3 May 1917. Bertrand Russell

57, Gordon Square, London, United Kingdom

Bertrand Russell sent a letter to Catherine Marshall, the Chief of the No Conscription Fellowship (NCF):

Dear Miss Marshall

Thank you very much for your kind letter. I agree entirely that we must learn to work together without mutual irritation.

I am painfully conscious of my own shortcomings. It is difficult in middle age to take up work requiring wholly different habits of mind from those that one has practised hitherto.

I do not think you are equally conscious of your shortcomings, and I think if you were it would be a good thing. You seem to me to have wrong conception of how to get work out of people. You try to do it by fault-finding, which is really a militarist method. My chief trouble is forgetfulness, which is entirely due to mental fatigue. Repeatedly, after you have been scolding me, I have hardly slept a wink all night (that happened again the night before last), which makes me more tired and therefore more forgetful. Also your manner of fault-finding fills one with despair, which simply makes one want to give up the work altogether. It is not only I who feel this: every one at the office feels the same, except Miss Rinder. After you have been crtiticizing, I have to go round consoling, and persuading people that they are not so incompetent that they ought to retire. I know this way of treating people is against your principles, and if you can become conscious of it you will amend. Your present way of treating us all is paralyzing, and is one of the reasons why we are not more full of initiative to know that anything one may attempt will only lead to destructive criticism from you. [...]

I will give you an illustration of what I mean. Your way of treating General Childs has obviously been very successful: you know you had no power over him, and you gradually led him on by gentle steps. Now he has developed further than any one would have thought possible. But your method of treating us is quite different, because instinctively you regard us as subject to your authority. I feel your answer, which will be to point out the need of efficiency. But that seems to me in essence the same as the argument that 'we must get on with war'. Many ways of getting efficiency are incompatible with respect for other human beings.

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Maxim Gorky

23, Kronversky ave., Petrograd, Russian Empire

The new order of political life requires a new spiritual order from us. It goes without saying that you won’t be born again in two months, but the sooner we rid ourselves of the baggage from our pasts, the stronger our spiritual health will be, and the more productive our work to create new forms of social life will become.

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Sigmund Freud

Vienna, Austria

I sometimes fall into such a mood that I no longer want to live, and I feel relief in the knowledge that my difficult existence will soon come to an end.

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Elizaveta Naryshkina

The Pacifist movement is growing. Milyukov’s note has provoked protests. Merely emphasising the rejection of annexation and indemnities was simply not enough. Fools… German agents are turning them against England. Without a doubt, envy plays a role in the ill-will towards our allies. Giving the soldiers such will was an insanity of unspeakable proportion. Now it is no longer an army, but a horde of Praetorians who dictate the law. We are in terrible danger.

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Elizaveta Kuzmina-Karavaeva

16, Kovensky sidewalk, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Dying at the front is now definitely perceived as dying in vain.

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Felix Yusupov

Yusupov's Palace, 94, Moyka embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

I managed to take out two Rembrandts among the masterpieces of our collection from St. Petersburg: "Man in a wide-brimmed hat" and "Woman with a fan". Having removed the frames and rolled them into tubes, I got them out easily

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Alfred Knox

Petrograd, Russian Empire

On the night of the 3rd large crowds demonstrated for and against M. Milyukov before the Marinski Palace, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, with rare courage, came out and spoke to the crowd in defence of his policy.

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Maurice Paleologue

10, Kutuzova embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Yielding to the pressure of the Soviet, Kerensky and, unfortunately, Albert Thomas too, Miliukov has bowed to the necessity of informing the Allied Governments of the manifesto issued on the 9th April to enlighten the Russian nation about the views of the Government of free Russia on the subject of war aims, a manifesto which can be summarized in the famous expression: "No annexations, no indemnities." But he has added an explanatory note which, couched in intentionally vague and diffuse terms, does what is possible to counteract the arguments of the manifesto. See more

The Soviet has been sitting all night, proclaiming its determination to have this note withdrawn and make Miliukov "harmless" in future. In fact, a fierce dispute with the Government is in progress.

There has been much excitement in the streets since early morning. Groups have gathered at all points to listen to impromptu speeches. About two o'clock the character of the demonstrations became more serious. A collision between Miliukov's supporters and opponents took place in front of Our Lady of Kazan and the former gained the day.

Before long the regiments of the garrison emerged from their barracks and marched through the streets of the city, shouting: "Down with Miliukov! Down with the war!"

The Government is in permanent session at the Marie Palace, having firmly decided that this time it will make no further concessions to the tyranny of the extremists. Kerensky alone has refrained from taking any part in its deliberations; he feels that his position as Vice-President of the Soviet leaves him no other course.

This evening the agitation became more intense. More than 25,000 armed men and a huge mob of workmen collected round the Marie Palace.

The Government's position is critical; but its resolution has not wavered. From the top of the steps which give a splendid view of the Marie and St. Isaac Squares, Miliukov, General Kornilov and Rodzianko have been bravely haranguing the crowd.

At length a rumour began to spread that the Tsarskoïe-Selo regiments, which have remained faithful to the Government, are marching on Petrograd. The Soviet seems to think it is true, as it hastily issued an order that the demonstrations are to cease. What will happen to-morrow?

I have been thinking all day over the lamentable mistake Albert Thomas has made in supporting Kerensky against Miliukov. In view of his persistence in what may be called "the revolutionary illusion," I decided to-night to send Ribot the following telegram:

The gravity of the events in progress and the sense of my responsibility compel me to ask you to confirm by direct and express order that you have instructed M. Albert Thomas I am not to communicate with you.

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Nicholas II

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

This extraordinary spring weather continues; the sun appeared, but a heavy snow was falling and a strong wind was blowing. During the morning between 10 o*clock and 11 o*clock, I gave Alexis a geography lesson. Then I took a walk. During the day we worked on the ice. I saw a sentry sleeping on a bench wrapped up in his sheepskin coat. Until dinner and after dinner I read for a long time.

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2 May

Lenin’s ally was almost beaten up on a tram

“The new government has so much work to do, it's horrific”

“Among the generals, you cannot rely on anyone.”