The Russian Revolution may well be the most misunderstood event in modern history. In this fast-paced introduction, Neil Faulkner debunks the myths that continue to shroud it, showing how a mass movement of millions, organised in democratic assemblies, mobilised for militant action and destroyed a regime of landlords, profiteers and warmongers.
Faulkner rejects caricatures of Lenin and the Bolsheviks as authoritarian conspirators, 'democratic-centralists' or the progenitors of Stalinist dictatorship; though short-lived, the Revolution of October 1917 was an explosion of democracy and creativity. Crushed by bloody counter-revolution, its socialist vision was ultimately displaced by a monstrous form of bureaucratic state-capitalism.
Laced with first-hand testimony, this history rescues the democratic essence of the revolution from its detractors and deniers, offering a perfect primer for the modern reader.
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Extrait
A Peope’s Hîsory o e Russîan Revouîon
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A Peope’s Hîsory o e Russîan Revouîon
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Inroducîon
PAR I: HE SPARK, –
1 2 3 4
e Regîme e Revouîonarîes Lenîn and e Bosevîks e Grea War
PAR II: HE EMPES,
5 6 7 8
e February Revouîon Dua Power Couner-Revouîon e Ocober Days
Epilogue: A Cenury of War and RevoluionTimelineBibliograpyIndex
vîî îx xî xîî
1
7 27 52 88
111 133 157 174
207 223 237
251 254 265 268
Series Preface
e îrs Le Book Cub (193648) ad 57,000 members, ad dîsrîbued 2 mîîon books, and ad ormed 1,200 workpace and oca groups by e îme î peaked în 1939. LBC members were acîve rougou e abour and radîca movemen a e îme, and e Cub became an educaîona mass movemen, remodeîng Brîîs pubîc opînîon and conrîbuîng subsan-îay o e Labour andsîde o 1945 and e consrucîon o e weare sae. Pubîser Vîcor Goancz, e drîvîng orce, saw e LBC as a movemen agaîns povery, ascîsm, and e growîng rea o war. He aîmed o resîs e îde o auserîy and appeasemen, and o presen radîca îdeas or progressîve socîa cange în e îneress o workîng peope. e Cub was abou enîgen-men, empowermen, and coecîve organîsaîon. e word oday aces a crîsîs on e scae o e 1930s. Capîaîsm îs rapped în a ong-erm crîsîs. Fînancîaîsa-îon and auserîy are srînkîng demand, deepenîng e depressîon, and wîdenîng socîa înequaîîes. e socîa abrîc îs beîng orn apar. Inernaîona reaîons are încreasîngy ense and mîîarîsed. War reaens on severa rons, wîe ascîs and racîs organîsaîons are gaînîng ground across muc o Europe. Goba warmîng reaens e pane and e woe o umanîy wî cîmae caasrope. Workpace organîsaîon as been weakened, and socîa democraîc parîes ave been oowed ou by accepance o pro-marke dogma. Socîey as become more aomîsed, and maînsream poîîcs suers an acue democraîc deîcî.
viii◆ A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
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Acknowledgemens
My undersandîng o e Russîan Revouîon as been saped by couness ecures, meeîngs, and dîscussîons învovîng undreds o revouîonary acîvîss. I îs împossîbe o reca, e aone îs, a ose wo, a dîeren îmes and în dîeren ways, ave înuenced my perspecîve. I soud peraps record a, rom 1980 o 2010, I was an acîve member o e Socîaîs Workers Pary în Brîaîn. For muc o a îme, especîay în e 1980s, I beîeve e SWP o ave been a sma bu eecîve revouîonary organîsaîon a punced above îs weîg. I aso beîeve î o ave been a powerouse o Marxîs eory. Is degeneraîon îno a se-reerencîng and se-perpeuaîng sec îs, în my vîew, a ragîc deveopmen în e îsory o e Brîîs Le. Bu î woud be dîsones no o make î cear a mos o wa I know abou revouîon bo as îsorîan and acîvîs I owe o e SWP o e 1980s. I ereore owe a deep deb o graîude o a e SWP comrades aongsîde wom I oug e Nazîs, suppored e mîners, reused o pay e po ax, and, wen we ad îme, debaed e îsory o e înerna-îona workîng-cass movemen. Sînce 2010, I ave ormed many new and rewardîng poîîca rîendsîps, and ese ave conrîbued, I beîeve, o a rîcer, more nuanced undersandîng o e Russîan Revouîon. No eas, e degeneraîon o e Brîîs Le over e as wo or ree decades wîc îs a generîc process, no someîng resrîced o e SWP as gîven me a cearer undersandîng a revouîonary parîes are buî by e masses emseves în