and the Mensheviki. "Sever relations with the bourgeoisie, give up the
idea of coalition, and take the power into your own hands." To us it was
clear that the break between the Social-Revolutionists and the
Mensheviki on the one hand, and the liberal bourgeoisie on the other,
would compel the former to seek the support of the more determined,
advanced organization of the proletariat, which would thus be assured of
playing a leading role. And this is exactly what frightened the
middle-class leaders. Together with the Government, in which they had
their representatives, and hand in hand with the liberal and
counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie, they began a furious and insane
campaign against the proposed demonstration, as soon as they heard of
it. All their forces were marshalled against us. We had an insignificant
minority in the Council and withdrew. The demonstration did not take
place.

But this frustrated demonstration left the deepest bitterness in the
minds of the two opposing forces, widened the breach and intensified
their hatred. At a secret conference of the Executive Committee of the
Council, in which representatives of the minority participated,
Tseretelli, then minister of the coalition government, with all the
arrogance of a narrow-minded middle-class doctrinaire, said that the
only danger threatening the revolution was the Bolsheviki and the
Petrograd proletariat armed by them. From this he concluded that it was
necessary to disarm the people, who "did not know how to handle
fire-arms." This referred to the workingmen and to those parts of the
Petrograd garrison who were with our party. However, the disarming did
not take place. For such a sharp measure the political and psychological
conditions were not yet quite ripe.

To afford the masses some compensation for the demonstration they had