This work thoroughly documents the Russian Revolutions, which serve as a crucial case study on the importance of ideas in shaping history. Why did the Russian history descend into so much chaos?
The author is a professor at Harvard, an eminent historian and a noted conservative who has written extensively on Communism in history. There is no better author for a book of this importance.
The historical content of this book is fantastic. It is greatly detailed but appropriate for an armchair intellectual who is picking up his first book on the Russian Revolution. In this book, you will learn about Russia under Tsar Alexander II, the February Revolution of 1917, which replaced Alexander with a provisional government and the October Revolution later that year, which is more commonly known as the Bolshevik Revolution. Although there is plenty of material on the former two periods, this last revolution is the main focus of the book. Here, you will learn about many of the grim realities of what transpired during this time, including roaming gangs of state-appointed foragers who were ordered to secure "surpluses" but in reality just plunder property. In addition to Lenin's efforts to eradicate the concept of private property, You will also learn about Lenin's futile attempt to eliminate money as a medium of exchange, which actually just lead to an enormous black market for underground commerce. Finally, you will learn about all of the various opposing political factions, including the Bolsheviks, the Mensheviks, the White Russians, the Socialist-Revolutionaries and the other independent groups who were of lesser importance.
Amongst many other key points, Richard Pipes will argue the following:
* Lenin, in terms of essentials, was just as tyrannical as Stalin.
* Although Alexander was despotic, Lenin and Trotsky were clearly worse than Alexander in terms of brutally oppressing the general public and suppressing political opposition.
* The Bolsheviks not only destroyed the lives of many aristocrats but also ultimately made everyone (including workers) worse off as well.
* The White Russians, irrationally blaming Jews for Bolshevism, were heavily responsible for the devastating pogroms that took place during this tumultuous time.
The author's bias against Marxist-Leninism is quite clear throughout the book. However, Pipes is not a fan of their opposition either. Nevertheless, I think this bias enhances the book because these groups, in reality, did not fight for admirable ideals and should be judged accordingly.
This is an excellent book overall. If I were to offer criticism, it would be that the author could have further explored the influence of Chernyshevsky's work "What is to be done?" on Lenin, which seems key to understanding Lenin's philosophy.
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2008
- Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2006
- Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2016
- Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2003
Top reviews from other countries
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Jacky P.Reviewed in France on February 15, 2015
A lire absolument pour comprendre la révolution sovietique
