The Russian revolution 1899-1919

This is the first of two volumes covering the origins and progress of the Bolshevik Revolution.

They provide a complete account of the Russian Revolution, which made a large impact on the 20th century, subjecting a large part of the Earth's population to the Communist experiment. The broad sweep of Richard Pipe's history embraces not only the political and military events, but the full conspectus of: social, industrial and agricultural change; the policing of thought, art, literature and religion; the elaboration of political philosophy; and the drive to export Communism to the West and to the Third World.

The reasons for the failure of the Communist experiment become apparent in this history. This title focuses on the decay of Tsarist rule and the events leading up to the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917. "Russia Under the Bolshevik Regime, 1919-1924" focuses on the Bolshevik's fight to secure their control.

By the time of Lenin's death in 1924, all the institutions of future Stalinism were in place.