John Reed

John Reed was a progressive American writer and journalist, a prominent leader of the US labour movement and one of the founders of the Communist Party of the United States. He went to Russia in 1917 and met with Lenin several times.His best works, “Insurgent Mexico” (1914) and “Ten Days that shook the World” (1919) were devoted to the people’s revolutionary struggle. Those who knew him intimately were amazed at his selflessness and the courageous way he disregarded his own personal safety in order to be in the centre of revolutionary events.

IT was just 8.40 when a thundering wave of cheers announced the entrance of the presidium, with Lenin – great Lenin – among them. A short, stocky figure, with a big head set down on his shoulders, bald and bulging. Little eyes, a snobbish nose, wide generous mouth, and heavy chin; clean-shaven now, but already beginning to bristle with the well-known beard of his past and future. Dressed in shabby clothes, his trousers much too long for him. Unimpressive to be the idol of a mob, loved and revered as perhaps few leaders in history have been. A strange popular leader – a leader purely by virtue of intellect; colourless, humourless, uncompromising and detached, without picturesque idiosyncrasies – but with the power of explaining profound ideas in simple terms, of analyzing a concrete situation. And combined with shrewdness, the greatest intellectual audacity.

His great mouth, seeming to smile, opened wide as he spoke; his voice was hoarse – not unpleasantly so, but as if it had hardened that way after years and years of speaking – and went on monotonously, with the effect of being able to go on forever…For emphasis he bent forward slightly. No gestures. And before him, a thousand simple faces looking up in intent adoration.

PROCLAMATION TO THE PEOPLES AND GOVERNMENTS OF ALL THE BELLIGERENT NATIONS

“The workers’ and Peasants’ Government, created by the revolution of November 6th and 7th and based on the Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies, proposes to all the belligerent people and to their governments to begin immediately negotiations for a just and democratic peace.

“The government proposes to all the governments and to the peoples of all the belligerent countries to conclude an immediate armistice, at the same time suggesting that the armistice ought to last three months, during which time it is perfectly possible, not only to hold the necessary pourparlers between the representatives of all the nations and nationalities without exception drawn into the war or forced to take part in it, but also to convoke authorised assemblies of representatives of the peoples of all countries, for the purpose of the definite acceptance of the conditions of peace.”

When the grave thunder of applause had died away, Lenin spoke again:

“We propose to the Congress to ratify the declaration. We address ourselves to the government as well as to the peoples, for a declaration which would be addressed only to the peoples of the belligerent countries might delay the conclusion of peace.

“The revolution of November 6th and 7th,” he ended, “has opened the era of the Social Revolution…The labour movement, in the name of peace and Socialism, shall win, and fulfill its destiny…”

There was something quiet and powerful in all this, which stirred the souls of men. It was understandable why people believed when Lenin spoke. 

For this did they lie there, the martyrs of March, in their cold Brotherhood Grave on Mars Field; for this thousands and tens of thousands had died in the prisons, in exile, in Siberian mines. It had not come as they expected it would come, nor as the intelligentsia desired it; but it had come – rough, strong, impatient of formulas; contemptuous of sentimentalism; real…

Lenin was reading the Decree on Land….

At two o’clock the Land Decree was put to vote, with only one against and the peasant delegates wild with joy…