LENIN ON THE ORGANISATION OF AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMISSION TO FIGHT COUNTER-REVOLUTION
[Letter to Dzerzhinskii, December 19, 1917]
In connection with your report today dealing with the struggle against sabotage and counter-revolution, is it not possible to issue the following decree:
STRUGGLE AGAINST COUNTER-REVOLUTION AND SABOTAGE
The bourgeoisie, landholders, and all wealthy classes are making desperate efforts to undermine the revolution which is aiming to safeguard the interests of the toiling and exploited masses. The bourgeoisie is having recourse to the vilest crimes, bribing society's lowest elements and supplying liquor to these outcasts with the purpose of bringing on pogroms. The partisans of the bourgeoisie, especially the higher officials, bank clerks, etc., are sabotaging and organising strikes in order to block the government's efforts to reconstruct the state on a socialistic basis. Sabotage has spread even to the food-supply organisations and millions of people are threatened with famine. Special measures must be taken to fight counter-revolution and sabotage. Taking these factors into consideration the Soviet of People's Commissars decrees: . . . .
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EXTRAORDINARY COMMISSION TO FIGHT COUNTER-REVOLUTION
[Decree of the Sovnarkom, December 20, 1917]
The Commission is to be named the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission and is to be attached to the Soviet of People's Commissars. [This commission] is to make war on counter-revolution and sabotage .... The duties of the Commission will be:
The Commission will be formed tomorrow..... The Commission is to watch the press, saboteurs, strikers, and the Right Social-Revolutionaries. Measures [to be taken against these counter-revolutionaries are] confiscation, confinement, deprivation of [food] cards, publication of the names of the enemies of the people, etc.