Publisher Description

The Russian Revolution had a decisive impact on the history of the twentieth century. In the years following the collapse of the Soviet regime and the opening of its archives, it has become possible to step back and see the full picture. Starting with an overview of the roots of the revolution, Fitzpatrick takes the story from 1917, through Stalin's 'revolution from above', to the great purges of the 1930s. She tells a gripping story of aMarxist revolution that was intended to transform the world, visited enormous suffering on the Russian people, and, like the French Revolution before it, ended up by devouring its own children.This updated edition contains a fully revised bibliography and updated introduction to address the centenary, what does it all mean in retrospect.

Author Biography

Sheila Fitzpatrick is Bernadotte E. Schmitt Distinguished Service Professor in Modern Russian History at the University of Chicago, specializing in Modern Russian and Soviet social, political, and cultural history. A past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies and the recipient of a Mellon Distinguished Achievement Award, her other publications include Everyday Stalinism , Tear off the Masks! Identity and Imposturein Twentieth-Century Russia and most recently On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics.

Table of Contents

Introduction1: The Setting2: 1917: The Revolutions of February and October3: The Civil War4: NEP and the Future of the Revolution5: Stalin's Revolution6: Ending the RevolutionNotesSelect BibliographyIndex

Review

Review from previous edition A lucid and indeed instantly classic explanation of the revolutionary spirit in its pre-1917 and Lenin-then-Stalin dominated stages * Tribune *
A welcome new edition of this classic history, a triumph of concision and incise analysis by a scholar who knows more than almost anyone about the early years of the Soviet system. * Orlando Figes, Birkbeck College, London, and author of A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891-1924 *
A succinct, insightful, and highly original interpretation of the Russian Revolution as a process of social transformation lasting from 1917 to 1937... Fitzpatrick gives us a challenging rethinking that will shape our discussions for years to come. * Ronald Suny, University of Michigan *
A beautiful little introduction to the topic. This is a fine work for introductory students, as well as for general readers looking for a window into the Russian enigma. * Robert V. Daniels, University of Vermont *

Long Description

The Russian Revolution had a decisive impact on the history of the twentieth century. In the years following the collapse of the Soviet regime and the opening of its archives, it has become possible to step back and see the full picture. Starting with an overview of the roots of the revolution, Fitzpatrick takes the story from 1917, through Stalin's 'revolution from above', to the great purges of the 1930s. She tells a gripping story of aMarxist revolution that was intended to transform the world, visited enormous suffering on the Russian people, and, like the French Revolution before it, ended up by devouring its own children.This updated edition contains a fully revised bibliography and updated introduction to address the centenary, what does it all mean in retrospect.

Review Quote

A welcome new edition of this classic history, a triumph of concision and incise analysis by a scholar who knows more than almost anyone about the early years of the Soviet system.

Feature

Revisions to four chapters to bring them up-to-date in light of new scholarship and findingsRevised introduction and updated bibliographyHighlights the current rethinking of the Soviet past in today's RussiaCovers the whole period from 1917 to 1937, showing the Revolution as a process of social transformationSituates the Russian experience within the wider literature on revolutionsCovers not only the events of 1917, but also the events leading up to the Revolution

New Feature

Introduction 1. The Setting 2. 1917: The Revolutions of February and October 3. The Civil War 4. NEP and the Future of the Revolution 5. Stalin's Revolution 6. Ending the Revolution Notes Select Bibliography Index

Details