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The Unknown Revolution, 1917–1921
This in-depth, eyewitness history written by Voline, an outspoken activist in the Russian Revolution, pays significant attention to what the author describes as “struggles for the real Social Revolution”—that is, the uprising of the sailors and workers of Kronstadt in 1921 and the peasant movement that Nestor Makhno led in the Ukraine. These movements provide a clearer understanding of both the original objectives of the Russian Revolution and the problems facing all revolutions with far-reaching social objectives. Of particular interest are the many personal experiences and those in which the author reveals the deep divide between the Libertarians and the Bolsheviks. This edition is a translation of the full text of La Révolution inconnue, first published in 1947. It reinstates material omitted from earlier English-language editions and reproduces the complete text of the original volumes.
752 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 1947
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About the author
Voline
19 books9 followersVsevolod Mikhailovich Eikhenbaum (Russian: Всеволод Михайлович Эйхенбаум), known later as Volin or (the spelling he used) Voline, was a Russian anarchist who participated in the Russian and Ukrainian Revolutions before being forced into exile by the Bolshevik Party. He was a proponent of the anarchist organizational form known as synthesis anarchism
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 7, 2011
A massive book but a quick, rather riveting read actually. Voline was an anarchist exiled from Russia who returned in 1917 in plenty of time to offer a clear, and in my opinion quite brilliant, day to day analysis of the failings (and the horrors) of both radical left statist parties, but primarily the Bolsheviks. He was also present at the creation of the first soviet in 1905, participated in the workers' councils, holds an understanding of direct and revolutionary democracy that parallels my own (possibly why I enjoyed it so much, but possibly not), and offers an immensely valuable glimpse at what could have been in Russia, and of course, what could still be. His description of what happened in Kronstadt filled me with pride and sadness and anger, the cuttings from the newspaper published day by day during the revolt and their reporting on the lies spread by the Central government were particularly telling. Similarly his account of the Makhnovischna. Whatever else he was, Voline tried to write with integrity, praising what was good and critiquing what was not, not least Makhno himself. His goal with this book was to contribute to the building of a revolutionary movement led by the people, the forming of workers' councils, the federating across distances, the organization of an entirely new economy and way of life. And there is so much to think about.
July 11, 2025
One of the most revealing books I have ever read. Before reading this I had no idea that Lenin and even Trotsky were what they are - authoritariam anarchist-murdering anti-democratic vanguard elites. The death of the Russian Revolution didn't start with Stalin. Absolutely mandatory reading for the undogmatic left.
August 4, 2023
Voline bir devrim tutkunu. Devrimin kendisinden, kazanımlarından çok heyecanına tutkun bir devrimci. Hayatına ufak bir gözatınca çok rahat anlaşılıyor. Macera dolu bir hayatı var. Rusya’da başlayan devrimci yaşamı Paris’te Faure ile çalışmaktan Mahnoculara katılmaya varacak kadar geniş bir yelpazede. Kitap da tam olarak bunun savunusu gibi. Ekim Devrimi’ne saklayamadığı bir öfkesi var. Restorasyon hareketleri de otoriterleşme de hiçbiri Voline’i mutlu etmiyor. Kitaba başlarken Stalin’e beklediğim eleştirilerden Lenin ve Troçki de nasibini alıyor. Otoriter, katil, anti demokratik seçkin olmakla suçluyor tüm devrimcileri. Kısaca klasik bir anarşist kadar memnuniyetsiz. Memnun olmamasının ardında devrimin ne anlama geldiğini anlayamadığını düşünüyorum -anlasa da göz ardı ediyor-. Devrimci hükümetin kurulma süreci, toplumun refahı, savaş sosyalizmi gibi hiçbir şey onu ilgilendirmiyor nedense. Devrimcileri Hitler’e benzetecek kadar ileri gidiyor. Dönemin farklı bir perspektifini görmek adına okudum. Bazı kısımlar tarihsel açıdan önemli olsa da çok düzeysiz teorik tartışmaları barındırıyor. Çok hacimli olsa da kitap kolay okunuyor, muhtemelen teorik açıdan kimseyi zorlamayacak olmasıyla alakalı.
April 24, 2013
This historian discusses the ugly truths of the Russian Revolution of 1917 to 1921 along with the horrific murderous methods used by the Bolsheviks to exploit the people. We can see why the few existing anarchists were not able to become a recognized force under Trotsky and Lenin.
Voline's presents a large collection of original documents and quotes from Peter Archinov's works, the press, important speeches, declarations and statements. They are copied so we can understand what life was like at the time. In this manner, we are shown how propanda was used by the Bosheviks to control and crush the workers, peasants and intellectuals.
One interesting fact I gleaned was that of about 170,000,000 people in the USSR, only 10,000,000 were of the privileged class. Thus 20 percent served the state and made it work. They were responsible to their superiors and of course, the great Dictator. The rest of the population barely survived and "lead a painful existence".
In the latter part of his book, Voline tells us about the unknown bitter revolution in Ukraine. The death struggle between the authorities and the revolutionists under Makhnov, continued for a long time. It came to fairly abrupt end in Russia however, after Kronstadt was defeated.
The end of Voline's book is not typical of his style. His critical comments about the Makhnov force and their misconduct, come as a shock! Earlier in the book, he mentions debauchery in connection with the conduct of the Communists, as a matter of fact. We know that other books by anarchists, (i.e. Emma Goldman, when the last part of one of her books was not printed at all) have been changed in the process of publishing, could we entertain the thought that this could be another such ploy to discredit Maknov and the movement of the time against the Communist party?
Voline's presents a large collection of original documents and quotes from Peter Archinov's works, the press, important speeches, declarations and statements. They are copied so we can understand what life was like at the time. In this manner, we are shown how propanda was used by the Bosheviks to control and crush the workers, peasants and intellectuals.
One interesting fact I gleaned was that of about 170,000,000 people in the USSR, only 10,000,000 were of the privileged class. Thus 20 percent served the state and made it work. They were responsible to their superiors and of course, the great Dictator. The rest of the population barely survived and "lead a painful existence".
In the latter part of his book, Voline tells us about the unknown bitter revolution in Ukraine. The death struggle between the authorities and the revolutionists under Makhnov, continued for a long time. It came to fairly abrupt end in Russia however, after Kronstadt was defeated.
The end of Voline's book is not typical of his style. His critical comments about the Makhnov force and their misconduct, come as a shock! Earlier in the book, he mentions debauchery in connection with the conduct of the Communists, as a matter of fact. We know that other books by anarchists, (i.e. Emma Goldman, when the last part of one of her books was not printed at all) have been changed in the process of publishing, could we entertain the thought that this could be another such ploy to discredit Maknov and the movement of the time against the Communist party?
October 10, 2016
Voline adds a third dimension to the argument over what the Russian Revolution(s) was/were and why it failed to bring about a true workers society. After spending years of reading the Imperialist/Capitalist denegration of the communist ideal, particularly as related to the October Revolution, then counterpointing that with Trotsky's writings, it was very interesting to get the viewpoint of anarcho-syndicalist Voline who is by no means a capitalist nor a bolshevik. His argument of the mistakes made (and then deepened) under the Lenin/Trotsky leadership are compelling and gave me some pause regarding my allegiance to the Trotskyite ideal. When such a rich and thorough history is being presented by Voline and by Trotsky it is difficult to believe that their biases are any less influential than the overt bias of the western capitalist historians and the Stalinist regime; but even in regard to the direct hostilities between Voline and Trotsky I find both of their takes on these matters significantly more compelling and likely closer to reality than any other works I've read. I'll be interested to see what next year's 100th anniversary of the last revolution brings back into the limelight.
February 1, 2013
Essential reading. What is "revolution"? Can it be statist and centralist? If you have any doubts, this book should put them to sleep. Voline tells the story (spiced with the occasional rich personal anecdote) of how Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolsheviks rode to power on a wave of popular energy and initiative, then deliberately and ruthlessly crushed that wave with bullets and prisons, because all they knew was that Marx had told them to take power and keep it. Trotsky in particular stands out for his zeal in openly butchering revolutionaries and anarchists. The sections on the Kronstadt sailors and their attempted "Third Revolution," and the revolutionary Ukrainian peasants, are filled with interesting pages on how a revolution should be carried forward.
September 6, 2015
From an openly partisan anarchist perspective, but lots of information you're not going to get elsewhere, especially on the Makhnovists.
July 2, 2025
descubrela
March 24, 2008
The best account of the Russian Revolution I have ever read. Long but worth it.
May 18, 2018
Seminal volume and revealing history of anarchist influence in the Russian Revolution, and its bloody suppression by the Bolsheviks.
February 28, 2023
DNF
This history-memoir is an excellent primary source for the Russian Revolution from the perspective of the anarchist teacher, agitator, and revolutionary Voline. He was present for the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, met many of the top Bolsheviks (the friendly Trotsky would later try to have him executed), and served with Makhno in the Free Territory of Ukraine against the Whites and Reds before being imprisoned by the Bolsheviks and exiled to France. As the title suggests, this was a much needed account of the revolution that sheds light on the suppressed stories that cut through both the bourgeois and Leninist / Stalinist narratives, written during WW2 and posthumously published during the era of High Stalinism and Cold War anti-communism. After some background on the revolutionary tradition in Russia in the 19th century, there are some wonderful eye-witness accounts of the events of 1905-1921, excerpts of suppressed anarchist pamphlets, as well as impassioned exhortations for the lost potential of the anarchist and libertarian communist impulses of the time, analyses of the Bolsheviks' betrayal of the revolution and some much-needed myth-busting. However as an overall history of the revolution and civil war it leaves something to be desired. Much of the description of events is rather dryly descriptive, and the large lack of citations makes it hard to corroborate much of what is said. Many recounted meetings and speeches are done so in the embellished reconstructed monologue / speech format, a common practice in traditional histories started by Herodotus (Voline was a child of the 19th century after all), which makes the veracity of many details somewhat doubtful. I will however no doubt refer back to certain segments of this when researching the Russian Revolution and would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic in the same capacity, and I am glad that this document exists to preserve the memory of Voline and all the martyrs of the unknown revolution.
This history-memoir is an excellent primary source for the Russian Revolution from the perspective of the anarchist teacher, agitator, and revolutionary Voline. He was present for the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, met many of the top Bolsheviks (the friendly Trotsky would later try to have him executed), and served with Makhno in the Free Territory of Ukraine against the Whites and Reds before being imprisoned by the Bolsheviks and exiled to France. As the title suggests, this was a much needed account of the revolution that sheds light on the suppressed stories that cut through both the bourgeois and Leninist / Stalinist narratives, written during WW2 and posthumously published during the era of High Stalinism and Cold War anti-communism. After some background on the revolutionary tradition in Russia in the 19th century, there are some wonderful eye-witness accounts of the events of 1905-1921, excerpts of suppressed anarchist pamphlets, as well as impassioned exhortations for the lost potential of the anarchist and libertarian communist impulses of the time, analyses of the Bolsheviks' betrayal of the revolution and some much-needed myth-busting. However as an overall history of the revolution and civil war it leaves something to be desired. Much of the description of events is rather dryly descriptive, and the large lack of citations makes it hard to corroborate much of what is said. Many recounted meetings and speeches are done so in the embellished reconstructed monologue / speech format, a common practice in traditional histories started by Herodotus (Voline was a child of the 19th century after all), which makes the veracity of many details somewhat doubtful. I will however no doubt refer back to certain segments of this when researching the Russian Revolution and would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic in the same capacity, and I am glad that this document exists to preserve the memory of Voline and all the martyrs of the unknown revolution.
February 27, 2023
Quite a tome about a specific corner of the Russian revolution. Large but very readable. Like having a personal tour guide of it, with much thought and personal experiences, including interactions with several important figures of the revolution.
Especially valuable for providing a scathing critique of the Bolsheviks from the left, libertarian angle from someone who was in the thick of it. The sailors at Kronstadt apparently were some of the earliest revolutionaries in the streets and the Makhnovists were critically important to defeating the Whites in the south. After they were relied upon to do such important revolutionary work the Bolsheviks denounced and slaughtered both when no longer found to be politically convenient.
The detailed history of the Kronstadt rebellion and the Anarchist struggle in Ukraine is fascinating. It provides quite a lot of background with a broader history of the revolution, differences in political theory between the Anarchists and Bolsheviks, and Bolshevik oppression of the Anarchist movement.
Especially valuable for providing a scathing critique of the Bolsheviks from the left, libertarian angle from someone who was in the thick of it. The sailors at Kronstadt apparently were some of the earliest revolutionaries in the streets and the Makhnovists were critically important to defeating the Whites in the south. After they were relied upon to do such important revolutionary work the Bolsheviks denounced and slaughtered both when no longer found to be politically convenient.
The detailed history of the Kronstadt rebellion and the Anarchist struggle in Ukraine is fascinating. It provides quite a lot of background with a broader history of the revolution, differences in political theory between the Anarchists and Bolsheviks, and Bolshevik oppression of the Anarchist movement.
July 29, 2017
I enjoyed it so much, but possibly not), and offers an immensely valuable glimpse at what could have been in Russia, and of course, what could still be. His description of what happened in Kronstadt filled me with pride and sadness and anger, the cuttings from the newspaper published day by day during the revolt and their reporting on the lies spread by the Central government were particularly telling. Similarly his account of the Makhnovischna. Whatever else he was, Voline tried to write with integrity, praising what was good and critiquing what was not, not least Makhno himself. His goal with this book was to contribute to the building of a revolutionary movement led by the people, the forming of workers' councils, the federating across distances, the organization of an entirely new economy and way of life. And there is so much to think about.
October 6, 2023
Best entry to anarchist perspectives on the russian revolution, that also briefly discusses 19th century radical movements in tsarist russia and the 1905 revolution (including a first-hand account of the creation of the very first soviet).
July 21, 2024
translation was spotty at times but that's to be expected. very solid work tbh, glad i found this in a free library. voline a real one.
January 7, 2025
Se idealiza en demasiá la revolución majnovista, sin embargo es un excelente libro tipo crónica. Se lo recomiendo mucho a los marxistas que creen la leyenda rosa soviética. Para que equilibren. 5/5
August 12, 2025
Voline's Unknown Revolution is one of the best historical reviews of the tragic course of the Russian Revolution, from its highest hopes to utter self-destruction.
November 12, 2025
Para frikis del anarquismo histórico y panfletario. Documento histórico muy curioso.
May 28, 2020
I remember really struggling to finish this account of the Russian Revolution from an anarchist perspective.
March 17, 2013
The story of the how the Bolsheviks first used and then turned on the Anarchists in the Russian Revolution, losing both freedom and genuine liberty in the process.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews