The Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies

Stalin’s first article on the Soviet assembly organ of the Soviet Union was also the first article published after Stalin became the leader of the Party. It was first published in Pravda issue No. 8, March 1917. The Chinese translation is included in Vol. 3 of the Complete Works of Stalin.

In March 1917, the February Revolution broke out in Russia. In this revolution, the proletariat of Petrograd established a new revolutionary regime—Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies. However, the bourgeoisie stole the fruits of the revolution, established a temporary government, and formed a situation in which two regimes coexisted. On the one hand, Stalin expounded on the situation that the Russian Revolution was advancing rapidly, the ranks of revolutionary fighters were growing and expanding, the pillars of the old power had been fundamentally shaken and collapsing day by day, on the other hand, he clarified that the power of the old forces were not completely eliminated, and the dark forces were still engaged in despicable activities. Stalin proposed that the main task of the proletariat in Petrograd at present is to maintain the acquired rights so as to eliminate the old forces completely, and to advance the Russian Revolution together with other regions. Stalin pointed out that in order to preserve the rights achieved and to develop further the revolution, a temporary alliance between the workers and soldiers is far from enough. For this it is necessary that the alliance should be made conscious and secure, lasting and stable, sufficiently stable to withstand the provocative assaults of the counter-revolutionaries. For it is clear to all that the guarantee of the final victory of the Russian revolution lies in consolidating the alliance between the revolutionary workers and the revolutionary soldiers. The organs of this alliance are the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies. The revolutionary Social-Democrats must work to consolidate these Soviets, form them everywhere, and link them together under a Central Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies as the organ of revolutionary power of the people. Stalin called on the workers to strengthen their ranks and rally around the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party, peasants organize in peasant unions and rally around the revolutionary proletariat, the leader of the Russian revolution, and called on the soldiers to organize in the unions and rally around the people, the only true ally of the Russian revolutionary army. Workers, peasants and soldiers, unite everywhere in the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, as organs of alliance and political power of the revolutionary forces of Russia. Therein lies the guarantee of complete victory over the dark forces of old Russia. Therein lies the guarantee that the fundamental demands of the Russian people will be realized: land for the peasants, protection of labor for the workers, and a democratic republic for all the citizens of Russia!

By expounding on the revolutionary situation at that time, this article pointed out that the main task of the Russian proletariat was to establish Soviets which would represent those from all walks of people in Russia so as to completely overthrow the forces of old power and pointed out the struggle direction of the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party.