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Russian Revolution

On the centenary of the Russian Revolution, for those interested in understanding the causes, events and consequences of October 1917, there are dozens of books and articles to get stuck into. The Last of the Tsars: Nicholas II and the Russian Revolution by Robert Service, according to Ben Gliniecki, is not one of them.

On 16th April 1917, Lenin returned to Russia in the midst of the Revolution. Lenin's return marked a turning point for the Bolshevik Party - the beginning of a process of politically preparing the party for the seizure of power by the working class. We republish here an extract from Leon Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution about the political rearming of the Bolsheviks.

Hamid Alizadeh continues his series looking at the developments taking place in Russian in the lead-up to the outbreak of the February Revolution, which began 100 years ago. The war and deteriorating living standards were having a radicalising effect on the workers, peasants and soldiers of Russia, preparing the ground for the revolutionary events of 1917.

To commemorate the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Alan Woods, editor of In Defence of Marxism, provides a timeline analysis of 1917. To begin this series, Alan examines the events of the February Revolution, which began on International Working Women's Day, when the masses entered onto the scene of history to overthrow the hated Tsarist monarchy.

One century ago, in February 1917, the Russian masses rose up to overthrow the hated and rotten Tsarist regime. This marked the beginning of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Alan Woods examines the events surrounding the February Revolution, including the establishment of the Provisional Government and the stance of Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

More Articles ...

  1. The Russian Revolution: before 1917 - the gathering storm
  2. In defence of the Russian Revolution
  3. Answering fake news about the Russian Revolution
  4. What the Russian Revolution achieved and why it degenerated
  5. The Russian Revolution: the meaning of October
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Socialist Appeal are proud to publish this education guide to help focus your studies of Marxist theory and practice. Visit the various tabs below to find links to introductory articles, classic texts, videos and audio talks for different topics. Read More
Check out this selection of writings for an excellent introduction to many of the fundamentals of Marxist theory, providing a strong basis for those wishing to equip themselves with the ideas necessary in order to fight for socialism. Read More
Dialectical materialism is the philosophy or methodology of Marxism. We must seek to understand the laws of society and nature in order to change them. Read More
Historical materialism is the general theory of how and why society develops in the way it does. Each social system has its inherent laws of motion. If we want to overthrow capitalist society, we must understand how capitalism works. Read More
Marxist economics is the study of the laws of motion of capitalist society, allowing us to understand why capitalism perpetually goes into crisis, where inequality comes from, and what the alternative is. Read More
The Russian Revolution is the greatest event in world history for Marxists. Studying the events of 1917, and understanding why the Revolution degenerated into Stalinism, provides vital lessons for revolutionaries today. Read More
For Marxists, the state is not at all neutral. We must understand the state’s real basis and strip away its mysticism by treating it historically - taking in its origins, rise, and eventual fall. Read More
Anarchism is naturally attractive for those wanting to abolish capitalism. But only Marxist ideas can explain why bureaucracy and oppression exist - and how to overthrow the exploitative capitalist system. Read More
Marxists are irreconcilably opposed to the oppression of women and fight determinedly for liberation and against discrimination. We believe this will be achieved through the class struggle - to abolish the oppressive capitalist system. Read More
The madness of fascism expresses the historic crisis and dead-end of capitalism. But it could have been avoided if the working class had a united revolutionary leadership, prepared to take power. Read More
Nations have not always existed, nor will they always exist in the future. Marxists are internationalists, fighting for world socialist revolution as the only way forward for humanity and our planet. Read More
Wars represent the sharp extreme of capitalism’s impasse. Imperialism, Lenin said, was the "highest stage of capitalism". As long as the profit system exists, there will be wars over markets and spheres of influence. Read More
All written history, Marx stated, is the history of class struggle. Our task is to learn the lessons from history in order to prepare for the revolutionary events taking place today and in the future. Read More
Our aim is to spread the ideas of Marxism, in an organised fashion, amongst workers and youth. In order to do this, we must study the history and traditions of the working class. Read More
  • Educate Yourself
  • The Fundamentals of Marxism: suggested reading
  • Dialectical Materialism and Science
  • Historical Materialism
  • Marxist Economics
  • Russia, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalinism
  • The State
  • Anarchism
  • Women's liberation
  • Fascism
  • The National Question
  • Imperialism and War
  • Revolutionary History
  • Revolutionary Strategy