Revolution in Danger: Writings from Russia 1919–1921

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The author of Memoirs of a Revolutionary brings to life the unwavering commitment of red Petrograd during some of the Russian Revolution’s darkest hours. Upon arrival in Petrograd in 1919, Victor Serge—the great chronicler of the Russian Revolution—found a society nearly shredded to ribbons by civil war. Threatened on all sides by invading armies from fourteen countries, and attacked from within by counterrevolutionary forces seeking to restore the Tsar, the fledging revolution was facing its darkest hours. In these essays Serge paints a bleak picture of the desperate conditions faced by Petrograd’s working class, capturing the revolutionary enthusiasm that stood as the last defense of their besieged city. Challenging the revolution’s critics, Serge defends the measures the revolutionary government was forced to take to defend the gains workers and peasants had made in overthrowing Tsarist tyranny and pulling Russia out of World War I. This is an inspiring account of the struggle to defend workers’ power and Serge’s enthusiasm for the revolution—and the prospect of a better future it represented. Praise for Victor Serge “He was an eyewitness of events of world historical importance, of great hope and even greater tragedy. His political recollections are very important, because they reflect so well the mood of this lost generation . . . His articles and books speak for themselves, and we would be poorer without them.” —Partisan Review Title Page Introduction Chronology During the Civil War - Petrograd: May–June 1919 The Endangered City - Petrograd: Year Two of the Revolution My road to Russia Perpetual danger facing Petrograd The rout The soldier’s mentality The Versailles troops have forced a door open There was a time … An article by Trotsky Petrograd by night The Communists Attitude of the neutral population Chaos, improvisation, doubt, anxiety The republic in danger The soviet Moral force On the streets Lev Davidovich Trotsky The law of the sword At the Peter-Paul Fortress Reversal The party’s effort The anarchists A gesture Yudenich: What happened on the other side of the front? In the circle of iron and fire Finland and Estonia The British General Marsh A democratic government A national army Victory and collapse The causes The Anarchists and the Experience of the Russian Revolution Preface The need to revise our ideas The new reality in history A definition of Bolshevism Lessons of the revolution The anarchists and the experience of the revolution The attitude of the Russian anarchists Centralization and Jacobinism The revolution is a sacrifice to the future The danger of state socialism The state and production The great confirmations of anarchism The role of anarchists in the communist movement The future Notes Further reading Glossary Also from Haymarket Books About Haymarket Books Copyright Page