Ten Days That Shook the World · Chapter
Chapter 13: To All Workers of Petrograd! explained
The chapter presents a proclamation from the Petrograd Soviet, the Council of Trade Unions, and the Council of Factory-Shop Committees, declaring the victory of the revolution and calling on workers to end strikes and demonstrations, return
What happens
The chapter presents a proclamation from the Petrograd Soviet, the Council of Trade Unions, and the Council of Factory-Shop Committees, declaring the victory of the revolution and calling on workers to end strikes and demonstrations, return to work, and support the new Soviet government through disciplined labor. It emphasizes the imminent issuance of decrees on workers' control and industrial regulation.
Themes in this chapter
Workers' Control and Economic Transformation
The proclamation explicitly promises a decree on Workers' Control over production and industry, central to the Bolsheviks' economic program.
Proletarian Revolution and Dictatorship
The declaration that 'the Revolution has won' and the call for the proletariat's 'iron firmness' underscore the establishment of Soviet power as a dictatorship of the proletariat.
Key passages
“All the power has passed over to our Soviets.”
The Soviets now hold all governmental authority.
This asserts the complete transfer of power to the Soviet councils, a key Bolshevik claim after the insurrection.
“Strikes and demonstrations of the worker masses in petrograd now can only do harm.”
Workers should stop striking and protesting, as such actions are counterproductive.
The new government seeks to stabilize the economy and avoid disruptions that could weaken its control.