October: The Story of the Russian RevolutionMulti-award-winning author China Miéville captures the drama of the Russian Revolution in this “engaging retelling of the events that rocked the foundations of the twentieth century” (Village Voice) In February of 1917 Russia was a backwards, autocratic monarchy, mired in an unpopular war; by October, after not one but two revolutions, it had become the world’s first workers’ state, straining to be at the vanguard of global revolution. How did this unimaginable transformation take place? In a panoramic sweep, stretching from St. Petersburg and Moscow to the remotest villages of a sprawling empire, Miéville uncovers the catastrophes, intrigues and inspirations of 1917, in all their passion, drama and strangeness. Intervening in long-standing historical debates, but told with the reader new to the topic especially in mind, here is a breathtaking story of humanity at its greatest and most desperate; of a turning point for civilization that still resonates loudly today. |
Contents
Joyful Tears | |
In So Far As | |
The Prodigal | |
Collaboration | |
A Context of Collapse | |
Hot Days | |
Exile and Conspiracy | |
Compromise and Its Discontents | |
Red October | |
After October | |
Glossary of Personal Names | |
Further Reading | |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexeev All-Russian army arrest began Bolshevik activist bourgeoisie cabinet called capital Chkheidze city’s coalition collaboration commissar comrades Conference Congress of Soviets Cossacks counterrevolution crowd debate declared defence delegates demanded democratic demonstration deputies Duma Duma Committee Executive Committee factories February front garrison Guchkov insisted insurrection Ispolkom Kadets Kamenev Kerensky Kerensky’s Kornilov Krimov Kronstadt leaders Left SRs Lenin liberal Lunacharsky Lvov Machine Gun March Maria Spiridonova Martov Marxist mass meeting Mensheviks Mensheviks and SRs Mezhraiontsy militant military Milrevcom Milyukov minister moderates Moscow Nevsky Nicholas October officers organisations party party’s peasants People’s Peter and Paul Petersburg Committee Petrograd Soviet police political Pravda Preparliament Provisional Government radical regime Regiment representatives revolutionary Rodzianko Russian Revolution Ruzskii sailors Savinkov shouted Shulgin Smolny social socialist Stalin Stavka streets Sukhanov take power Tauride Palace troops Trotsky tsar tsar’s Tsereteli uprising Vladimir voted Vyborg Winter Palace Women’s workers and soldiers Zinoviev