In the evening an executive session of the Council of Soviets was held.
Lenin introduced two decrees: on peace and on the land question. After
brief discussion, both decrees were adopted unanimously. It was at this
session, too, that a new central authority was created, to be known as
the Council of People's Commissaries.

The Central Committee of our party tried to win the approval of the Left
S. R.'s, who were invited to participate in establishing the Soviet
government. They hesitated, on the ground that, in their view, this
government should bear a coalition character within the Soviet parties.
But the Mensheviki and the Right S. R.'s broke entirely with the Council
of Soviets, deeming a coalition with anti-Soviet parties necessary.
There was nothing left for us to do but to let the party of Left S. R.'s
persuade their neighbors to the right to return to the revolutionary
camp; and while they were engaged in this hopeless task, we thought it
our duty to take the responsibility for the government entirely upon our
party. The list of Peoples' Commissaries was composed exclusively of
Bolsheviki.

There was undoubtedly some political danger in such a course. The change
proved too precipitate. (One need but remember that the leaders of this
party were only yesterday still under indictment under Statute Law No.
108--that is, accused of high treason). But there was no other
alternative. The other Soviet groups hesitated and evaded the issue,
preferring to adopt a waiting policy. Finally we became convinced that
only our party could set up a revolutionary government.