Midwives of the Revolution: Female Bolsheviks and Women Workers Inb 1917. (Women's History)

An analysis of the part played by women in the Russian revolution. It aims to show that the extent of female activists' participation in the events of 1917 was far wider that has hitherto been thought. BOOK COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 2 TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 7 CHAPTER ONE Introduction......Page 9 CHAPTER TWO The woman question before 1917: what was to be done?......Page 27 Service to the people......Page 28 Women and social revolution......Page 33 Organizing women workers......Page 39 The new woman......Page 46 Women and the 1905 Revolution......Page 51 From political reaction to world war......Page 56 Mothers and daughters of the Revolution......Page 60 Brides of the Revolution......Page 66 Bolshevik feminists......Page 75 Women in the Bolshevik Party in 1917......Page 80 Autocracy and the position of women......Page 95 Upper-class women and work......Page 101 Peasant women’s work......Page 108 Peasant women at work in the city......Page 114 Women’s response to the call to arms in 1914......Page 122 Women, work and war......Page 136 Women and protest before 1917......Page 146 CHAPTER SIX Women and the 1917 Revolution in Petrograd......Page 152 Women and the overthrow of tsarism......Page 155 What did the women want now?......Page 164 Organizing women workers after the February Revolution......Page 172 Women, war and revolution......Page 186 Women and the October Revolution......Page 191 CHAPTER SEVEN Conclusion......Page 196 Women outside of Petrograd......Page 197 Women and the 1917 Revolution......Page 203 Notes......Page 211 Select Bibliography......Page 235 Index......Page 239 "The Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917 and the ensuing communist regime have often been portrayed as a man's revolution, with women as bystanders or even victims. Midwives of the Revolution examines the powerful contribution made by women to the overthrow of tsarism in 1917 and their importance in the formative years of communism in Russia. Focusing on the masses as well as the high-ranking intelligentsia, Midwives of the Revolution is the first sustained analysis of female involvement in the revolutionary era of Russian history. The authors investigate the role of Bolshevik women and the various forms their participation took. Drawing on the experiences of representative individuals, the authors discuss the important relationship between Bolshevik women and the workers in the turbulent months of 1917. The authors demonstrate that women were an integral part of the revolutionary process and challenge assumptions that they served merely to ignite an essentially masculine revolt. By placing women center stage, without exaggerating their roles, this study enriches our understanding of a momentous event in twentieth-century history."--Publisher description First published in 1999.The Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917 and the ensuing communist regime have often been portrayed as a man's revolution, with women as bystanders or even victims. Midwives of the Revolution examines the powerful contribution made by women to the overthrow of tsarism in 1917 and their importance in the formative years of communism in Russia. Focusing on the masses as well as the high-ranking intelligentsia, Midwives of the Revolution is the first sustained analysis of female involvement in the revolutionary era of Russian history. The authors investigate the role of Bolshevik women and the various forms their participation took. Drawing on the experiences of representative individuals, the authors discuss the important relationship between Bolshevik women and the workers in the turbulent months of 1917. The authors demonstrate that women were an integral part of the revolutionary process and challenge assumptions that they served merely to ignite an essentially masculine revolt. By placing women center stage, without exaggerating their roles, this study enriches our understanding of a momentous event in twentieth-century history. 1. Introduction -- 2. The Woman Question Before 19l7: What Was To Be Done? -- 3. The Making Of A Female Revolutionary -- 4. The Lives Of Working Women On The Eve Of The First World War -- 5. From World War To The Eve Of Revolution -- 6. Women And The 1917 Revolution In Petrograd -- 7. Conclusion. Jane Mcdermid And Anna Hillyar. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 229-233) And Index. First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.