Revolutionary Russia: A History in Documents

Description

Revolutionary Russia: A History in Documents provides a visually stimulating survey of revolutionary Russia, from the collapse of the autocracy in 1917 to the consolidation of the Stalinist system in the 1930s. Authors Robert Weinberg and Laurie Bernstein have collected far-flung documents--many available in English for the first time--and woven them into a narrative that focuses on the effort to build communism in Russia and its effects on the lives of ordinary people. Providing introductions to each chapter and document along with sidebars and detailed photo captions, the main text tantalizes readers with the great vision, conflict, hopes, and horrors of this much-mythologized part of modern history, while the back matter offers resources for further exploration. Utilizing a mix of textual and visual documents-including photographs, posters, and objects-to create a textured history of revolutionary Russia, the book covers such diverse topics as the prelude to revolution, the Bolshevik rise to power, the fate of the royal family, peasant resistance to Bolshevik policies, Stalin's "revolution from above," and the Great Terror. A picture essay, featuring sixteen posters, provides a visual depiction of the impact of the revolution on women. Contents What is a Document? How to Read a Document Introduction 1 Prelude to Revolution A Land of Contrasts Revolutionary Politics The Revolution of 1905 On the Eve of War and Revolution 2 1917: The Year of Revolution The Radicalization of Society Pud In their demand for land peasants acted out of economic self-interest. Yet they justified their actions with reference to religious and moral values. Guberaiia Desiatin This letter, written by a peasant who hoped newspapers would publish it, offers insight into the peasant world-view. The Bolshevik Rise to Power 3 The Consolidation of Bolshevik Rule, 1918-1921 The Fate of the Royal Family Opposition and Criticism The Embrace of Dictatorship Peasant Resistance and the Crisis of Kronstadt 4 The Road to Socialism The Transformation of Culture and Society Celebrating Revolution The Debate about NEP 5 Stalin’s Revolution from Above, 1928-1932 Beating Russia into the 20th Century The War Against the Peasantry and Church The World of Five-Year Plans 6 Women’s Liberation in the Soviet Union Women as Inconsequential Emancipated Women Women as Backward 7 Soviet Society and Culture in the 1930s The Cult of Stalin 8 The Great Terror The Gulag languished before sentencing. She was spared the beatings and torture depicted here, though she endured 2 years of solitary confinement. Ginzburg was deported to the infamous Kolyma gold mines located in the far northwest corner of Siberia. Three Views of the Purges Literature and the Purges Epilogue Assessments of Stalinism Reflection on the Soviet Timeline Further Reading General Sources Russia in War and Revolution, 1917-1921 New Economic Policy: The 1920s The Stalin Revolution: The Purges and Life in Stalin’s Russia Art and Culture in the Soviet Union Women Document Collections Memoirs Biography Literature Websites Text Credits Picture Credits Acknowledgments Index About the Authors