154. FAILURE OF BOLSHEVIST PROPAGANDA BEYOND RUSSIA.--Bolshevism, in
common with other varieties of socialism, sought to break down
national barriers and to establish a dictatorship of the proletariat
in all of the countries of the world. Some of the milder socialists in
western Europe and America disavowed the acts of the Russian group,
but the majority of socialists beyond Russia appear to have at least
secretly sympathized with the bolshevists. Encouraged by this
attitude, Lenin and Trotzky frankly admitted their intention of
fomenting world-wide revolution. The bolshevist government
appropriated large sums for propaganda in countries beyond Russia, and
socialist sympathizers everywhere advocated an attempt to overthrow
"world capitalism." In the period of unrest immediately following the
World War there was some response to bolshevist propaganda in a number
of countries, but sounder opinion prevailed, and in 1920 Lenin
admitted that the workingmen of Europe and America had definitely
rejected his program. The one case of nation-wide socialism had proved
too great a failure not to impress the laboring classes in the more
advanced countries of the world as a visionary and unworkable scheme.


QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

1. Why is bolshevism of interest to students of American democracy?

2. Explain the origin of the bolshevists.

3. How did the bolshevists come into power?

4. To what extent was the bolshevist constitution liberal?