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Section 1

Commencing in 1917, the Russian Revolution brought about significant political and social

changes throughout the Russian Empire. In this era, following two consecutive revolutions and a

bloody civil war, Russia overthrew its monarchy and installed a socialist government. One could

argue that the Russian Revolution served as a precursor to subsequent European uprisings, most

notably the German Revolution of 1918–1919, which occurred either during or after World War

I.

The Russian Revolution began with the February Revolution in early 1917, during World War I.

The German Empire's significant victories in battle and growing logistical issues leading to

shortages of bread and grain were forcing the Russian Army to lose morale, with a potential

large-scale revolt on the horizon. Senior authorities believed that the resignation of Tsar Nicholas

II would lead to a decrease in the turmoil. Nicholas consented to stand down, allowing for the

establishment of a new interim administration headed by the Russian Duma (parliament).

Petrograd residents created soviet councils during the civil disturbances, which first supported

the new Provisional administration but demanded their involvement in the administration and

control over militias. Two governments ruled Russia by March. The Provisional Government

controlled military and foreign affairs, while the Soviets controlled internal matters. Working-

class and urban middle-class loyalty was crucial to the Soviets. This turbulent time saw many

mutinies, rallies, and strikes. Many socialist and communist groups fought for power in the

Provisional Government and the Soviets. The Social-Democrats, Mensheviks, Social

Revolutionaries, Anarchists, and Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin,

The 1917 Russian Revolution brought a political and social revolution to the empire. The

Russian monarchy was deposed and replaced with a socialist government after a calamitous civil
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war and two revolutions. The Russian Revolution served as a precursor to a multitude of

European revolutions that transpired during and after World War I, including the German

Revolution of 1918–1919.

Lev Kamenev, an Old Bolshevik and well-known figure in the Communist Party and Soviet

administration in the ten years after Russia's October Revolution (1917), was born in Moscow,

Russia, on July 18, 1883, and passed away there on August 24, 1936. His betrayal of Stalin led to

his execution during the Great Purge. Born to middle-class parents who had participated in the

Russian Revolution in the 1870s, Kamenev joined the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social-

Democratic Workers' Party in 1903 and the party in 1901, becoming a professional

revolutionary.

He left for Western Europe in 1908, where he collaborated closely with Vladimir I. Lenin, the

head of the Bolsheviks, and got to know Olga Bronshtein, Leon Trotsky's sister, who would

become his future wife. Kamenev was imprisoned and sent to Siberia in November 1914 for

directing Bolshevik parliamentarians who wanted to stop Russia from fighting. Lenin ordered

him back to Russia in 1914. He returned to Petrograd, now St. Petersburg, and collaborated with

Joseph Stalin to take over the Bolsheviks after the February Revolution of 1917.

He supported the idea of receiving assistance from the temporary administration under certain

circumstances. Upon Kamenev's return to Russia in April 1917, Lenin changed his position but

remained cautious about the revolution. He, along with his close associate Grigory Zinovyev,

resisted the Bolsheviks' efforts to take control. Although he had opposing opinions, he was

chosen to be part of the first Politburo of the Bolsheviks in October 1917. After the revolution,

he became the first leader of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of

Soviets. In 1919, he was elected to the Moscow Soviet and the restored Politburo.
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Following Lenin's severe sickness in 1922, the ruling triumvirate consisted of Kamenev, Stalin,

and Zinovyev. This faction excluded the war commissar, Leon Trotsky, from power

consideration because of political reasons. Subsequently, Stalin shifted his attention to Zinovyev

and Kamenev in 1925.

Section 2

There are just two issues. Firstly, to the best of my knowledge, no comprehensive analysis of

Kamenev's statements and arguments from this era (and very little from other eras) has been

published to date. Aside from the ones I have already posted online, I do not believe there is a

single March/April document by Kamenev that is available in English. I'm working on a

document with a lot more comprehensive translations to fix this. The second issue is that a lot of

one-liners that present impossible challenges to conventional interpretations rather than

supporting them can be found in these publications. As a personal aside, over the past ten or so

years, I have proposed a fresh understanding of how the Bolshevik events transpired during this

brief time, one that indicates the existence of a core, precisely defined Bolshevik consensus. And

from my specialized colleagues, the most frequent response I hear is: "Lars, that can't be right."

How about that or this one? Truly, that is a legitimate challenge that is well-deserved! I should

be able to explain any statistical data or anomalies that seem to contradict my view. Moreover, I

have analyzed each of these issues separately.

The easiest place to find a list of my study findings is the web series "All Power to the Soviets!

which John Riddell posted on his blog.

Unfortunately, though, this thoroughness puts me constantly on guard! I constantly have the

appearance of trying to justify away awkward facts, which is what I should be doing! I'm going
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all out now, presenting uncomfortable truths that people will have to refute. There are a ton of

oddities in my document, "Kamenev one-liners," which is posted after this article—many, many

more than I was ever shown. They repeatedly portray Kamenev saying and acting in ways that,

under the accepted understanding, he would not have been able to. I've made amends by treating

all of the oddities thrown at me with seriousness. It's time for those who insist on the outdated

reading to pay their share by honestly examining how this information might mesh with the

conventional readings that paint Kamenev as a demi-semi-Menshevik.

Section 3

Book review

The matryoshka, Russian nesting dolls, reflect the intricate nature of Soviet and current Russian

politics. Between 1905 and 1917, the Russian Revolution saw the formation and breakup of

coalitions among many interrelated individuals and groups. Geoffrey Swain's book, "A Short

History of the Russian Revolution," aims to elucidate these occurrences.

Swain argues that the prevailing perspective on the Russian Revolution since the 1960s is that

the Bolsheviks seized power from a minority position in a coalition government, using the

instability resulting from the First World War and the collapse of the February Revolution.

Lenin's party utilized reformist labor groups for revolutionary purposes in this narrative. A Short

History highlights the revolutionary nature of Russian labor rather than its focus on reform, to

challenge Swain's description. The author finds this departure from traditional beliefs evident

throughout the 1905 Revolution and 1917. Swain considers the 1917 reformist-oriented February

Revolution to be an exception within a revolutionary movement.

Constructing this argument is challenging because of the intricate interplay between social and
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political entities and individuals across time. The spatial and genre constraints of the 200-page

book "A Short History" hinder the author's ability to establish the environment, describe the

action, and introduce the characters.

The result is a historical account that lacks an introductory section assuming prior knowledge.

Swain's challenge to the traditional beliefs of Russian labor may intrigue well-informed readers.

Lenin and Joseph Stalin, familiar figures to many, are not mentioned until more than 50 pages

into the book. Individuals with little understanding of periods may need additional tools to

support their learning. For beginners, reading may feel like being at a social gathering where you

just know the host, but everyone else is familiar with each other. You can participate in the

conversation, but you may still feel like an outsider. Guests' names can be acquired, but they

must be retained via their backstories and interactions. Swain presents his argument in eight

concise chapters spanning from 1905 to 1917. The preface places the work within the context of

Soviet historical research. The central argument of Swain is that Russian laborers fuelled and

provided widespread support for the Russian Revolution. The February Revolution was a

reformist deviation, but the October Revolution reinstated the revolution. The introduction and

first chapter provide a historical context for the coalition administration that succeeded Tzar

Nicholas II after his resignation in March 1917.

Chapters three and four detail the coalition government's successes and failures in establishing a

stable political environment. Praising the coalition government as described is unusual. The

victory was short-lived, but there are important points to highlight. Five months after the Tzar

relinquished his throne, liberal ministers departed from the temporary administration on 2 July.

In November 1917, Lavr Kornilov's failed coup led to the establishment of a government

controlled by the Bolsheviks.

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Swain examines the Russian social unrest that occurred between February and September 1917.

The author highlights land and industrial policy to support his argument that Russian labor is

revolutionary. He talks about workplace and land committees and how the declining economic

output for urban and rural laborers made it difficult for workers of all kinds to accept anything

less than revolution. Many people were incited to violence in response to the interim

administration and two unsuccessful coalitions that had governed for six months. The chapter

ends with troops being instructed to suppress the rebellion, with many likely harboring doubts

about the instruction they were following.

The final three chapters focus on the establishment of a Bolshevik-dominated government in

1917. Lenin's Bolsheviks took advantage of Kornilov's unsuccessful attempt. They incited chaos

and rebellion. Swain addresses this topic in Chapter Six. Chapters 7 and 8 detail the political

unrest that resulted in the Bolshevik-controlled Soviet Government and the subsequent five-year

civil war.

This penultimate chapter's fragile ending is perhaps its most remarkable characteristic. It is

unclear if Swain wants readers to take this from the text. A Short History ends with the reader

pondering if the Tzar's abdication may have led to a less harsh rule. Swain's tale suggests a lot of

contingency, even while much appears inevitable. Consider what might have occurred if the Tzar

had made greater concessions before 1917. Industrial and agricultural policies may have been

less oppressive. If moderates had conceded more in previous regimes. If Lenin had changed his

mind at one of 1917's many crucial moments.

The present political climate shows that party leaders struggle to compromise inside and across

parties. A Bolshevik-dominated Soviet Government is unlikely without Lenin repairing such

cleavages. Without a Bolshevik-dominated Soviet, Stalin's rise would be difficult. With each
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layer removed and each new matryoshka revealed, the tale becomes more intricate and the reader

wonders if history may have been different.

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Bibliography

Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution. Oxford University Press, 2017.

Lawton, Lancelot. The Russian Revolution (1917-1926). Vol. 25. Macmillan and Company, limited, 1927.

Lih, Lars T. "Fully Armed: Kamenev and Pravda in March 1917." (2014).

Pogorelskin, Alexis. "Kamenev and the Peasant Question: The Turn to Opposition, 1924-1925." Russian

History 27.4 (2000): 381-395.

Trotsky, Leon. History of the Russian revolution. Haymarket Books, 2008.

Zajda, J. "The Russian Revolution." The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of globalization. online (2014).