عاشقانه‌ای برای انقلاب: افسانه دموکراسی شوروی و چپ بریتانیا

In the years immediately following the First World War and the 1917 Russian Revolution, many of those on the British Left were tempted, to a greater or lesser degree, by what Ian Bullock calls the “myth” of soviet democracy: the belief that Russia had embarked on a brave experiment in a form of popular government more advanced even than British parliamentarism. In Romancing the Revolution , Bullock examines the reaction of a broad spectrum of the British Left to this idealized concept of soviet democracy. At conferences and congresses, and above all in the contemporary left-wing press, debates raged over how best to lay the groundwork for a soviet system in Britain, over how soviets should be organized, over the virtues (if any) of the parliamentary system, over the true meaning of the “dictatorship of the proletariat,” over whether British communists should affiliate to the Third International, and over a host of other issues—including the puzzling question of what was actually going on in Russia. As Bullock demonstrates, even in the face of mounting evidence that the Bolshevik revolution had produced something closer to genuine dictatorship than genuine democracy, many of those on the Left were slow to abandon the hope that revolutionary transformations were indeed in store for Britain—that the soviet system would at long last allow the country to achieve real social equality and economic justice. Over Two Decades Have Passed Since The Collapse Of The Ussr, Yet The Words 'soviet Union' Still Carry Significant Weight In The Collective Memory Of Millions. But How Often Do We Consider The True Meaning Of The Term 'soviet'? Drawing Extensively On Left-wing Press Archives, Romancing The Revolution Traces The Reactions Of The British Left To The Idealized Concept Of Soviet Democracy. Focusing On The Turbulent Period After The 1917 Russian Revolution, Author Ian Bullock Examines The Impact Of The Myth Of Soviet Democracy: The Belief That Russia Was Embarking On A Brave Experiment In A Form Of Popular Government More Genuine And Advanced Than Even The Best Forms Of Parliamentarism. Romancing The Revolution Uncovers The Imprint Of This Myth On Left-wing Organizations And Their Publications, Ranging From Those That Presented Themselves As 'british Bolsheviks' -- The British Socialist Party And The Call, The Socialist Labour Party's The Socialist, Sylvia Pankhurst's Workers' Dreadnought--to The Much More Equivocal Labour Leader And The New Statesmen.--publisher's Website. Introduction -- Well-prepared Ground: The British Left On The Eve Of The Russian Revolution -- Intitial Responses To The Russian Revolution: The British Left In 1917 And The Leeds Soviet Convention -- The Bolsheviks And The British Left: The October Revolution And The Suppression Of The Constituent Assembly -- The Myth Established: The Positive View Of Soviet Democracy -- Polarized Social-democrats: Denunciation And Debate -- Equivocal Reformists: The Independent Labour Party, The Guild Socialists And The Reaction To Kautsky -- The Dictatorship Of The Proletariat -- The Independent Labour Party And The Third International -- An Infantile Disorder: Communist Unity And The Brief Life Of The Communist Party (british Section Of The Third International) -- British Bolsheviks: The Socialist Labour Party -- Pankhurst's Dreadnought And The (original) Fourth Internationals: Left Communism And Soviet Democracy -- The Early British Communist Party: Soviet Democracy Deferred And Redefined -- Endings And Conclusions. Ian Bullock. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 401-407) And Index. Issued Also In Electronic Format. Front Matter ......Page 1 Table of Contents ......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 11 List of Abbreviations......Page 13 Timeline: May 1916 to January 1925......Page 14 Introduction......Page 23 1. Well-Prepared Ground: The British Left on the Eve of the Russian Revolution......Page 36 2. Initial Responses to the Russian Revolution: The British Left in 1917 and the Leeds “Soviet” Convention......Page 60 3. The Bolsheviks and the British Left: The October Revolution and the Suppression of the Constituent Assembly......Page 86 4. The Myth Established: The Positive View of Soviet Democracy......Page 118 5. Polarized Social-Democrats: Denunciation and Debate......Page 144 6. Equivocal Reformists: The Independent Labour Party, the Guild Socialists, and the Reaction to Kautsky......Page 166 7. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat......Page 188 8. The Independent Labour Party and the Third International: A Crucial Test for Belief in Soviet Democracy......Page 208 9. “An Infantile Disorder”: Communist Unity and the Brief Life of the Communist Party (British Section of the Third International)......Page 234 10. British Bolsheviks? The Socialist Labour Party......Page 264 11. Pankhurst’s Dreadnought and the (Original) Fourth International: “Left Communism” and Soviet Democracy......Page 294 12. The Early British Communist Party: Soviet Democracy Deferred and Redefined......Page 326 13. Endings and Conclusions......Page 352 Notes......Page 387 Bibliography......Page 421 Index......Page 429 In the years immediately following the First World War and the 1917Russian Revolution, many of those on the British Left were tempted, toa greater or lesser degree, by what Ian Bullock calls the“myth” of soviet democracy: the belief that Russia hadembarked on a brave experiment in a form of popular government moreadvanced even than British parliamentarism. In __Romancing theRevolution__, Bullock examines the reaction of a broad spectrum ofthe British Left to this idealized concept of soviet democracy. Atconferences and congresses, and above all in the contemporary left-wingpress, debates raged over how best to lay the groundwork for a sovietsystem in Britain, over how soviets should be organized, over thevirtues (if any) of the parliamentary system, over the true meaning ofthe “dictatorship of the proletariat,” over whether Britishcommunists should affiliate to the Third International, and over a hostof other issues—including the puzzling question of what wasactually going on in Russia. As Bullock demonstrates, even in the faceof mounting evidence that the Bolshevik revolution had producedsomething closer to genuine dictatorship than genuine democracy, manyof those on the Left were slow to abandon the hope that revolutionarytransformations were indeed in store for Britain—that the sovietsystem would at long last allow the country to achieve real socialequality and economic justice.