is their slogan, while their promise to expropriate all land without
any compensation naturally meets with approval on the part of the
land-hungry peasants. Moreover, their program does not demand immediate
complete socialization of Russia, leaving that to a gradual process of
evolution and change of existing conditions. In the ten years preceding
the first revolution thousands of young intellectuals joined the party
and fought the tsar's regime. They showed a degree of self-abnegation
found only in people whose heart is kindled with the true spirit of
devotion to a great cause. The revolution of 1905 would never have taken
place but for their organized "terror from below." The high regard held
for them by the widest circles has caused their rise in power during
the first two months of the revolution of 1917. But tactical errors
committed by the leaders of the party as well as dissensions within the
party itself contributed to a rather rapid change of sentiment toward
them on all sides. In a measure as the Constitutional Democrats
vigorously objected to their policy to put into life as soon as possible
the agrarian reforms promised by them, the Social-Democrats on their
part attacked them for their moderation in other demands. For some
reason not yet clear, Kerensky was slighted in the very beginning of
his political career when his nomination to the executive council of the
Socialist-revolutionist party was opposed by a large majority. Just as
the Constitutional Democrats made a series of tactical errors due to the
fact that they thought themselves representative of the spirit of
the Russian people, whereas in reality they stood sponsors only for
a relatively small minority, even so the Socialist-revolutionists
misjudged the attitude of other parties toward themselves. They
overrated the ability of the masses to distinguish between their
attitude toward war in general and the necessity to continue the present
war. They overrated the ability of the soldiers to distinguish between
slavish obedience and military discipline. They tried to play the
role of a center. They tried to mediate between Social-Democrats and
Constitutional Democrats and naturally failed in this attempt. Some of
their leaders, notably Mr. Tschernov, were accused by Constitutional
Democrats of being pro-German if not actual German agents. Others,
including Kerensky himself and even Mme. Breshkovsky, were accused
by the Bolsheviki of having been almost