less, our conquests are
great. The peoples of Russia will express their will in the Constitutional
convention which is to be called within a short time upon the basis of
universal, equal, direct, and secret suffrage. And now it may already be
said with certainty in advance that the democratic republic will triumph in
Russia. The Russian people is in possession of complete political liberty.
Now it can say an authoritative word about the internal self-government of
the country and about its foreign policy. And in addressing ourselves to
all the peoples who are being destroyed and ruined in this terrible war, we
declare that the time has come in which the decisive struggle against the
attempts at conquest by the governments of all the nations must be begun.
The time has come in which the peoples must take the matter of deciding the
questions of war and peace into their own hands.

Conscious of its own revolutionary strength, the democracy of Russia
declares that it will fight with all means against the policy of conquest
of its ruling classes, and it summons the peoples of Europe to united,
decisive action for peace. We appeal to our brothers, to the
German-Austrian coalition, and above all to the German proletariat. The
first day of the war you were made to believe that in raising your weapons
against absolutist Russia you were defending European civilization against
Asiatic despotism. In this many of you found the justification of the
support that was accorded to the war. Now also this justification has
vanished. Democratic Russia cannot menace freedom and civilization.

We shall firmly defend our own liberty against all reactionary threats,
whether they come from without or within. The Russian Revolution will not
retreat before the bayonets of conquerors, and it will not allow itself to
be trampled to pieces by outside military force. We call upon you to throw
off the yoke of your absolutist regime, as the Russian people has shaken
off the autocracy of the Czars. Refuse to serve as the tools of conquest
and power in the hands of the kings, Junkers, and bankers, and we shall,
with common efforts, put an end to the fearful butchery that dishonors
humanity and darkens the great days of the birth of Russian liberty.

Working-men of all countries! In fraternally stretching out our hands to
you across the mountains of our brothers' bodies, across the sea of
innocent blood and tears, across the smoking ruins of cities and vil