The Fate of the Bolshevik Revolution
Illiberal Liberation, 1917-41
James Harris editor Dr Lara Douds editor Peter Whitewood editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:23rd Jan '20
£27.99
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An exploration of democracy and dictatorship during the Bolshevik revolution and the rise of Stalinism.
How did a regime that promised utopian-style freedom end up delivering terror and tyranny? For some, the Bolsheviks were totalitarian and the descent was inevitable; for others, Stalin was responsible; for others still, this period in Russian history was a microcosm of the Cold War. The Fate of the Bolshevik Revolution reasons that these arguments are too simplistic. Rather, the journey from Bolshevik liberation to totalitarianism was riddled with unsuccessful experiments, compromises, confusion, panic, self-interest and over-optimism. As this book reveals, the emergence (and persistence) of the Bolshevik dictatorship was, in fact, the complicated product of a failed democratic transition. Drawing on long-ignored archival sources and original research, this fascinating volume brings together an international team of leading scholars to reconsider one of the most important and controversial questions of 20th-century history: how to explain the rise of the repressive Stalinist dictatorship.
[An] excellent volume that cohesively balances a wide range of topics and persuasively reassesses the Soviet state’s evolution … The authors make a persuasive case against inevitable authoritarianism alongside an unflinching assessment of the violent and pseudo-participatory improvisations that filled the Soviet democratic void. Recommended for students of Europe and comparative politics. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers through faculty. * CHOICE *
[The Fate of the Bolshevik Revolution] makes a valuable addition to the literature produced in connection with the centenary of the Russian Revolution. * Ab Imperio Quarterly *
This superb volume provides unprecedented insight into the relationship between democracy and dictatorship in Bolshevik thought and political practice. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the Revolution and the origins and nature of Stalinism. * James Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Modern European History, Cardiff University, UK *
A close examination of the Bolshevik regime in theory and practice, this nuanced and enlightening volume identifies how the emancipatory promise of 1917 was first compromised and then transformed into one of the most brutal dictatorships of the 20th century. * David Brandenberger, Professor of History, University of Richmond, USA *
ISBN: 9781350117891
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 522g
336 pages