For the germ cell of socialism to grow, it required several essential ingredients. One was peace. The new workers' state could not establish a thriving democracy so long as it was forced to raise an army and wage war to defend itself. A second essential ingredient was abundance. Unless the basic material needs of all people could be satisfied, it would be impossible to keep alive a direct and active democracy.
Hungry people can only keep their concern with politics alive for so long.
Sooner or later, the more pressing need for bread intervenes. Only successful workers' revolutions in Europe could remove the war threat and provide the economic assistance upon which workers Russia depended.