The Northern
Regional Conference of Soviets opens in Petrograd under the presidency of
Ensign Krylenko. Antonov had organized the meeting for the Bolshevik Central Committee
– not coincidentally, as he was also working on the Military Revolutionary
Committee.
Trotsky read the
political report. The main issue had become the government’s renewed efforts to
transfer revolutionary troops from the Petrograd garrison. But this question
was connected to the question of power. By their votes, “the people are
trusting us and authorizing us to seize the power.” The question of power had
therefore become something for the whole body of soviets to decide. The
conference adopted a resolution to this effect unanimously, with only three
abstentions.
The military
resources available to the Bolsheviks made themselves heard. A representative
of the Latvian sharpshooters promised 40,000 rifles for the defense of the
Congress of Soviets. The powerful radios of battleships in the Baltic Fleet
broadcast appeals to “overcome all obstacles” to the convocation of the
Congress. Smolny was openly the center of efforts to procure weapons wherever
possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment