Bolshevism the road to revolution preface to the second english edition why study the history of bolshevism. Unless otherwise indicated, all page numbers refer to this book. One of the greatest myths of contemporary history is that the bolshevik revolution in russia was a popular uprising of the downtrodden masses against the hated ruling class of the tsars. The story of russias transition from imperial reign to eventual communist dictatorship is a tale rooted in the ranks of the common people and the men who rose to lead them. News long reads the legacy of alexander kerensky, russia s last leader before the bolshevik revolution. The russian revolution in 1917 was a moment in time when the will of the people put an end to a system of government that had been in place for centuries. With world war i, the bolshevik revolution, and the russian civil war as backdrop, its an oldfashioned, bloodandguts narrative, filled with earthly humor and a wealth of colorful. How lenins love of literature shaped the russian revolution. Born vladimir ilich ulyanov in 1870, lenin was drawn to the revolutionary. The benchmark for all later histories of the revolution. Many of them were sent into battle without shoes, food, and even weapons. Wade is professor of russian history at george mason university. They are available for purchase through our affiliate partner, the book depository, at low.
October song a panoramic account of the russian revolution of 1917 and its aftermath. The story of russia s transition from imperial reign to eventual communist dictatorship is a tale rooted in the ranks of the common people and the men who rose to lead them. On the hundredth anniversary of the revolutions of 1917, weve collected together the very best history books on revolutionary russia. Bolshevik, boris kustodiev, 1920 lenins political pamphlet what is to be done. After the october revolution, kerensky fled the country and eventually immigrated to the united states, where he taught russian history at stanford university. The russian revolution, through american eyes history. As we shall see, however, the planning, the leadership and especially the financing came entirely from outside russia, mostly from financiers in germany. He is the author of several books on russian history, including the russian revolution, 1917 2000, red guards and workers. Written by different authors, the various parts of this book are unequal in value, but they contain at any rate abundant factual material. Some may even consider the bolsheviks misguided and tragic, though wicked and power hungry is more common. Women and the russian revolution article written by. Katie mcelvanney katie mcelvanney explores how womens lives changed during the russian revolution, tracing the history of female revolutionaries in russia and the different ways women documented and participated in events. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The russian revolution of 1917 was one of the most explosive political events of the twentieth century.
He is wellknown for his biographies of vladimir lenin, joseph stalin, and leon trotsky. If you are looking for a general history of the revolution or want an analysis of what the revolution meant for the fate of various nations after world war i or its affect on world geopolitics look elsewhere. The past year has prompted a predictable flurry of sovietthemed activity to mark the 100th anniversary of the october revolution. World war i in 1914, world war i began and russia was at war with germany. Wade presents an essential overview of the russian revolution from its beginning in february 1917, through the numerous political crises under kerensky, to the victory of lenin and the bolsheviks in the october revolution. Smith presents a panoramic account of the history of the russian empire, from the last years of the nineteenth century, through the first world war and the revolutions of 1917 and the establishment of the bolshevik regime, to the end of the 1920s, when stalin simultaneously unleashed violent collectivization of agriculture and. Among the books which have the character of collective historical works we have particularly used the twovolume essays on the history of the october revolution moscowleningrad, 1927. Robert service born october 29, 1947, british educator. During his exile period in turkey, trotsky wrote this book on the isle of prinkipo. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the. History books why does the russian revolution matter. How lenins love of literature shaped the russian revolution the father of the soviet union was also a latin buff who adored goethe and liked. Figes is the author of many books on russian history, including a peoples tragedy. The russian revolution, through american eyes on the centennial of the start of the russian revolution, explore about the tumultuous events of 1917 as.
Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. A history from beginning to end october revolution. Written in the form of a diary, the bolshevik myth describes how berkmans initial enthusiasm for the revolution faded as he became disillusioned with the bolsheviks and their suppression of all. In january 1917, tsar nicholas ii ruled russia while bolshevik. In the russian revolution sean mcmeekin argues that the bolshevik. The bolshevik myth diary 19201922 is a book by alexander berkman describing his experiences in bolshevist russia from 1920 to 1922, where he saw the aftermath of the russian revolution of 1917. Ten days that shook the world by john reed, doctor zhivago by boris pasternak, history of the russian revolution by. Born vladimir ilich ulyanov in 1870, lenin was drawn to the revolutionary cause. Kerensky has been much maligned by the history books. Carrs history of the bolshevik revolution offers an excellent multivolume set that tells that story through the 1920s. A brief history of 1917 russia s year of revolution is a book that express the truth through the masses rather than politics or historians it expresss the true nature of 1917 through the setting rather than resources on a map. The conspiracy behind the bolshevik revolution victims. Nobel laureate under fire for new book on the role of jews in sovietera repression.
The remarkable true story of the american capitalists who financed the russian communists. On the afternoon of july 4, 1917, thousands of soldiers, sailors and workers converged on a former. Web history of russia and the former ussr at internet archive web the vladimir ilyich lenin internet archive at web the leon trotsky internet archive at web the josef stalin internet archive at summary. The russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin basic books. This important work was first published in 1999, with material collected by the author over a thirty year period, and has been republished here to mark the centenary of the russian. Vladimir ilich ulyanov the founder of the bolshevik party, organizer of the october revolution, and the first leader of the soviet union.
Leon trotskys three volume history of the russian revolution is obviously a good place to start for a probolshevik overview. Sukhanov, a left menshevik hostile to lenin, was actually. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian. The best books to read on the russian revolution, a. The bolshevik revolution refers to the second revolution that occurred in russia in october 1917 led by lenin and the bolshevik party. The russian revolution penguin and revolutionary russia, 18911991 pelican. The canonical view of the 1917 bolshevik revolution, promulgated by soviet history books and not a few western fellow travelers, argues that it represented an inevitable, epochal movement of the masses, led by the bolshevik party with the full backing of the people. A personal record by nn sukhanov this book was necessary reading for all early historians of the revolution. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the guardian. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian revolution. The russian revolution was a period of political and social revolution across the territory of the russian empire, commencing with the abolition of the monarchy in 1917, and concluding in 1923 after the bolshevik establishment of the soviet union, along with five other soviet republics, ukraine, belarus, armenia, azerbaijan and georgia, resulting in the end of the civil war. Russian revolution the russian revolution in 1917 was a moment in time when the will of the people put an end to a system of government that had been in place for centuries. The road to revolution is a comprehensive history of the bolshevik party, from its early beginnings through to the seizure of power in october 1917. The best books on the russian revolution pan macmillan.
Solzhenitsyn breaks last taboo of the revolution world. Genres russian history bolsheviks the bolsheviks, originally also bolshevists or bolsheviki derived from, literally meaning one of the majority were a faction of the marxist russian social democratic labour party rsdlp which split apart from the menshevik minority faction at the second party congress in 1903. During the russian revolution, the bolsheviks, led by leftist revolutionary. Russian revolution centenary ebook collection brill. Having demonised lenin and the bolsheviks, along with most of his colleagues in the press, he became. The october revolution, officially known in soviet historiography as the great october socialist revolution and commonly referred to as the october uprising, the october coup, the bolshevik revolution, the bolshevik coup, or the red october, was a revolution in russia led by the bolshevik party of vladimir lenin that was instrumental in the larger russian revolution of 19171923. Although the russian army had great numbers, the soldiers were not equipped or trained to fight.
The violent revolution marked the end of the romanov dynasty and centuries of russian imperial rule. A hundred years after the russian revolution, history, according to most historians, had pronounced its judgment. The important quality of this book is its ability to be a memory and an account of major historical event by a. They have selected these books for their content, accessibility and affordability. He examines the constitutional structure erected by the new government and then turns to the multifarious problems facing the bolsheviks as they took possession of a rapidly disintegrating russian empire. The history of russian revolution recreates the story of the bolshevik revolution. Carr begins with an analysis of the events in russian history from 1898 to 1917 that shaped the course of the revolution. A history of the russian revolution, leon trotsky about 900 pages long, this book is an imposing firsthand account of the russian revolution, remarkable for having been composed by one of its chief protagonistsproof, if need be, that leon trotsky was a formidable writer amongst other things. Robert service is one of britains bestknown experts on russian history, specifically the russian revolution and the history of the soviet union. Women and the russian revolution the british library. The best books on the russian revolution five books expert.
Sa smith is an oxford historian who has published books on, among other subjects, revolutionary russia and revolutionary china and a handbook to communism. On the night of october 24, 1917, bolshevik red guards began to take control of key points in the russian capitalrailway stations, telegraph offices, and government buildings. Hoffmann one hundred years ago, in wartime petrograd, russian radicals known as the bolsheviks carried out the great october socialist revolution. A huge russian army was formed by forcing working class and peasant men to join. Brills russian revolution centenary ebook collection offers unique access to carefully. Most popular russian revolution movies and tv shows imdb. Brendan mcgeevers antisemitism and the russian revolution. Russia s 1917 bolshevik revolution a century later as russia approaches the centennial of the uprising, it has struggled to come to terms with the legacy of those who remade the nation. Or if you want to know what the various parliamentary leaders, both bourgeois and soviet, were thinking and doing in 1917 from a moderately leftist viewpoint read sukhanovs notes on the russian revolution. During the russian revolution, the bolsheviks, led by leftist revolutionary vladimir lenin. This selection of russian revolution books has been recommended by alpha history authors.
The facts are well known, but history is about making connections between these facts, and there could be and there are many histories of the russian revolution. This new history of the russian revolution was one of many books published to mark the 100th anniversary of the bolshevik revolution. Bolshevik russia, later renamed the union of soviet socialist republics ussr, was the worlds first marxist state. In the russian revolution, acclaimed historian sean mcmeekin traces the events which ended romanov rule, ushered the bolsheviks into power, and introduced communism to the world. Bibliography of the russian revolution and civil war wikipedia. A hundred years after the bolsheviks swept to power, historians and contemporaries still struggle to understand the prominent role played by jews. For much of 1918, the romanov family had been the captives of the bolsheviks who overthrew nicholas ii in the bloody russian revolution, and they were used to moving from place to place.
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