Russian Diplomacy
Cause of the Russian Famine
Economic and Military Situation
A Strong France
The Question of Alsace-Lorraine
... Mr. Engels, an enemy of the interview, was kind enough to make an exception for us and let us have his impressions.
"What do you think," we asked him, "of the recent outrages in Paris committed by the anarchists?"
"I can only see in them the work of agents-provocateurs who have been paid to try to dishonour the parties in which they play a part. The government has every interest in the occurrence of these explosions, as they simultaneously serve the interests of the bourgeoisie in general and the intrigues of certain political groups in particular. In fact the intention is to panic the population, organise terror and lead a reaction.
"The same procedure was employed in Germany recently at the time of the 'Berlin troubles.' Here again we would do well to seek out the hand of the police. It is indisputable that on the first day of these allegedly socialist demonstrations some of our people may have been involved in the movement, but our erring friends soon realised the true character of the demonstration and withdrew from it immediately.
"The proof is that several shops belonging to known socialists were looted. The trial of the detained rioters showed that the leaders were anti-Semites seeking to exploit the hunger of a few poor wretches by getting them to shout: 'Down with the Jews!'
"In Italy -- again the same set-up with the proceedings instituted against Cipriani and the other anarchists. There, too, the actions of the agents-provocateurs have been exposed in open court.
"But that does not always work. In Paris there were one or two wretches
willing to play the police's game, but nobody except the police themselves
will be able to claim that they belong to the socialist party."
"The alliance between Russia and France has not caused you any apprehension on this score?"
"Not at all. Last year, perhaps, there was a slight inclination to take the offensive. The demonstrations in Cronstadt, the very visible advances which imperial Russia made to republican France may have appeared suspicious. The concentrations of troops on the border also appeared to give cause for some alarm. But today things are quite different.
"In fact, Russia would like to go to war, but it could not do so. At present it has to face an enemy more redoubtable than any other: famine.
"This scourge was not the result of a passing shortage caused by some climatic or other accident: it is the outcome of the new organisation of Russian society.
"Since the Crimean War, when entire regiments perished in the snow,
the situation has changed considerably. This war marks the start of a major
crisis in Russian history. When defeat was complete, when Russia's powerlessness
had been demonstrated to the whole of Europe, Tsar Nicholas, in despair
after ascertaining the woeful state of his empire, did not hesitate to
poison himself. On ascending to the throne, Alexander II was therefore
obliged to try to find a solution to the appalling situation in which his
country found itself."
"In these circumstances the first poor harvest would be sure to result in a full-blown famine. This famine, in turn, has just delivered the final blow to agricultural production in Russia. In effect, the peasant, no longer able to feed his livestock, has been forced either to slaughter them or to sell them off. Now, without farm animals, it is not possible to till or manure the land. As a result, agricultural production will be interrupted for many years to come.
"The emancipation of the serfs was only one aspect of the economic revolution
which has occurred in Russia; the other aspect is the artificial creation
of an industrial bourgeoisie destined to serve as an intermediary class.
To fasten the process, a truly prohibitive system was established, favouring
and developing Russian industry in an extraordinary fashion; but as this
industry was not able to export, it needed a domestic market. Now the Russian
peasant hardly buys anything, accustomed as he is to making everything
himself: houses, tools, clothes, etc.; not long ago he even produced wooden,
iron and leather articles which he sold at the fairs. But when the peasant
was deprived of wood by giving the forests to the nobility, rural industry
all but collapsed. Manufacturing industry came along to finish it off,
and the peasants were obliged to resort to it. At the very moment when
this industry was about to triumph, famine arrived to deal it a mortal
blow: the peasants are no longer able to buy anything it produces, and
the ruin of the one leads to the ruin of the other."
"The last Russian loan..."
"I was going to mention that. It is an enormous setback. The French bourgeoisie, which is much given to talking about revenge, did not push its patriotism to the point of opening its purse. The Tsar's government asked for twenty million pounds sterling; all they got was twelve..."
"It has been said that the Rothschilds contributed to the failure of this loan in order to avenge their fellow-believers who have been persecuted by the Russian government?"
"I have attacked the Rothschilds enough to be able to defend them against the charge of being so stupid. As bankers, the Rothschilds are only concerned with their own interests, interests which amounted to extracting the biggest possible commissions and exploiting as many gullible fools as possible. That's all."
"To sum up, you do not believe in the power of Russia?"
"Russia, while strong in defence, is not strong in attack either at sea or on land. I have shown you that the economic situation does not permit it to indulge in dangerous and costly ventures. If we examine its military Organisation we shall see that Russia does not pose a danger from this angle either.
"In the event of war it would not put more men into the line than it currently has under arms. The reserves do not exist except on paper and, although it may have thousands and thousands of men, it has no reserve officers to command them. Where would it get them from? From what source?
"In Germany we have fifty per cent more reserve officers than we need.
In this respect would not France also be in a position of relative inferiority?"
our interlocutor asks us.
"In conclusion, let us put it to you that you have painted a rather gloomy picture of the situation in Russia."
"Not at all. Look, would you like to hear an anecdote? You know that
in order to aid the starving Russian peasants it was decided to send them
wheat from the Caucasus, where they had a surplus. Orders were given to
this effect; the wheat was gathered together in large quantities and waggons
were sent to transport it. Well, what happened was that the empty waggons
were grouped in such large numbers that congestion occurred: the wheat
was alongside the waggons, and the waggons could not leave. On learning
of this, the Tsar went into a violent rage and sent a general to the scene;
this military man made a lot of noise, announced that everything was proceeding
normally and only managed to send off a few trains: the greater part of
the wheat rotted where it was! What would have happened in the event of
mobilisation? Russia does not have many railways yet, and its officers
do not even know how to use them."
and in an abridged form in Le Socialiste, No. 82, April 16,
1892
Printed according to L'Eclair
checked with Le Socialiste
Translated from the French
Transcribed by Zodiac, 1996
Html Markup in 1999 by Brian Basgen