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01 February
Kafka’s neighbours were no better than yours
The allies cannot count on the Russian Army
“But now, in less than three years the lid has been torn off the whited sepulchre of Europe and within we see”
Francis Scott Fitzgerald
Princeton, USA
Show me a hero and I'll write a tragedy.
Kenneth Whyte
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Franz Kafka
Prague, Austro-Hungarian Empire
Surely things cannot be like this in every household?.. From time to time, a crash in the kitchen or in the corridor. Yesterday, in the attic above, perpetual rolling of a ball, as if someone for some incomprehensible reason were bowling, then a piano below me in addition.
Harsh Trivedi, Stephan Wintner and 2 others
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Nicholas Roerich
at work on "The Hills" (from the "Northern Landscapes" series of sketches)
Izvara estate, Russian Empire
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Irina Yusupova
Rakitnoe estate, Kurskaya guberniya, Russain Empire
Every day after our tea Felix' Papa reads the newspapers out loud. What a bore! Particularly as he always manages to skip the most interesting parts.
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Vladimir Lenin
Zurich, Switzerland
What course might the revolution follow? What is the dictatorship of the proletariat? Why is it essential? Why is it impossible without the arming of the proletariat? Why is it perfectly compatible with democracy, in its purest, most all-embracing form? (Despite the beliefs of uninformed popular opinion).
Spyros Marchetos, Rotaru Vlad Matei and 2 others
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Morgan Philips Price
Tiflis, Russian Empire
For my part, living as I am on the threshold between east and west, I can look with dispassion on the ruin of European civilization and I am only surprised at the extraordinarily rapid rate at which it totters to its fall. After all, it took the best part of 500 years for Rome and its civilization to decay, and even the Ottoman Empire in Europe has taken four centuries to recede. But now, in less than three years the lid has been torn off the whited sepulchre of Europe and within we see—!
Taco Tichelaar
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Maurice Paleologue
10, Kutuzova embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire
At three o'clock the conference met at the Marie Palace; we sat in the large rotunda room which looks out on Saint Isaac's Square.
Pokrovski presided; but his lack of experience in diplomatic affairs and his gentleness and modesty prevented him from steering the course of the discussion, which wandered aimlessly. There was talk about Greece, Japan, Serbia, America, Rumania, the Scandinavian countries, and so on; but all without logical sequence, dominating purpose or practical conclusions. Several times, Lord Milner, who was next to me, whispered impatiently in my ear.
"We are wasting time!"
Rotaru Vlad Matei
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Alexander Guchkov
Petrograd, Russian Empire
I am convinced that the army, like one man and with few exceptions, will side with the revolution.
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George Buchanan with Vasily Gurko
Petrograd, Russian Empire
In his speech at the opening of the conference, General Gurko stated that Russia had mobilized fourteen million men, had lost two millions in killed and wounded, as well as two million prisoners, and had at present seven and a half millions under arms and two and a half millions in her reserve depots. He did not hold out any hope of her army being able to take an offensive on a large scale till the new divisions, about to be formed, had been finally constituted, trained and equipped with the necessary guns, rifles and munitions. All that it could do meanwhile was to hold the enemy by actions of secondary importance. The putcome of the conference was a series of recommendations with regard to the war material and credits which it was proposed that the Allied Governments should place at Russia's disposal.
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31 January
The French Ambassador is disappointed by the apathy of the Russian Emperor
Wilhelm II: “The English scoundrels should come to us themselves!"
“There’ll be a revolution and we’ll all be hanged – and as for what streetlamps we shall dangle from, what does it matter?”.
Elizaveta Naryshkina
Petrograd, Russian Empire
I foresee a gloomy future: a consequence of the war will be a Jewish incursion. The Jews will enslave the peasants; the peasants shall revolt and set about routing the Jews and the landowners, whom they’ll heap into the same pile.
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Alexander Spiridovich
Petrograd, Russian Empire
The disturbing rumours had penetrated the walls of Tsarskoe Selo Palace as well. The atmosphere there was heavy. “It’s as if there’d been a death in the family,” remarked a frequent visitor. The Tsarina remained in bed almost the whole time. The children shot nervous glances at their parents. Trepidation reigned in the ranks of the closest courtiers, with certain ladies beset by presentiments of disaster. The faithful servant Admiral Nilov had long since lost faith in everything. Time and time again, he repeated to his friends, “there’ll be a revolution and we’ll all be hanged – and as for what streetlamps we shall dangle from, what does it matter?”.
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Nicholas II
Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire
Sunny, –14°. Went for a brief stroll. Received conference members at 11; representatives from England, France and Italy – 37 people in total. Talked to them for about an hour. 12 o’clock meeting with Sazanov, appointed ambassador to England. Alexei has sore tonsils, he’s been in bed all day. Did a loop of the grounds. Read.
Taco Tichelaar
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Pavel Milyukov with Georgy Lvov
1 bld, 2/6, Podkopaevskiy sidewalk, Moscow, Russian Empire
Prince Lvov has just returned from St Petersburg and told us in confidence in Chelnokov’s apartments all the latest news from the capital. A palace coup is to be expected in the nearest future, in which leading politicians, grand princes and officers from the highest military circles are expected to take part.It appears that the plan is to dispose of Nikolai II and Alexandra Fedorovna. We must prepare ourselves for the consequences. A number of those in attendance agreed that Lvov should not let the opportunity to head the new government pass him by.
Taco Tichelaar, Charles Roth Mpc
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Vladimir Dzhunkovskiy
near Volno, Belorussia, Russian Empire
In one place, there’s a well right in the middle where the distance between us and German trenches is no more than 30 steps. We and the Germans had to both use it since there wasn’t any other.
The need for it was so great that there was a silent agreement between us and the Germans Every morning the Germans went to fetch water first and then us, and there was never a single shot fired during this time, from our side or theirs.
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Wilhelm II
signed a decree on the renewal of unlimited submarine warfare.
Berlin, German Empire
“The English scoundrels must be made to come before us on their knees. Until then we must continue to hit them where it hurts – to sink them with our submarines. We will force them to agree to our terms!”