The Left S Rs and the Communists

The combeti looked like they were being established to supplant all the local soviets that had grown up since 19 17, and which represented all peasant interests. The worker control of factories that had been claimed right after the october revolution was now being replaced by nationalization or centralization. Meanwhile, the checka, the effectively unaccountable secret police, meant to protect the government from political threats, was rapidly growing in size, scope and ruthlessness.