The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-04
The Taking Of the Winter Palace

"reminiscences of F. FL RaskoInikov.
WE must either fold our useless
w hands and wait for the revolu-
ton to be smashed or else there must
be rising-there is no middle
course" That is how Lehin presented
the question on the eve of the October
revolution.
Having a majority of the soviets of
workers and soldiers deputies in both
capitals, the Bolsheviks can and
must take the state power into their
hands" wrote Vladimir Ilyitch some
what earlier in 1917
For Comrade Lenin, the winning OF
the majority in the Petrograd and
Moscow Soviets was a most impor-
tant political fact which proved the
undoubted bolshevization of the wide
masses of workers and soldiers ii. e.,
mainly peasants) Of all Russia. "The
majority of the people are for u.s.
wrote Comrade Lenin In the same
September manifesto to the central
and Moscow committees of our party.
Leninism in its theory and practice
infallibly appeals TO the masses, wins
the majority, and therein lies it's rad-
cal distinction from Blanquism and
from all other forms OF conspirative
socialism. a
But to gain the sympathy of the
working and peasant majority is only
the prerequisite to the struggle for
power. 1t is necessary to organize
these masses and lead them in the
process of the armed struggle.
Above all, 1t was necessary to create
a special organ for the direct leader
ship of the rising.
Committee and STAFF Clash.
On October 81 (new style, Novem-
Der 81 the military revolutionary COM
mittee appointed its commissaries to
all military units of Peteograd and of
the environs. During the night of
October % the rupture of the military
revolutionary COMMITTEES with the
staff of the Petrograd military district
was accomplished. The NJ r. COM
mittee declared that orders of the
staff not endorsed by FITS signature
were invalid. This practically amount
ed to declaration of war. The col
lision Of the two hostile forces was
expected from hour to heur. The
NJ. r. committee, which had all the
time maintained the initiative, on Oc-
tober % November ID with the aid
of trustworthy units, seized the rail-
way stations, postoffice, telegraph,
banks and stock exchange. Only the
winter palace, which was defended by
junkers, shock troops and the women's
battalion, still remained In the hands
of the provisional government, which
was sheltered there.
The fight around the winter palace
was really the first attack by the
proletarian revolution.
The cruiser Aurora" which was
stationed opposite the Franco-R ussian
works, at the command Of the military
revolutionary committee, took up a
fighting position by the Nikolayev
bridge. The last minister Of justice
of the provisional government, Malian-
tovitch, who was in the winter palace
at that time, describes his CONVERSE
ton with the naval minister. Yer.
dersky, in the following manner:
do you know what threatens the
palace II the Aurora opens fire?"
1T will be reduced to heap of ruins
replied Admiral verdersky as calmly
as ever. Only his right eye twitchod
at the corner. He shrugged his shout
ders, adjusted his collaE with his
right hand, placed his hfnds in his
trousers pockets, and TURNED round on
his heel to continue psdstng up and