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The Anarchists in the Russian Revolution
Documents of Revolution General Heinz Lubasz
179 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
About the author
Paul Avrich
25 books60 followers"He was a noted historian and professor who authored many books on anarchist history, including books on the Haymarket Riot, the Modern School Movement, the Russian Revolution and a collection of oral interviews with American anarchists titled Anarchist Voices. Avrich was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize several times and in 1984 he won the Philip Taft Labor History Award."
From Infoshop News obituary http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?...
From Infoshop News obituary http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 12, 2010
This work can be viewed as a companion piece to Avrich's "The Russian Anarchists," an historical treatment of anarchist activities in the earlier part of the 20th century. This book presents the ideas of Russian anarchists of the period, allowing them to speak for themselves.
Some of the documents have well known authors, such as Volin and Iuda Roschin (essays on the February revolution in 1917, which represents the first Part of the book). Part Two considers differing aspects varieties of anarchism--such as anti-militarism, individualism, education, and the future society. Part Three has four essays on workers' control of industry, a key desire for syndicalists. Poignant here is the "Declaration of the Petrograd Union of Anarcho-Syndicalist Propaganda." Part Four looks at the social revolution in Russia. Part Five focuses on the October Insurrection." Other focal points: Makhno's work in the Ukraine; Kronstadt and the suppression of anarchism (with well known thinkers such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman speaking out).
A nice companion book to Avrich's history of anarchism in Russia. One can quarrel about what is included and what is excluded. Should some work of Kropotkin have been included before the two 1920 items in this work? Still and all, a nice volume. . . .
Some of the documents have well known authors, such as Volin and Iuda Roschin (essays on the February revolution in 1917, which represents the first Part of the book). Part Two considers differing aspects varieties of anarchism--such as anti-militarism, individualism, education, and the future society. Part Three has four essays on workers' control of industry, a key desire for syndicalists. Poignant here is the "Declaration of the Petrograd Union of Anarcho-Syndicalist Propaganda." Part Four looks at the social revolution in Russia. Part Five focuses on the October Insurrection." Other focal points: Makhno's work in the Ukraine; Kronstadt and the suppression of anarchism (with well known thinkers such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman speaking out).
A nice companion book to Avrich's history of anarchism in Russia. One can quarrel about what is included and what is excluded. Should some work of Kropotkin have been included before the two 1920 items in this work? Still and all, a nice volume. . . .
July 26, 2010
Anarchists played a major role in the Russian Revolution, but they were also among the earliest and most outspoken critics of the Bolsheviks. In The Anarchists in the Russian Revolution, Paul Avrich presents some fifty documents or extracts from 1917 to 1921, most of them translated from Russian and taken from articles, manifestos, speeches, letters, diaries, and poems. He supplements this with a general introduction, notes on some individual documents, and a small number of black and white photographs and political cartoons.
Avrich begins with some anarchist responses to the February Revolution. A selection of pieces then tries to convey something of the variety of anarchist ideas, on topics from atheism and anti-militarism to education and visions of the future.
"We Anarcho-Syndicalists oppose collectivism (state communism) with free anarchist communism, which recognizes the right of man to his own life and to the full satisfaction of all his needs. This right is seen not as vulgar huckstering, not as an exchange for a specific quantity of labour, but as the participation of each individual, according to his strength, in productive life." [N.I. Pavlov, "The Free Commune and the Free City", 16 September 1918:]
After the February Revolution, anarchists worked for syndicalism and workers' control of factories. They urged social revolution and attacked Kerensky's Provisional Government and the Constituent Assembly.
"The Constituent Assembly is still one of the illusions we must get rid of. If the workers expect all good things to come from the Constituent Assembly and put all their hopes in it they will still remain under the old conditions. The Constituent Assembly will be filled with capitalists and the intelligentsia. What's more, the intellectuals can in no way represent the interests of the workers. They know how to twist us around their fingers, and they will betray our interests. Look over all the lists of candidates to the Constituent Assembly. You'll find scarcely a worker there. There is nothing there for us. We must win our victories through direct combat and remember that the liberation of the workers is the task of the workers themselves." [address by Renev to the Fourth Conference of Petrograd Factory Committees, 10 October 1917:]
Anarchists joined with the Bolsheviks in the October insurrection and during the civil war many "Soviet anarchists" fought in the Red army. Others, however, denounced centralisation and dictatorship, though violent opposition was rare. And Bolshevik repression of anarchists intensified.
"We have reached the limit! The Bolsheviks have lost their senses. They have betrayed the proletariat and attacked the anarchists. They have joined the Black Hundred generals and the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie. They have declared war on revolutionary anarchism." [Burevestnik, 13 April 1918:]
During the civil war, much of the Ukraine was controlled by the anarchist commander Nestor Makhno, who fought armies both White and Red.
Included are some pieces by anarchists held in Bolshevik prisons and two letters by Kropotkin, who died in February 1921 and whose funeral was "the last time that the black flag of anarchism was paraded through the Russian capital". The volume ends with the Kronstadt revolt of March 1921 and extracts from Alexander Berkman's The Bolshevik Myth and Emma Goldman's My Disillusionment in Russia.
The documents in Anarchists in the Russian Revolution offer a novel perspective on the Revolution and insights into the history of anarchism. Avrich does a good job with his introduction, but some familiarity with the events of the Revolution and the history of socialist thought is still assumed.
Avrich begins with some anarchist responses to the February Revolution. A selection of pieces then tries to convey something of the variety of anarchist ideas, on topics from atheism and anti-militarism to education and visions of the future.
"We Anarcho-Syndicalists oppose collectivism (state communism) with free anarchist communism, which recognizes the right of man to his own life and to the full satisfaction of all his needs. This right is seen not as vulgar huckstering, not as an exchange for a specific quantity of labour, but as the participation of each individual, according to his strength, in productive life." [N.I. Pavlov, "The Free Commune and the Free City", 16 September 1918:]
After the February Revolution, anarchists worked for syndicalism and workers' control of factories. They urged social revolution and attacked Kerensky's Provisional Government and the Constituent Assembly.
"The Constituent Assembly is still one of the illusions we must get rid of. If the workers expect all good things to come from the Constituent Assembly and put all their hopes in it they will still remain under the old conditions. The Constituent Assembly will be filled with capitalists and the intelligentsia. What's more, the intellectuals can in no way represent the interests of the workers. They know how to twist us around their fingers, and they will betray our interests. Look over all the lists of candidates to the Constituent Assembly. You'll find scarcely a worker there. There is nothing there for us. We must win our victories through direct combat and remember that the liberation of the workers is the task of the workers themselves." [address by Renev to the Fourth Conference of Petrograd Factory Committees, 10 October 1917:]
Anarchists joined with the Bolsheviks in the October insurrection and during the civil war many "Soviet anarchists" fought in the Red army. Others, however, denounced centralisation and dictatorship, though violent opposition was rare. And Bolshevik repression of anarchists intensified.
"We have reached the limit! The Bolsheviks have lost their senses. They have betrayed the proletariat and attacked the anarchists. They have joined the Black Hundred generals and the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie. They have declared war on revolutionary anarchism." [Burevestnik, 13 April 1918:]
During the civil war, much of the Ukraine was controlled by the anarchist commander Nestor Makhno, who fought armies both White and Red.
Included are some pieces by anarchists held in Bolshevik prisons and two letters by Kropotkin, who died in February 1921 and whose funeral was "the last time that the black flag of anarchism was paraded through the Russian capital". The volume ends with the Kronstadt revolt of March 1921 and extracts from Alexander Berkman's The Bolshevik Myth and Emma Goldman's My Disillusionment in Russia.
The documents in Anarchists in the Russian Revolution offer a novel perspective on the Revolution and insights into the history of anarchism. Avrich does a good job with his introduction, but some familiarity with the events of the Revolution and the history of socialist thought is still assumed.
June 4, 2019
Need any more evidence that state socialists/ authoritarian communists are vicious political opportunist backstabbers, who stand idly by while anarchists, anti-authoritarian socialists, and anarchist-communists do all the work, only to declare the anarchists counter-revolutionaries so they can imprison, torture and murder them, and take all the credit? Look no further.
November 4, 2017
Paul Avrich introduces the overall book as well as each section with incredible depth of understanding of Russian radical history and (Russian) anarchism in general. This book collects anarchist writings during tumultuous Russian revolution and civil war 1917-1921.
Although all written by anarchists, there is no one official anarchist position or 'party line'. Instread, each essay demonstrates the complexity of the political situation as well as the nuanced approach by each individual anarchist or group. For example, some anarchists were completely against the bolshevik government set up after the October revolution, while some anarchists joined the Red Army to fight the white Army and other elements of reaction. These anarchists, labeled 'soviet Anarchists', admitted that the Bolshevik state was oppressive (especially given their repression of fellow anarchists), but saw it as necessary to defeat the reactionary forces. Other anarchists reject this thinking in their writing suggesting alternative responses such as decentralized community self-defense forces among other such formations.
The key significance of this text and the lesson to be drawn from the anarchist participation in Russia during that revolutionary period is that it was a period of devastating conditions but also of immence open possibility. Anarchists understood this and jumped at the opportunity putting forth and engaging in all sorts of projects. Likewise, they were privy to the history of Russia and radical history including the debates around the nature and role of the state (see debates between Marx and Bakunin). Things could have turned out differently, and there were people presenting alternative perspectives to the Bolshevik line. Put differently, if you are looking for alternative understanding of Revolutionary Russia from the common Bolshevik/Lenin line look no further than this book or any of the other books by Paul Avrich.
Although all written by anarchists, there is no one official anarchist position or 'party line'. Instread, each essay demonstrates the complexity of the political situation as well as the nuanced approach by each individual anarchist or group. For example, some anarchists were completely against the bolshevik government set up after the October revolution, while some anarchists joined the Red Army to fight the white Army and other elements of reaction. These anarchists, labeled 'soviet Anarchists', admitted that the Bolshevik state was oppressive (especially given their repression of fellow anarchists), but saw it as necessary to defeat the reactionary forces. Other anarchists reject this thinking in their writing suggesting alternative responses such as decentralized community self-defense forces among other such formations.
The key significance of this text and the lesson to be drawn from the anarchist participation in Russia during that revolutionary period is that it was a period of devastating conditions but also of immence open possibility. Anarchists understood this and jumped at the opportunity putting forth and engaging in all sorts of projects. Likewise, they were privy to the history of Russia and radical history including the debates around the nature and role of the state (see debates between Marx and Bakunin). Things could have turned out differently, and there were people presenting alternative perspectives to the Bolshevik line. Put differently, if you are looking for alternative understanding of Revolutionary Russia from the common Bolshevik/Lenin line look no further than this book or any of the other books by Paul Avrich.
April 13, 2026
Brilliant, brilliant exposition of primary sources that would be incredibly difficult to locate in English all separately. Would like to see another similar history going further into the development of the Soviet Union, the resistance to Stalin and so on
July 22, 2019
Lively portrait of the Russian anarchist scene highlighting its eclectic nature due to its wide ranging influences stemming from mysticism to futurism.
January 31, 2026
An intelligent way to understand Anarchist's role and views on russian revolution. It makes you re-consider your aspect on bolsheviks.
March 14, 2026
Very useful anthology, still unsurpassed in its (admittedly narrow) niche. Great choice of pictures too.
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September 11, 2020Dönemin ruhunu/atmosferi anlamak açısından önemli kitap.
October 26, 2009
This book was really helpful. It is full of primary documents, which were great to understand the anarchists' perspective of the dramatic events surrounding the Russian Revolution, like copies of original comics, photographs, posters, and a detailed time line and. There's also a recommended reading list for more information.
January 10, 2014
Some useful documents, but the introductory editorial is an outdated liberal critique of the Bolsheviks.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews