RIC SISSONS continues our series of articles on one jubilee that really does matter for the working class. The Russian Revolution reached a decisive turning point on 27 Februarv. It was the day that the Petrograd garrison mutinied, but it also witnessed the first meeting of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers Deputies. After an absence of twelve years the Soviet reappeared as the organiser of the Petrograd workers.
The first ever workers" soviet nad mel at tne technologica in October 1905. general strike was called by the 40 delegates from local factories. Six weeks larei LactorIes. workshops and 16 trade unions were represented. Trotsky, at tne age of 26, was chairing meetings. in the tity days or its existence the first Soviet organised the general strike, armed the workers to defend themselves, maintained food supplies and produced its own paper, Izvestia.
The experience of 1905 left an irremovable impression on the of the Petrograd CORSCIOUSHCOS workers. They had felt the strength of a united and democratic organisation in which all the workers mOvCHiCHE participated. would not forget it, even after twelve years.
The initiative to call the Soviet for 27 February had come from a Cheidze and Skobeler the Mensnevik deputes in tne Duma and various leaders of the local trade unons ane cooperauves. ne first session began at 9.00pm in room 13 of the Tauride Palace.
DECISIONS Ironically, the Soviet met in the left wing of the Palace, the Duma in the right. In the between 125 and 150 several decisions were taken. After receiving greetings from local regiments ne nane was caece to une Soviet of Workers and venues. ouve wo to is new title, the garrison was asked to send one delegate per company. To guarantee the soldiers' support the Duma was told it could not move had any regiments of the Petrograd garrison. The Soviet then decided to send revolutionary guards to the State Bank. reasury. Mint and Printing Office to protect them against sabotage. sions were established to deal with food supply and the military situation and to ensure the publication OL DOVICL aCCISIOnS rinany, the executive was exThey panded to include other entatives. amone toem Bolshevik leaders In the Soviet and its On the Praesidium of three there were two Mensheviks, Cheidze and Skobelev, and one Social Revolutionary, Kerensky. Kerensky, future Minister-President of Provisional Government, previous y been the leader or the petty bourgeois group, the Trudo viki in the fourth Duma.
After February he joined the Social Revolutionaries, became a member of the Duma provisional presence of committee and also of the Soviet delegates, raestoum.
political attitude is expressed the wnole approach or tne vensnevik:
Soldiers aries Iney Soviet and the Duma. In other words to suffocate the politica independence of the workers and soldiers PAPER Izvestia reappeared as the paper of the Soviet on 28 February. The Three commis- print shop of Kopeyka, a daily not appearing due to the strikes, was seized, put under armed guard, and lis premises used for Izvestia The issue of 1 March carried Order repres- Soviet. This dealt with the question Petrograd, as 'the single worthy document of Februarv Executive Russian generals blamed it for the order"
Order Number One.
had Right Social Revolutionwantca to Lusc une or une retrograd revolunon ine Soldiers were told to accept the discipline of their officers. Needless to say the soldiers, after years of war, were reluctant to return to the order of the barracks. Jointly isional with Sokolov, a lawyer and member of the Petrograd Soviet Executive, a group of soldiers drafted This called on the troops to elect committees in all regiments; to elect deputies to ine soviet; in al pollical acts to suomit to tne Thousands of copies of Order Number One were distributed all over Russia. Everywhere it became the norm which the soldiers demanded and acted upon. une Frov continually pressed tor is repeal. une sovie refused. But many of the Menshevik leaders woule nave ikea te oblige the Government and the Generals standing behind them tion The hot breath of the masses down their necks forced them to or mne sovie.
IMPRESSION In the next weeks the workers and soldiers would soon learn that the Mensheviks stood not for class independence but class collabora* Next week: The Provisional