Russian Revolution
Articles about the Russian Revolution of 1917 to 1921, and participants thereof.
The Bolsheviks and workers' control: the state and counter-revolution - Maurice Brinton
A remarkable pamphlet by Maurice Brinton exposing the struggle that took place over the running of workplaces between workers and the new state in the Russian Revolution.
In doing so not only does it demolish the romantic Leninist 'history' of the relationship between the working class and their party during these years (1917 - 21) but it also provides a backbone to understanding why the Russian revolution failed in the way it did.
What was the USSR? Part III
In the previous articles we examined various Trotskyist and neo-Trotskyist positions on the nature of the USSR.
We now turn to the theories of the less well known but more interesting Communist Left, who were among the first revolutionary Marxists to distance themselves from the Russian model by deeming it state capitalist or simply capitalist.The Russian Left Communists' critique remained at the level of an immediate response to how capitalist measures were affecting the class, whereas in both the German/D
Organisational Platform of the General Union of Anarchists (Draft)
In 1926 a group of exiled Russian anarchists in France, the Dielo Trouda (Workers' Cause) group, published this pamphlet (also known as the 'Organisational Platform of the Libertarian Communists') on organisation based on their experiences in the 1917 Russian revolution.
It arose not from some academic study but from their concrete experiences in the revolution. They had taken part in the overthrow of the old ruling class, had been part of the blossoming of workers' and peasants' self- management, had shared the widespread optimism about a new world of socialism and freedom...
The Kronstadt Uprising of 1921 - Ida Mett
Ida Mett's history of the Kronstadt uprising highlights one of the most important yet neglected events of the Russian Revolution.
The suppression of the most revolutionary section of the Navy by the Bolsheviks was the final blow to any hope of a genuine revolution based on democratic workers' control. Mett dispels many of the contemporary mistruths put forward by Bolshevik propagandists and includes a number of original sources from the commune.
THE KRONSTADT UPRISING 1921
by Ida Mett
Lazarevitch, Nicholas, 1895-1975
A short biography of Russo-Belgian anarchist, co-writer of The Platform and husband of Ida Mett, Nicholas Lazarevitch.
Born in Belgium 17 August 1895 near Liege, Nicholas Lazarevitch was the son of Russian revolutionary émigrés. After working in a number of factories and mines in French-speaking Belgium he became an anarcho-syndicalist shortly before world war one. He worked in the mines of Germany's Ruhr in 1916, but in 1917 escaped to Holland.
Bleikhman, Iosif, 1868-1921
A short biography of Russian anarchist-communist sent to a Bolshevik labour camp, Iosif Bleikhman.
Iosif Solomonovich Bleikhman
Born Vidzy, Belarus, 1868, died 1921
Arshinov, Peter, 1887-1937
A short biography of Russian revolutionary anarchist and protagonist of the Ukrainian Makhnovist movement, Peter Arshinov.
Exiled to France, he later appeared to split with anarchism, but was killed after re-entering the USSR in 1937 for apparently attempting to organise anarchist groups.
Peter Arshinov
Aka Piotr Andrievich Marin, Peter Arshinoff or F. I. Mikhailski. Born 1887 – Andreivka, Russia, died in or around 1937, USSR
Feldman, Leah, 1899-1993
A biography of Polish-born anarchist Leah Feldman, nicknamed the "Makhnovist Granny" who tirelessly devoted her life for the cause of working class emancipation.
Leah Feldman, who was cremated in London on January 7th, 1994 was one of the ordinary men and women who rarely get into history books but have been the backbone of the anarchist movement.
Frager, Jack, 1903-1998
A short biography of Ukrainian anarchist and labour activist Jack Frager.
Jack Frager
Born Yankel or Yakov Treiger, 3 January 1903 - Ismeryuka, Ukraine, died 7 March 1998 - USA
