody could provide one. But it could be done from below, by
the masses, through their experience. Instructions would, of
course, be given and ways would be indicated, but it was
necessary to begin simultaneously from above and from below.

The Soviets would have to become bodies regulating all production in Russia, but in order that they should not become
staff headquarters without troops, work in the lower echelons
was needed.... [Several illegible words were omitted—Editor]

The working-class masses must set about the organisation of
control and production on a country-wide scale. Not the
organisation of individuals, but the organisation of all the
working people, would be a guarantee of success; if they
achieved that, if they organised economic life, everything
opposing them would disappear of its own accord.