The Russian Revolution : a new history

In The Russian Revolution, Historian Sean Mcmeekin Traces The Origins And Events Of The Russian Revolution, Which Ended Romanov Rule, Ushered The Bolsheviks Into Power, And Changed The Course Of World History. Between 1900 And 1920, Russia Underwent A Complete And Irreversible Transformation: By The End Of These Two Decades, A New Regime Was In Place, The Economy Had Collapsed, And Over 20 Million Russians Had Died During The Revolution And What Followed. Still, Bolshevik Power Remained Intact Due To A Remarkable Combination Of Military Prowess, Violent Terror Tactics, And The Failures Of Their Opposition. And As Mcmeekin Shows, Russia's Revolutionaries Were Aided At Nearly Every Step By Countries Like Germany And Sweden Who Sought To Benefit-politically And Economically-from The Chaotic Changes Overtaking The Country. The First Comprehensive History Of These Momentous Events In A Decade, The Russian Revolution Combines Cutting-edge Scholarship And A Fast-paced Narrative To Shed New Light On A Great Turning Point Of The Twentieth Century-- In The Russian Revolution, Historian Sean Mcmeekin Traces The Origins And Events Of The Russian Revolution, Which Brought An End To Romanov Rule And Ushered The Bolsheviks Into Power. Between The Dawn Of The 20th Century And 1920, Russia Underwent A Complete And Irreversible Transformation, The Effects Of Which Would Reverberate Throughout The World For Decades To Come. At The Turn Of The Century, The Russian Economy, Which Still Trailed Behind Britain, France, Germany, And The U.s., Was Growing By About 10% Annually, And Its Population Had Reached 150 Million. But By 1920, A New Regime Was In Place, The Country Was In Desperate Financial Straits, And Between 20 And 25 Million Russians Had Died During The Revolution And The Civil War, The Red Terror, And The Economic Collapse That Followed. Still, Bolshevik Power Remained Intact Through A Remarkable Combination Of Military Prowess, Violent Terror Tactics, And The Bumbling Failures Of Their Opposition. And As Mcmeekin Shows, They Were Aided At Nearly Every Step By Countries Like Germany, Sweden, And Switzerland Who Sought To Benefit--politically And Economically--from The Chaotic Changes Overtaking The Country-- Prologue: The Blood Of A Peasant -- I. The Twilight Of The Romanovs -- The Old Regime, And Its Enemies -- 1905: Shock To The System -- The Fragile Giant: Tsarist Russia On The Precipice Of War -- Russia's War: 1914-1916 -- Ii. 1917: A False Dawn -- Full Of Fight -- A Break In The Weather -- Army In The Balance -- The German Gambit -- Twilight Of The Liberals -- Kerensky's Moment -- Iii. Hostile Takeover -- Lenin Shows His Hand -- Army On The Brink -- Red October -- General Strike -- Ceasefire -- Russia At Low Ebb -- Reprieve -- Iv. The Bolsheviks In Power -- War Communism -- Red On White -- The Communist International -- The Ides Of March -- Turn Gold Into Bread: Famine And The War On The Church -- Rapallo -- Epilogue: The Specter Of Communism. Sean Mcmeekin. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 359-420) And Index. From an award-winning scholar comes this definitive, single-volume history that illuminates the tensions and transformations of the Russian Revolution. ​ 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. Between 1917 and 1922, Russia underwent a complete and irreversible transformation. Taking advantage of the collapse of the Tsarist regime in the middle of World War I, the Bolsheviks staged a hostile takeover of the Russian Imperial Army, promoting mutinies and mass desertions of men in order to fulfill Lenin's program of turning the "imperialist war" into civil war. By the time the Bolsheviks had snuffed out the last resistance five years later, over 20 million people had died, and the Russian economy had collapsed so completely that Communism had to be temporarily abandoned. Still, Bolshevik rule was secure, owing to the new regime's monopoly on force, enabled by illicit arms deals signed with capitalist neighbors such as Germany and Sweden who sought to benefit-politically and economically-from the revolutionary chaos in Russia. Drawing on scores of previously untapped files from Russian archives and a range of other repositories in Europe, Turkey, and the United States, McMeekin delivers exciting, groundbreaking research about this turbulent era. The first comprehensive history of these momentous events in two decades, The Russian Revolution combines cutting-edge scholarship and a fast-paced narrative to shed new light on one of the most significant turning points of the twentieth century. A “powerful revisionist history” ( Times UK) illuminating the tensions and transformations of the Russian Revolution 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. Between 1917 and 1922, Russia underwent a complete and irreversible transformation. Taking advantage of the collapse of the Tsarist regime in the middle of World War I, the Bolsheviks staged a hostile takeover of the Russian Imperial Army, promoting mutinies and mass desertions of men in order to fulfill Lenin's program of turning the "imperialist war" into civil war. By the time the Bolsheviks had snuffed out the last resistance five years later, over 20 million people had died, and the Russian economy had collapsed so completely that Communism had to be temporarily abandoned. Still, Bolshevik rule was secure, owing to the new regime's monopoly on force, enabled by illicit arms deals signed with capitalist neighbors such as Germany and Sweden who sought to benefit-politically and economically-from the revolutionary chaos in Russia. Drawing on scores of previously untapped files from Russian archives and a range of other repositories in Europe, Turkey, and the United States, McMeekin delivers exciting, groundbreaking research about this turbulent era. The first comprehensive history of these momentous events in two decades, The Russian Revolution combines cutting-edge scholarship and a fast-paced narrative to shed new light on one of the most significant turning points of the twentieth century. Le rabat de jaquette porte : "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. Between 1917 and 1922, Russia underwent a complete and irreversible transformation. Taking advantage of the collapse of the Tsarist regime in the middle of World War I, the Bolsheviks staged a hostile takeover of the Russian Imperial Army, promoting mutinies and mass desertions of men in order to fulfill Lenin's program of turning the "imperialist war" into civil war. By the time the Bolsheviks had snuffed out the last resistance five years later, over 20 million people had died, and the Russian economy had collapsed so completely that Communism had to be temporarily abandoned. Still, Bolshevik rule was secure, owing to the new regime's monopoly on force, enabled by illicit arms deals signed with capitalist neighbors such as Germany and Sweden who sought to benefit-politically and economically-from the revolutionary chaos in Russia. Drawing on scores of previously untapped files from Russian archives and a range of other repositories in Europe, Turkey, and the United States, McMeekin delivers exciting, groundbreaking research about this turbulent era. The first comprehensive history of these momentous events in two decades, The Russian Revolution combines cutting-edge scholarship and a fast-paced narrative to shed new light on one of the most significant turning points of the twentieth century." Copyright Page Dedication Contents A Note on Dates, Names, Translation, and Transliteration Introduction: The First Century of the Russian Revolution Maps Prologue: The Blood of a Peasant Part I: Twilight of the Romanovs Chapter 1: The Old Regime, and Its Enemies Chapter 2: 1905: Shock to the System Chapter 3: The Fragile Giant: Tsarist Russia on the Precipice of War Chapter 4: Russia's War, 1914-1916 Part II: 1917: A False Dawn Chapter 5: Full of Fight Chapter 6: A Break in the Weather Chapter 7: Army in the Balance Chapter 8: The German Gambit Chapter 9: Twilight of the LiberalsChapter 10: Kerensky's Moment Part III: Hostile Takeover Chapter 11: Lenin Shows His Hand Chapter 12: Army on the Brink Chapter 13: Red October Chapter 14: General Strike Chapter 15: Ceasefire Chapter 16: Russia at Low Ebb Chapter 17: Reprieve Part IV: The Bolsheviks in Power Chapter 18: War Communism Chapter 19: Red on White Chapter 20: The Communist International Chapter 21: The Ides of March Chapter 22: "Turn Gold into Bread": Famine and the War on the Church Chapter 23: Rapallo Epilogue: The Specter of Communism Acknowledgments AbbreviationsNotes Sources Picture Credits Colour Plates Index At the turn of the century, the Russian economy was growing by about 10% annually and its population had reached 150 million. By 1920 the country was in desperate financial straits and more than 20 million Russians had died. And by 1950, a third of the globe had embraced communism. The triumph of Communism sets a profound puzzle. How did the Bolsheviks win power and then cling to it amid the chaos they had created? Traditional histories remain a captive to Marxist ideas about class struggle. Analysing never before used files from the Tsarist military archives, McMeekin argues that war is the answer. The revolutionaries were aided at nearly every step by Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland who sought to benefit - politically and economically - from the changes overtaking the country. To make sense of Russia's careening path the essential question is not Lenin's "who, whom?", but who benefits?