On the extreme right the organs of the scarcely-veiled Monarchists, Purishkevitch’s _Narodny Tribun_ (People’s Tribune), _Novaya Rus_ (New Russia), and _Zhivoye Slovo_ (Living Word), openly advocated the extermination of the revolutionary democracy….
On the 23rd of October occurred the naval battle with a German squadron in the Gulf of Riga. On the pretext that Petrograd was in danger, the Provisional Government drew up plans for evacuating the capital. First the great munitions works were to go, distributed widely throughout Russia; and then the Government itself was to move to Moscow. Instantly the Bolsheviki began to cry out that the Government was abandoning the Red Capital in order to weaken the Revolution. Riga had been sold to the Germans; now Petrograd was being betrayed!
The bourgeois press was joyful. “At Moscow,” said the Cadet paper _Ryetch_ (Speech), “the Government can pursue its work in a tranquil atmosphere, without being interfered with by anarchists.” Rodzianko, leader of the right wing of the Cadet party, declared in _Utro Rossii_ (The Morning of Russia) that the taking of Petrograd by the Germans would be a blessing, because it would destroy the Soviets and get rid of the revolutionary Baltic Fleet:
Petrograd is in danger (he wrote). I say to myself, “Let God take care of Petrograd.” They fear that if Petrograd is lost the central revolutionary organisations will be destroyed. To that I answer that I rejoice if all these organisations are destroyed; for they will bring nothing but disaster upon Russia…. With the taking of Petrograd the Baltic Fleet will also be destroyed…. But there will be nothing to regret; most of the battleships are completely demoralised….
In the face of a storm of popular disapproval the plan of evacuation was repudiated.
Meanwhile the Congress of Soviets loomed over Russia like a thunder-cloud, shot through with lightnings. It was opposed, not only by the Government but by all the “moderate” Socialists. The Central Army and Fleet Committees, the Central Committees of some of the Trade Unions, the Peasants’ Soviets, but most of all the _Tsay-ee-kah_ itself, spared no pains to prevent the meeting. _Izviestia_ and _Golos Soldata_ (Voice of the Soldier), newspapers founded by the Petrograd Soviet but now in the hands of the _Tsay-ee-kah,_ fiercely assailed it, as did the entire artillery of the Socialist Revolutionary party press, _Dielo Naroda_ (People’s Cause) and _Volia Naroda_ (People’s Will).