Revolutionary Russia: A History in Documents [Paperback]

Revolutionary Russia: A History in Documentsprovides 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.

What is a Document?
How to Read a Document
Introduction
1. PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION
A Land of Contrasts
Revolutionary Politics
The Revolution of 1905
The Eve of War and Revolution
2. 1917: THE YEAR OF REVOLUTION
Society Becomes Radical
The Bolshevik Rise to Power
Views of the Revolution
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. STl=