By this
situation the fate of the Constituent Assembly had been sealed. Its
dissolution became the only possible surgical remedy for the
contradiction, which had been created, not by us, but by all the
preceding course of events.
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
At the historic night session of the Second All-Russian Congress of the
Soviets the decree on peace was adopted. (The full text is printed in
the Appendix.) At that moment the Soviet government was only becoming
established in the important centers of the country and there was very
little confidence abroad in its power. The Soviet adopted the decree
unanimously. But this seemed to many no more than a political
demonstration. Those who were for a compromise preached at every
opportunity that our resolution would bring no results; for, on the one
hand, the German imperialists would not recognize and would not deal
with us; on the other hand, our Allies would declare war upon us as soon
as we should start negotiating a separate peace. Under the shadow of
these predictions we took our first steps to secure a general democratic
peace. The decree was adopted on the 26th of October, when Kerensky and
Krassnov were at the gates of Petrograd. On the 7th of November, we
addressed by wireless an invitation to our Allies and enemies to
conclude a general peace. In reply the Allied Governments addressed to
General Dukhonin, then commander-in-chief, through their military
attaches, a communication stating that further steps to separate peace
negotiations would lead to the gravest consequences.
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