History is the most important part of our life. We cannot forget or rewrite it. But everyone has the opportunity to remember her, to be interested in her. And this is absolutely true. If you are even a little interested in the history of Russia, then you have probably read or heard about the Decree "On Peace" of 1917. It was one of the first documents developed by the Soviet government. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin personally worked on it.
Document acceptance
This decree was adopted on October 26 at the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, the day after the dissolution of the Provisional Government. He expressed the desire of people, exhausted and exhausted by the war, to end it as soon as possible and move on to a fair, and most importantly, peaceful dialogue.
It is worth noting that at the same congress another equally important document was adopted - the decree "On Peace and Land" of 1917. It was a kind of legal act that plays an important role in the field of land use. It de alt with the variety of forms of land use (farm, artel, communal and household).
Quick solution, slow result
The decision on both documents was made very quickly and meant only one thing - the new government is determined to deal with the most important problem of that period, thereby demonstrating its concern for the country as a whole and its people in particular.
Despite the fact that the decree on peace in 1917 was adopted unanimously and in such a short time, this did not change the fact that the real world is still too far away. Since at that time Russia was still at war with the Triple Alliance, which included several very influential countries: Italy, Austria-Hungary and Germany.
Main causes and conditions
Of course, there were a lot of reasons for the adoption of the decree "On Peace" in 1917. But most historians are convinced that the main reason is the participation of the Russian Empire in the First World War.
The bloody war and the unsuccessful decisions of the imperial government, taken one after another, brought the state to a deep crisis, which by the end of 1916 spread to food, railway, weapons and many other areas.
Talking about ending the war was going on as early as April 1917. It was then that P. N. Milyukov (see photo below), holding the post of Minister of Internal Affairs, spoke out that the war would go to a victorious end. Although it was already obvious to almost everyone that the battles had turned into the most brutal massacre and they must be ended at any cost. In addition, the moods of ordinary citizens who refused tocontinue fighting and demanded a long-awaited peace. Revolutionary moods reigned among the people. The long war laid bare before them such acute problems, beginning with the peasant question, which no one could solve.
Bourgeois problem
The adoption of the decree "On Peace" in 1917 had another, no less significant reason. The people did not want war, and Emperor Nicholas II renounced the throne, transferring all power to the Provisional Government, which, in turn, did not even consider the issue of peace. Why did it act in this way? Many historians agree that the bourgeoisie is to blame. After all, the Provisional Government is nothing but the power of the biggest bourgeoisie, which mercilessly profited from state military orders. It was these people who led the country at such a difficult moment for it. And, of course, they did not want to part with their usual way of life.
Consequences after the adoption of the Decree: pros and cons
The significance of the Decree on Peace of 1917 turned out to be quite large. And although there was still a year left before the end of the bloody war, it was this document that became the foundation for further changes.
On the night of October 27, the Soviet government was founded - the Council of People's Commissars, aka the Council of People's Commissars. On November 8, 1917, the Council of People's Commissars ordered General N. N. Dukhonin, Acting Supreme Commander of the Russian Army, to immediately invite all countries participating in the military conflict to lay downweapons and start peace negotiations. Dukhonin did not comply with the order and was removed from his post on the same day. Then this mission was placed on the shoulders of the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs. An official appeal was made to all ambassadors of the Entente bloc.
On November 27, 1917, Germany announced its readiness to conduct a peaceful dialogue with the new government. On the same day, Vladimir Lenin addressed other countries, urging them to join.
However, there is another side of the coin. One French-born historian, Helen Carrère d'Encausse, spoke of the 1917 Peace Decree as a call to end the war and start a revolution. The Frenchman is sure that this document was addressed not to the countries, but to the peoples of these countries, and that it called for the overthrow of the government.
Peace Decree 1917 briefly. Fundamentals
If you skim through the Decree "On Peace" 1917, you can highlight several main points of this document.
Firstly, the new Soviet government offered all countries participating in the war to start negotiations on its end as soon as possible. The Soviets insisted on a peace based on justice and democracy. To be a little more specific, the main idea is the acceptance of peace without annexations and indemnities. Therefore, without the seizure of foreign lands and without any monetary payments from the losing countries.
Secondly, the new government advocated the abolition of secret diplomacy. It was suggestedconduct all negotiations frankly and in full view of the whole people. The authorities wanted to make public all the secret treaties that were concluded from February to October 1917. By and large, the Soviet Workers' and Peasants' Government called for all secret agreements to be declared null and void.
Thirdly, when reading this decree, one may get the impression that this is some kind of order. However, the document itself emphasizes that the terms of peace offered by the new government are not at all an ultimatum. It is also said that Russia agrees to consider any conditions for concluding peace and insists only on doing this as quickly as possible and without any pitfalls.
Fourthly, at the end of the document, the government draws attention to the fact that the appeal is directed not only to countries, but to the peoples of these countries. It emphasizes that it was ordinary people who rendered a great service to the “cause of progress and socialism.”
In closing
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was well aware that victory over the bourgeoisie was not the end. The new Soviet government knew that the result had to be consolidated. It was necessary to show the people that they were heard, that the new government is responsible for its words and fulfills its promises. So, it is necessary to do what has been discussed for so long. Namely - to finally give the country peace, "land - to the peasants", and "factories - to the workers." It was to fulfill all these tasks at the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, Workers' and Peasants' Deputies, held from October 25 to 26 in Petrograd, that two most important for that period of time were announced and adopteddocument: Decree "On Peace" and Decree "On Land".
