Vatslav Vorovsky
Vatslav Vorovsky, the son of an engineer, was born in Moscow on 27th October, 1871. He attended the University of Moscow where he became a socialist. Vorovsky was arrested in 1895 and sentenced to three years' exile in the city of Orlov.
In 1902 Vorovsky moved to Europe and spent time in Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. He joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP). At a meeting in London in 1903, there was a dispute between Lenin and Julius Martov, two of SDLP's leaders. Lenin argued for a small party of professional revolutionaries with a large fringe of non-party sympathizers and supporters. Martov disagreed believing it was better to have a large party of activists. Martov disagreed believing it was better to have a large party of activists. Martov based his ideas on the socialist parties that existed in other European countries such as the British Labour Party. Lenin argued that the situation was different in Russia as it was illegal to form socialist political parties under the Tsar's autocratic government. At the end of the debate Martov won the vote 28-23. Lenin was unwilling to accept the result and formed a faction known as the Bolsheviks. Those who remained loyal to Martov became known as Mensheviks.
Vorovsky joined the Bolsheviks. Other members included Gregory Zinoviev, Anatoli Lunacharsky, Joseph Stalin, Mikhail Lashevich, Nadezhda Krupskaya, Mikhail Frunze, Alexei Rykov, Yakov Sverdlov, Lev Kamenev, Maxim Litvinov, Vladimir Antonov, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Vyacheslav Menzhinsky, Kliment Voroshilov, Gregory Ordzhonikidze and Alexander Bogdanov. The SDLP journal, Iskra remained under the control of the Mensheviks so Lenin established a Bolshevik newspaper, Vperyod (Forward) and appointed Vorovsky as editor.
After the failure of the 1905 Revolution he moved to Odessa in the Ukraine, where he was a leading underground Bolshevik. In 1912 Vorovsky was arrested again but he managed to escape and went to live in Stockholm where he found work. The journalist Arthur Ransome described Vorovsky as being "well-educated, amiable and cosmopolitan".
On 26th February, 1917, Nicholas II ordered the Duma to close down. Members refused and they continued to meet and discuss what they should do. Michael Rodzianko, President of the Duma, sent a telegram to the Tsar suggesting that he appoint a new government led by someone who had the confidence of the people. When the Tsar did not reply, the Duma nominated a Provisional Government headed by Prince George Lvov. One of his first decisions was to give permission for political exiles to return to Russia.
The Bolsheviks set up their headquarters in the Smolny Institute. The former girls' convent school also housed the Petrograd Soviet. Under pressure from the nobility and industrialists, Alexander Kerensky was persuaded to take decisive action. On 22nd October he ordered the arrest of the Military Revolutionary Committee. The next day he closed down the Bolshevik newspapers and cut off the telephones to the Smolny Institute.
Leon Trotsky now urged the overthrow of the Provisional Government. Lenin agreed and on the evening of 24th October, 1917, orders were given for the Bolsheviks began to occupy the railway stations, the telephone exchange and the State Bank. The following day the Red Guards surrounded the Winter Palace. Inside was most of the country's Cabinet, although Kerensky had managed to escape from the city.
The Winter Palace was defended by Cossacks, some junior army officers and the Woman's Battalion. At 9 p.m. the Aurora and the Peter and Paul Fortress began to open fire on the palace. Little damage was done but the action persuaded most of those defending the building to surrender. The Red Guards, led by Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, now entered the Winter Palace and arrested the Cabinet ministers.
On 26th October, 1917, the All-Russian Congress of Soviets met and handed over power to the Soviet Council of People's Commissars. Lenin was elected chairman and other appointments included Leon Trotsky (Foreign Affairs) Alexei Rykov (Internal Affairs), Anatoli Lunacharsky (Education), Alexandra Kollontai (Social Welfare), Felix Dzerzhinsky (Internal Affairs), Joseph Stalin (Nationalities), Peter Stuchka (Justice) and Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko (War).
Vorovsky was appointed as head of the Bolshevik legation in Stockholm. He was interviewed by the journalist Arthur Ransome. The article appeared in the Daily News on 19th December, 1917. Vorovsky reminded Ransome: "You have lived in Russia long enough to know that Russia is not a condition to carry on a war. Russia must make peace. It is for the Allies to choose whether that peace is to be a separate or a general peace." Vorovsky pointed out that the Bolshevik government's quarrel was not with the English working class, but only with the British government, which clung so obstinately to the destruction of Germany. Vorovsky warned that "continual sabotage on the part of the bourgeoisie may exasperate the mass of the people to such an extent as to carry them beyond the control of their leaders."
Vorovsky was the representative of the Russian Communist Party to the Executive Committee of the Comintern. In July 1920, Vorovsky was involved in diplomatic negotiations with Poland. The following year he became the Soviet representative to Italy where he attempted to negotiate a trade agreement between the two countries.
In 1923 Vorovsky served as Soviet representative to the Lausanne Conference. He received threats from a right-wing group. On 9th May he sent a report to Moscow: "As to whether the police are taking any measures for our safety, we have no idea. At any rate, it is not apparent on the surface. It is only too evident that behind these hooligan boys there is some conscious directing hand — possibly foreign. The Swiss Government, well aware of what is going on - for the papers are full of it - must bear responsibility for our safety. The behaviour of the Swiss Government is a shameful violation of the guarantees given at the beginning of the conference, and any attack on us in this particularly well-organised country is only possible with the knowledge and permission of the authorities. On them is the responsibility."
Vatslav Vorovsky was assassinated by Maurice Conradi while having a meal in the restaurant of his hotel on 10th May, 1923. Arkadi Vaksberg, the author of Toxic Politics (2011) has pointed out: "Vorovsky was dining in the restaurant at the Cecile Hotel with Arens and an official from the Soviet Embassy in Rome, Dilvilkovsky... With one shot to the head, Conradi killed Vorovsky, and with two more, in an attempt to eliminate witnesses, he slightly wounded Arens and Dilvilkovsky. before giving himself up to the police... He passed himself off as an officer in the White Guards, avenging Bolshevik savagery, and people swallowed this uncorroborated version of events. The court acquitted Conradi."
Primary Sources
(1) Vatslav Vorovsky, interviewed by Arthur Ransome in the Daily News (19th December, 1917)
You have lived in Russia long enough to know that Russia is not a condition to carry on a war. Russia must make peace. It is for the Allies to choose whether that peace is to be a separate or a general peace." Vorovsky pointed out that the Bolshevik government's quarrel was not with the English working class, but only with the British government, which clung so obstinately to the destruction of Germany. Vorovsky warned that "continual sabotage on the part of the bourgeoisie may exasperate the mass of the people to such an extent as to carry them beyond the control of their leaders.
(2) Arkadi Vaksberg, Toxic Politics (2011)
Vorovsky was dining in the restaurant at the Cecile Hotel with Arens and an official from the Soviet Embassy in Rome, Dilvilkovsky... With one shot to the head, Conradi killed Vorovsky, and with two more, in an attempt to eliminate witnesses, he slightly wounded Arens and Dilvilkovsky. before giving himself up to the police... He passed himself off as an officer in the White Guards, avenging Bolshevik savagery, and people swallowed this uncorroborated version of events. The court acquitted Conradi.
