For five years following the Bolshevik victory in 1917, the Russian revolution inspired a brilliant outburst of theory and criticism among Russian intellectuals struggling to comprehend their country's vast social upheaval. Much of their intense speculation focused on issues that are still hotly debated: Was this socialism? Why had the revolution happened in Russia? What did Bolshevik power mean for Russia and the Western world? This compelling study recovers these early responses, and analyzes the specific ideological context out of which they emerged. Jane Burbank explores the ideas and experiences of diverse prominent intellectuals, ranging from the monarchists on the right to the Mensheviks, Socialist revolutionaries, and Anarchists on the left. Following these thinkers through the turbulent years of civil war and the rebuilding of state power, she shows how revolution both revitalized their political culture, and exposed the fragile basis of its existence.
- ISBN10 0195040619
- ISBN13 9780195040616
- Publish Date 29 January 1987
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 17 October 2001
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 348
- Language English