Soviet Union
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Sergo Ordzhonikidze, a prominent Bolshevik figure during the Stalin era, transitioned from revolutionary to key economic administrator, notably as People’s Commissar of Heavy Industry. His integration of the Caucasus into Soviet governance and eventual coerced death in 1937 illustrate the perilous nature of Stalin’s regime, marking him as both a modernizer and a victim of…
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Book Review Fitzpatrick, Sheila. Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s. Oxford UP, 1999. Sheila Fitzpatrick’s Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s (first published 1999) is among the most influential works of late–20th-century “revisionist” Soviet social history: it shifts the analytic spotlight away from…
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Raya Dunayevskaya (1910–1987) was a pivotal Marxist thinker who founded Marxist Humanism in the U.S. She critically engaged with Marx’s philosophy, Hegelian dialectics, feminism, and anti-imperialism, arguing for the importance of human liberation over bureaucratic socialism. Her work integrates theory and practice, emphasizing self-activity in revolutionary movements.
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David Riazanov (1870–1938) was a key figure in Marxist scholarship, enhancing the study of Marx and Engels through rigorous academic methodologies. His independence led to conflicts with Stalinist ideology, resulting in imprisonment and execution. Despite this, Riazanov’s legacy endures, shaping modern Marxological research and advocating for scholarly integrity within Marxism.
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Stephen F. Cohen’s Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution offers a nuanced portrait of Nikolai Bukharin, portraying him as a significant Bolshevik strategist rather than merely a foil to Stalin. The book examines Bukharin’s theories and policy proposals amidst Soviet internal struggles, highlighting critiques of the NEP and the importance of peasant alliances, while acknowledging its…
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Prince Pyotr Kropotkin (1842–1921) was a significant revolutionary thinker and anarchist communist. A nobleman turned revolutionary, he synthesized Enlightenment thought and Darwinian science, advocating decentralized cooperation through works like Mutual Aid. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, he criticized Bolshevik centralization, leaving a legacy of ethical socialism and communalism.
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Vladimir Lenin’s “Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder” critiques sectarianism and ultraleftism within revolutionary movements post-October Revolution. It emphasizes the necessity for tactical flexibility, engagement with existing institutions, and a dialectical relationship between the party and the masses. The work remains relevant for contemporary revolutionary practice and promotes disciplined, organized engagement in the struggle against capitalism.
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Ted Grant’s Selected Works, Vol. One presents his analyses of Stalinism and the Soviet Union’s class nature, emphasizing “proletarian Bonapartism.” Edited by Steve Iverson, this volume merges historical case studies with theoretical clarity, making it relevant for contemporary Marxist debates. However, it has limitations in empirical scope and cultural analysis.
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Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko was a key figure in the early Soviet era, transitioning from soldier and Bolshevik organizer to diplomat and prosecutor. His roles included command in the Russian Civil War and serving as Consul General during the Spanish Civil War. He faced execution during Stalin’s purges but was posthumously rehabilitated.
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Ted Grant’s “Russia: From Revolution to Counter-Revolution” provides a comprehensive analysis of the Soviet Revolution, Stalinism, and its aftermath. Through a Trotskyist lens, he critiques bureaucratic distortions while acknowledging the revolution’s social achievements. Despite its strengths in historical breadth and clarity, the book is limited by its focus on political over social dimensions and selective…
Letters from Tomis 