Written: 5 November, 1919
First Published: Petrogradshaya Pravda No. 255, November 7, 1919; Published according to the manuscript
Source: Lenin’s Collected Works, 4th English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1965, Volume 30, pages 108-119
Translated: George Hanna
Transcription/HTML Markup: David Walters & Robert Cymbala
Copyleft: V. I. Lenin Internet Archive (www.marx.org) 2002. Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
The workers of Petrograd deserve the first message of greeting on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Soviet Republic. The Petrograd workers, as the vanguard of the revolutionary workers and soldiers, as the vanguard of the working people of Russia and the whole world, were the first to overthrow the rule of the bourgeoisie and raise the banner of the proletarian revolution against capitalism and imperialism.
For two years the workers and labouring peasants of the Soviet Republic have triumphantly held high that banner despite all difficulties and all the torments of hunger, cold, chaos and economic ruin. Two years of socialist development have given us extensive experience, have enabled us to consolidate Soviet power despite the malicious fury and resistance of the bourgeoisie and the military attack by world imperialism.
On our side we have the sympathy of the world’s workers. The proletarian revolution is maturing slowly and with difficulty, but persistently in all countries, and the brutal violence of the bourgeoisie only exacerbates the struggle, only hastens the victory of the proletariat.
Very recently the British reactionaries, the imperialists, made their last stake on the capture of Petrograd. The bourgeoisie of the entire world, especially the Russian bourgeoisie, already had a foretaste of victory. But instead of victory they met with defeat at Petrograd.
Yudenich’s forces have been beaten and are retreating.
Comrades, workers and Red Army soldiers! Bend all your efforts! Keep on the heels of the retreating troops at all costs, crush them, do not allow them to rest for an hour, or a single minute. At this moment we can and must strike harder than ever in order to finish off the enemy.
Long live the Red Army that is defeating the tsarist generals, whiteguards and capitalists! Long live the international Soviet Republic!
N. Lenin
November 5, 1919