figure about which revolved all
those "dark forces" which were working for either a separate peace
with Germany or the utter military defeat of Russia in the war. In
this object Rasputin and his allies nearly succeeded. It was to avert
this that practically all the social elements, both liberal and
reactionary, united with the revolutionists in overturning czarism.

What the plans of the dark forces were during the first year of the
war cannot now of course be definitely known. Perhaps they realized
that the utter inefficiency of the Russian autocracy would soon decide
the issue on the eastern front. And had there not appeared other
elements to guide and support the Russian soldiers at the front,
Russia would undoubtedly have been overrun by the German-Austrian
armies before the end of the first year.

But the patriotic enthusiasm which German aggression had awakened
also brought into life powerful social organizations created for the
purpose of supporting the army in its fight against the Germans. Five
days after war was declared a congress of all the Zemstvos met in
Moscow and organized the Russian Union of Zemstvos. A Central
Committee was appointed and, with almost unlimited funds at its
disposal, raised through subscriptions, set to work to supplement the
work of the Red Cross and the commissary department of the army, both
of which were obviously unable to meet the needs of the situation.
This organization practically took the place of the two other
departments of the Government, establishing hundreds of hospitals and
supplying their equipment, caring for the wounded soldiers, supplying
the soldiers at the front not only with their necessities, but with
tobacco, bathing facilities, laundries, and many other minor luxuries.
During the first two years of the war the Central Committee disbursed
over half a billion dollars. At the head of this organization,
democratic in form, as its president was Prince George Lvov, who was
later destined to play an important part in the organization of the
revolutionary government.

Another spontaneous and democratic organization which came into
existence to support the army against the Germans was the Union of
Towns, representing 474 municipalities in Russia and Siberia. It, too,
carried on a work similar to that of the Zemstvos, raising and
spending vast sums of money. Then came the cooperative societies,
supplying the army with food. In the towns and cities the consumers'
so