to complete it by adding representatives of the professional elements;
this Pre-Parliament was to fill the vacant period before the convocation
of the Constituent Assembly Contrary to Tseretelli's original plan, but
in full accord with the plans of the bourgeoisie, the new coalition
ministry retained its formal independence with regard to the
Pre-Parliament. Everything together produced the impression of a pitiful
and impotent creation of an office clerk behind which was concealed the
complete capitulation of the petty bourgeois democracy before the
professional liberalism which, a month previously, had openly supported
Korniloff's attack on the Revolution. The sum total of the whole affair
was, therefore, the restoration and perpetuation of the coalition with
the liberal bourgeoisie. No longer could there be any doubt that quite
independently of the make-up of the future Constituent Assembly, the
governmental power would, in fact, be held by the bourgeoisie, as
despite all the preponderance given them by the masses of the people the
fusionist parties invariably arrived at a coalition with the Cadets,
deeming it impossible, as they did, to create a state power without the
bourgeoisie. The attitude of the masses toward Milyukov's party was one
of the deepest hostility. At all elections during the revolutionary
period, the Cadets suffered merciless defeat, and yet, the very
parties--i.e., the Social-Revolutionists and Mensheviks--which
victoriously defeated the Cadet party at the elections, after election
gave it the place of honor in the coalition government. It is natural
that the masses realized more and more that in reality the fusionist
parties were playing the role of stewards to the liberal bourgeoisie.

Meantime, the internal situation was becoming more and more complicated
and unfavorable. The war dragged on aimlessly, senselessly and
interminably. The Government took no steps whatever to extricate itself
from the vicious circle. The laughable scheme was proposed of sending