Devrime Doğru

The Bolsheviks #1

by Alexander Rabinowitch, Serpil Pehlivan (Translator)

Alexander Rabinowitch, uzun yıllarını 1917 Sovyet Devrimi’ni incelemeye adamış ABD’li bir tarih profesörüdür. Yazar, tarihin en büyük dönüm noktalarından birini oluşturan 1917 Sovyet Devrimi üzerine yürüttüğü yoğun çalışmanın sonuçlarını üç kitapta toplamıştır. Bu üç kitaplık dizi, çoğu yorumcu tarafından 1917 Rus/Sovyet Devrimi üzerine yapılmış en kapsamlı ve en başarılı çalışma olarak değerlendiriliyor. 1917 Ekimi öncesi ve sonrasında geçen iki yıldan daha kısa ancak son derece yoğun ve hareketli geçen bir zaman kesitini mercek altına alan yazar, kitaplarını bir belge yığınına dönüştürmeden zengin verileri başarılı ve akıcı bir kurgu içinde sunmayı başarıyor. Diziyi oluşturan üç kitaptan 1917 Ekim günlerine yoğunlaşan Bolşevikler İktidara Geliyor, Yordam Kitap tarafından 2010 yılında yayınlanmıştı. Türkiyeli okuyuculara sunduğumuz Devrime Doğru ise, 1917 Şubat’ında Çarlığın yıkılması ile Ekim’deki muzaffer sosyalist devrim arasındaki olayları, özellikle de Petrograd merkezli Temmuz Ayaklanması’nı inceliyor. Çarlık monarşisinin yıkılışı ile özgürlüğü tadan ve hayatın her alanında inisiyatif alan emekçi yığınlar, sendika ve sovyet gibi yığın örgütleri, açık siyasal mücadelede çarpışan siyasal partiler ve şaşırtıcı olaylarla yakınlaşan devrim, bir öykü lezzetiyle anlatılıyor.

Bu üçleme, Sovyet iktidarının ilk yılını değerlendiren Bolşevikler İktidarda ile tamamlanacak.

Genres: History, Russia, Russian History, Nonfiction, Soviet Union, Soviet History, Russian Revolution

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Alexander Rabinowitch (born 30 August 1934) is an American historian and Professor Emeritus of History at the Indiana University, Bloomington, where he taught from 1968 until 1999, and Affiliated Research Scholar at the St. Petersburg Institute of History, Russian Academy of Sciences, since 2013. He is recognized internationally as a leading expert on the Bolsheviks, the Russian Revolution of 1917, and the Russian Civil War.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explodes the myth of the Bolshevik Party as a "democratic centralist" monolith ruled dictatorially by Lenin. Committees overlapped in authority, published their own newspapers, and sometimes forgot to tell each other they were planning armed demonstrations. Lenin was on vacation when the July uprising broke out.

The party itself was divided between a right wing that thought revolution was far away, and an impatient left wing anxious to take power. Lenin struggled to keep alive the need for revolution while also cautioning against poorly planned actions.

Full of great detail about the organizational work of the Bolsheviks in the Petrograd garrison -- like Lenin dressing down the organizers of the July uprising for not measuring their exact strength before going out in the streets. The real strength of the Bolsheviks was not iron discipline but a democratic culture that allowed them to learn from their mistakes. A great read.

[Nils Van Nieuwenhuyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential read next to Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution for anyone who wants to really understand what unfolded leading up to the most significant event in the Twentieth Century. I have already read Trotsky and found an excellent analysis of the political context in it, but this book expanded greatly upon the logistical details of organising demonstrations and militias for self-defence. The greatest strength of this book, however, is its focus on the mass movement itself. The Bolsheviks and Lenin are not painted as the architects of a well-calculated conspiracy to take power. On the contrary, they are shown as agitators trying to tame the wild waves made by the workers and soldiers themselves, who were impatiently awaiting a revolution that would immediately solve their problems. In this way, it gracefully debunks a lot of the misconceptions and myths that surround the October Revolution. It was not — as has already been said — a shrewd coup-d'état masterminded by Lenin, nor was it an indoctrinated mob that followed the Bolshevik party without question. Not even the Bolshevik party itself was a homogenous block but was riddled with contradictions and factions. The uncontrollable impulses of some revolutionary workers and soldiers, of some parts of the Bolshevik party and the anarcho-communists almost lead the movement to disaster during the July Days. The main part of the book treats these events.

The minute descriptions and lively retelling of the heavily shifting balance of power in 'Red Petrograd' make this book a fascinating and thrilling read. Even if I already knew the broad outlines of what would happen, since it is of course just a new scientific perspective on well-known historical events, I was still very excited and curiously awaiting each next chapter.

In conclusion, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about the crucial events that unfolded in 1917 and form their own opinion on them. Whether you are a socialist or not and take a sceptical stance toward Lenin and the Bolsheviks, I think anyone will find in this book the necessary details and nuanced circumstances to brush up their understanding of this part of the history of the socialist movement.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only the comprehensive account of the abortive June demonstration and the July Uprising but a great account of the flexible and divided nature of the Bolshevik Party. Also delivers a remarkable feel for those heady days - a great historical effort, especially considering when it was first written.

[Göksal Caner Malatya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ekim Devrimi'ni bir "darbe" olarak küçümseyen liberal tarih tezlerine karşı, Bolşevik Parti'nin kitlelerle olan organik bağını ve parti içi demokrasinin canlılığını belgeleyen muazzam bir tarih çalışması. Rabinowitch, Temmuz Günleri'ndeki o erken ve riskli ayaklanma girişiminde, partinin kitlelerin gerisinde kalmamak ile onları felaketten korumak arasındaki o hassas dengeyi nasıl yönettiğini anlatır. Bolşeviklerin yekpare bir monolit değil, tabandan gelen basınçla şekillenen dinamik bir örgüt olduğunu kanıtlar. Devrimin düz bir çizgide ilerlemediğini, gelgitlerle örülen bir strateji sanatı olduğunu gösteren bir ders kitabı.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 1 of 3. Scholarly but quite accessibly written account of the June and July risings that failed but set the stage for the October Revolution. This is an old account but many note it is a classic for a reason. Glad it is still in print!

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read on the July days, and a fascinating look inside the specifics of how a revolutionary party navigated worker and soldier uprisings. Puts into context how difficult a lot of decisions are to make in the heat of such tense moments.

[Faust Maldonado-Candidie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first started reading the Bolsheviks come to Power, but it felt like I was missing a lot of important information. I discovered this book, and read it. I still feel like I need another one, to fully understand this one, but it is not entirely necessary. This servers as a good introduction to the events from the fall of the tsar to July "uprising". I think the author does not do enough to convey what the opinions of lenin fully were. I think this is because he was not able to find enough evidence to support any particular version of events. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the Russian Revolution.

[Redpoet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing to write home about. Disappointing