What do you think?
Rate this book
Russian Revolution: A History From Beginning to End
The Russian Revolution in 1917 was a moment in time when the will of the people put an end to a system of government that had been in place for centuries. The story of Russia’s transition from Imperial reign to eventual Communist dictatorship is a tale rooted in the ranks of the common people and the men who rose to lead them.
- Czarist Rule
- Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- Nicholas Romanov
- Rasputin
- World War
- Lenin
- October Revolution
- Stalin
And much more!
Dedication to the ideals of socialism remade Russian society. Worker’s Rights, human equality, world war, murder, mysticism, blood and tyranny collide in the heart of Russia to irrevocably alter the culture of this great nation and the world.
- Czarist Rule
- Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- Nicholas Romanov
- Rasputin
- World War
- Lenin
- October Revolution
- Stalin
And much more!
Dedication to the ideals of socialism remade Russian society. Worker’s Rights, human equality, world war, murder, mysticism, blood and tyranny collide in the heart of Russia to irrevocably alter the culture of this great nation and the world.
49 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2019
45 people want to read
About the author
Hourly History
696 books860 followersAt Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.
Receive our new eBooks for free every Friday.
Sign up at: www.hourlyhistory.com/free
Receive our new eBooks for free every Friday.
Sign up at: www.hourlyhistory.com/free
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 28, 2024
Authors omit significant details, which makes this a very very biased account, especially where nazis are involved.
"By the turn of the 19th century, Russia had been ruled by powerful emperors for nearly four hundred years, with the Romanov family holding the throne with the ascension of Mikhail Feodorovich in 1613. The succession of Romanov family members to rule was convoluted and had often involved murder, conspiracy, and corruption, undermining the dynasty’s legitimacy as hereditary rulers. International wars and internal revolts had plagued the country during these years, draining the economy, but also allowing Russian expansion in territory and power. Russia was in a continual state of financial disaster, exacerbated because of the lavish expenses of the Romanov court, which rivalled the courts of even the most prosperous European nations, England and France.
"Russia had only recently emerged from four hundred years of feudalism, a system of government that required peasants, labelled as “serfs”, to spend their lives working the land where they were born with little to no chance of ever improving their lot. Serfs were completely in the control of the landlord under laws that governed even the most personal parts of their lives. They were forbidden to leave the property of their landlord except under approved circumstances, could be told when and whom to marry, and could even be sold to another landlord. Czar Alexander II was facing growing disapproval from other European nations who had long dispensed with this framework of social organization and saw Russia as a backward nation both politically and economically. In response to this and increasing internal pressure the czar freed all Russian serfs by decree in 1861. He justified his reform to his critics by stating, “It is better to liberate the peasants from above” than wait until they win their freedom by uprisings “from below.” Though the abolition of a system that had maintained a large percentage of the population as property was an improvement in the lives of the Russian peasants, the problem was more deeply rooted than a change from serf to peasant could rectify. The danger Czar Alexander II was attempting to prevent was more immediate than he realized.
"Even after the abolition of feudalism in Russia, former serfs were required to continue working for their landlords as they always had for two more years. Then, the price of land available for peasants to purchase was artificially raised to preclude most peasants from ever owning their own land. Thus, most peasants stayed where they always had, doing the same work they had done as serfs. In spite of this, an influx of young Russian men and women took advantage of the new freedom of mobility to find jobs in urban factories. This migration to the cities brought about a phase of increased industrialization in Russia, which brought improvement in the Russian economy in turn; unfortunately this also led to a new set of intolerable living conditions for mine and factory workers.
................................................................................................
"Czar Nicolas II, who was to become known as the last czar of Russia, ruled over a nation of growing discontent. In the twelfth year of the new 20th century, workers at a Russian mine in northeast Siberia took bold action that would initialize a wave of common feeling, changing their homeland forever.
"Workers at Lena Goldfields mine along the Lena River were living in terrible conditions. They were forced to work fifteen hours a day or more in an environment that would be hazardous to even the most alert. Injuries were common with an estimated seven hundred accidents per thousand workers. Wages were low, and consisted partly of coupons that could only be redeemed at the company store. This only added to the profitability of the gold mine to its owners and investors, which included foreign nobility and the Russian royal family.
................................................................................................
"When the situation worsened to the extent that the workers were forced to use their hard-earned coupons to purchase rotten meat from the store, they decided to go on strike. Beyond the availability of edible meat, they pushed for fewer hours and other improvements to the working conditions. When the mine administration refused to consider their demands and arrested strike leaders, the workers marched with their complaint to the prosecutor’s office.
"Worker’s Rights, human equality, world war, murder, mysticism, blood and tyranny were to collide in the following decades to alter, irrevocably, the culture of this great nation.
"They were met by the Russian army. Russian soldiers fired into the crowd of protestors, killing two hundred and seventy of the workers and injuring two hundred and fifty more. The divide between the common people and the Russian rulers was clear."
................................................................................................
"In post-war years, tension rose between the Soviet Union and Western nations, particularly the capitalist United States of America. This inflammatory relationship would be known as the Cold War, and worsened noticeably when the Soviet Union became the second nation in the world to develop nuclear weapons. Though the Cold War officially ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, relations between the nations of the former U.S.S.R. remain tenuous.
"Stalin, the loyal Bolshevik who came to power in the aftermath of revolution, would rule Russia through the Second World War and the Korean War. He established a reign of terror that included executions, purges, labor camps and suppression. It is estimated he was responsible for the deaths of as many of twenty million people during his reign."
"By the turn of the 19th century, Russia had been ruled by powerful emperors for nearly four hundred years, with the Romanov family holding the throne with the ascension of Mikhail Feodorovich in 1613. The succession of Romanov family members to rule was convoluted and had often involved murder, conspiracy, and corruption, undermining the dynasty’s legitimacy as hereditary rulers. International wars and internal revolts had plagued the country during these years, draining the economy, but also allowing Russian expansion in territory and power. Russia was in a continual state of financial disaster, exacerbated because of the lavish expenses of the Romanov court, which rivalled the courts of even the most prosperous European nations, England and France.
"Russia had only recently emerged from four hundred years of feudalism, a system of government that required peasants, labelled as “serfs”, to spend their lives working the land where they were born with little to no chance of ever improving their lot. Serfs were completely in the control of the landlord under laws that governed even the most personal parts of their lives. They were forbidden to leave the property of their landlord except under approved circumstances, could be told when and whom to marry, and could even be sold to another landlord. Czar Alexander II was facing growing disapproval from other European nations who had long dispensed with this framework of social organization and saw Russia as a backward nation both politically and economically. In response to this and increasing internal pressure the czar freed all Russian serfs by decree in 1861. He justified his reform to his critics by stating, “It is better to liberate the peasants from above” than wait until they win their freedom by uprisings “from below.” Though the abolition of a system that had maintained a large percentage of the population as property was an improvement in the lives of the Russian peasants, the problem was more deeply rooted than a change from serf to peasant could rectify. The danger Czar Alexander II was attempting to prevent was more immediate than he realized.
"Even after the abolition of feudalism in Russia, former serfs were required to continue working for their landlords as they always had for two more years. Then, the price of land available for peasants to purchase was artificially raised to preclude most peasants from ever owning their own land. Thus, most peasants stayed where they always had, doing the same work they had done as serfs. In spite of this, an influx of young Russian men and women took advantage of the new freedom of mobility to find jobs in urban factories. This migration to the cities brought about a phase of increased industrialization in Russia, which brought improvement in the Russian economy in turn; unfortunately this also led to a new set of intolerable living conditions for mine and factory workers.
................................................................................................
"Czar Nicolas II, who was to become known as the last czar of Russia, ruled over a nation of growing discontent. In the twelfth year of the new 20th century, workers at a Russian mine in northeast Siberia took bold action that would initialize a wave of common feeling, changing their homeland forever.
"Workers at Lena Goldfields mine along the Lena River were living in terrible conditions. They were forced to work fifteen hours a day or more in an environment that would be hazardous to even the most alert. Injuries were common with an estimated seven hundred accidents per thousand workers. Wages were low, and consisted partly of coupons that could only be redeemed at the company store. This only added to the profitability of the gold mine to its owners and investors, which included foreign nobility and the Russian royal family.
................................................................................................
"When the situation worsened to the extent that the workers were forced to use their hard-earned coupons to purchase rotten meat from the store, they decided to go on strike. Beyond the availability of edible meat, they pushed for fewer hours and other improvements to the working conditions. When the mine administration refused to consider their demands and arrested strike leaders, the workers marched with their complaint to the prosecutor’s office.
"Worker’s Rights, human equality, world war, murder, mysticism, blood and tyranny were to collide in the following decades to alter, irrevocably, the culture of this great nation.
"They were met by the Russian army. Russian soldiers fired into the crowd of protestors, killing two hundred and seventy of the workers and injuring two hundred and fifty more. The divide between the common people and the Russian rulers was clear."
................................................................................................
"In post-war years, tension rose between the Soviet Union and Western nations, particularly the capitalist United States of America. This inflammatory relationship would be known as the Cold War, and worsened noticeably when the Soviet Union became the second nation in the world to develop nuclear weapons. Though the Cold War officially ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, relations between the nations of the former U.S.S.R. remain tenuous.
"Stalin, the loyal Bolshevik who came to power in the aftermath of revolution, would rule Russia through the Second World War and the Korean War. He established a reign of terror that included executions, purges, labor camps and suppression. It is estimated he was responsible for the deaths of as many of twenty million people during his reign."
May 24, 2021
I absolutely disliked the book. It talked more about the people who took part in the revolution rather than the actual revolution itself. Russian Revolution had started at 1917 with major force, and the author never wrote how it began and how did the people fight and all the details. I don't recommend this book at all.
July 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this.
I've not the knowledge base to make an informed judgement, but for me this gave a superb insight into all: before, during and after.
An easy read, covering what I believe to be the main players and the main events.
I learnt a great deal from this.
I've not the knowledge base to make an informed judgement, but for me this gave a superb insight into all: before, during and after.
An easy read, covering what I believe to be the main players and the main events.
I learnt a great deal from this.
January 24, 2020
Too disjointed to be even an introduction into this subject. Yet another of these books that reads like a collection of essays about disparate subjects
July 3, 2020
To people who love history,
Will enjoy it.
Will enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews