ABSTRACT
Gradually Lenin became aware that he was deliberately being held in Gorki. During this period revolution gripped Austria-Hungary and Germany, but Lenin was not guiding operations; Sverdlov was handling most of the practical business. The military situation with Germany had been developing auspiciously. In summer the German military wanted to overthrow the Bolsheviks but was overruled. Under the circumstances, the key strategic requirement for the world revolution would have been to establish close contact with the German and Austrian armies and to revolutionize them, an achievement which would have involved pressuring of the Austro-German forces, resuming fraternization propaganda on a large scale, and organizing large-scale desertion and mutiny. According to Krupskaya, the first anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution, which coincided with the German revolution, provided the happiest days in Lenin's life. If he was euphoric, his elation did not lead to action. The German-Bolshevik co-operation continued in a desultory fashion.
