4 July 1917. Alfred Knox

Kozowa

It seemed evident on July 4th that no further progress could be hoped for from the main offensive, and everything seen confirmed the previous impression that the Russian army had been irretrievably ruined as a fighting organisation. I therefore decided to return to Petrograd to telegraph my conclusions to England.

I heard that Ignatiev wanted to see me, so I drove in the little Ford at 10 a.m. to the headquarters of the 1st Guard Infantry Division. He took me into his small tent to have a quiet talk. He was very pessimistic, and as he is a man of good digestion, with plenty of robust common sense, his opinion is valuable. He thinks there is no hope.

I put three questions to him, whether Russia would :

Fight as she fought before the Revolution ;
Fight as she has fought since the Revolution till

the general peace ; or

Make a separate peace.

To the first question he said emphatically, “ No.” He was inclined to say “ Yes ” to the second, but with hesitation, and he was unable to deny the possibility of a separate peace.

He pointed out that peace is essential for Russia, and that if there is not peace soon there will be a general massacre. The prolongation of the war is drawing Russia to the brink of economic ruin. Even at the beginning only an inconsiderable number of the peasants wanted war. The educated classes did, but the one dream of the peasant soldiers at the front has long been peace.

He said : “If you were now to go out on the village square and to proclaim that the war will end at once, but only on one condition—that Nikolai Romanov returns to power, every single man would agree and there would be no more talk of a democratic republic.”

I asked if he thought that the reconsideration of the objects of the war would have any effect on Russian public opinion. He said that it would on the conscientious people, but that the mass of the soldiery only wanted an excuse for saving tlicir skins—they were not Bolsheviki or Mensheviki, but simply ‘ Shkurniki' (fearers for their own skins).

He allowed that Russia was doing a dirty action, and foresaw that no foreigner would speak to a Russian for twenty years. In England’s place he would get out of the war as quickly as possible while there was yet time ! He had always hoped that the war would end militarism, but he now saw that militarism would be increased immeasurably by Germany’s victory.

He said that no one could possibly picture the present position of officers—they were martyrs and not officers. Some nights ago a company commander in the Yegerski Regiment was riding along with his company when the men called to him to get off, as they did not see why a bourgeois should ride when they had to walk. He got off ! Then they began to consider whether, after all, he had not better ride so that he might be able the quicker to find them billets when they arrived. He mounted, but he had no sooner mounted than they required him again to dismount. This officer asked permission to leave the regiment, but he was persuaded by his brother martyrs to remain. Of course he cannot have been much of an officer, but his superiors have certainly not given him an example in firmness.

Ignatiev told me that his mother had died of a broken heart. She had spent all the latter years of her life in charitable work in the village where she had started and maintained a school for forty-five children. The village “Committee” decided to boycott this school “lest the feeling of gratitude should be inculcated in the children.” The President of the Committee announced that anyone who kissed the old lady’s hand would be fined Rs.25, but one woman had the courage to say : “I will kiss her hand, for the old Countess was the only person who came near me to sit with me when I was ill, and I will not pay your fine !

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Nicholas II

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

The rain had stopped before my morning walk, and at 3 o'clock the weather cleared up. Until dinner I gave Alexis a history lesson. We worked In the park, and Alix was there sitting in her chair. I finished Julian; I liked it. See more

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Nikolai Bukharin

Moscow, Russian Empire

“Tell me how you feel about the war, and I will tell you what kind of person you are” is an axiom which can be applied to all who call themselves socialists, and not only to individuals, but even to whole parties. See more

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Sofia Tolstaya

Yasnaya Pol'yana, Tul'skaya guberniya, Russian Empire

I spend my days idly and aimlessly. Now I'm too old for household duties. I lack strength and my perception is negligible. Newspapers write about the 10,000 prisoners, about the battles - but it does not please me, I'm upset about people's suffering...

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Alexandra Kollontai

Kollontai's rented flat, Peski, Petrograd, Russian Empire

The laundry girls, the bakers and the domestic servants have gone on strike. The party has sent me to direct the striking laundry girls. These girls, who work in private enterprises, are not backing down. They are calling for greater pay, a fixed working day and the municipalisation of their enterprises. They show no sign of being “retrograde elements” of the proletariat; they are highly-organised and capable. See more

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Pashkovsky lane, 2, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

What a dreadful, difficult time! We all live on rumors, assumptions, hopes - and memories. There is nothing definite, nothing constant, everyone is perplexed and confused. Essentially, no one knows what they want and everyone is afraid of what others want. There is a lull in Petrograd, but the mood is quite strung - a scent of blood is in the air. The city is indescribably dirty. Turmoil, unrest, anarchy. In a word - revolution… See more

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Alexander Blok

57, Ofitserskaya street, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Do we have the right to fear our great, clever and kind people?

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Alexandre Benois

Petrograd, Russian Empire

Newspapers brought us news that the offensive had begun. I met this dreadful news with a stupid indifference, without anger and despair. In recent weeks, everything in me has worn out, changed and faded. If you want to die, so die!

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Vasily Kravkov

So, our campaign has failed! Even though our artillery was stronger than ever!

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3 July

"Russian soldiers have gone on the offensive. Now at least we can look our French and English allies in the eye!"

"Everyone immediately understood, that killing is easy not only when, in the heat of the battle, the soldier forgets himself, but also when, among his own brothers"

Lenin on workers' demonstration