The Russian Revolution is one of the most significant events of the previous century. Its aftermath shapes geopolitics to this day. Yet the revolution and the civil war that swiftly followed are often only sketchily understood, especially in the West. Antony Beevor’s account in ‘Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921’ weaves a narrative of the first years of the civil war that would ultimately run until 1923. His book provides a clear account of what is undoubtedly a highly complex and involved historical period. If you are looking to broaden your understanding of those dark, bloodthirsty days in Russian history and gain a knowledge of the chief belligerents and their aims along the way, then this is an essential book on the subject.
Although the main thrust of the narrative weighs in at just over five hundred pages, ‘Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921’ never feels like it is dragging. Beevor is a masterful storyteller, and in many ways it’s an extraordinary feat of skilful research and writing to condense an intricate and politically convoluted story into so few pages. One technique enabling the author to achieve his aim is to assume a certain prior knowledge in his reader. If you approach the book knowing nothing about the Russian Revolution and Civil War, then Beevor’s account may quickly leave you floundering, simply through the sheer volume of actors and political movements integral to the story.
The opening chapters tread ground likely to be most familiar to keen history buffs. Certainly, many films have been made and books written about Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, the mad monk who was advisor to the court of Tsar Nicholas II, and the downfall of both men. Beevor pains a vivid picture of Nicholas II. Here, we meet a ruler with limited intelligence whose intransigence in the face of a strengthening whirlwind of revolution ensures that he is swept aside by it. In humanising the tale of the February Revolution and relating how hubris and stubbornness were essentially the last Emperor of Russia’s fatal flaws, Beevor opens with a dramatic, character-driven narrative. There are eyewitness accounts, not least from the composer Sergei Prokofiev. Remarkably, the father of novelist Vladimir Nabokov was involved in the meeting that decided the abdication of Tsar Nicholas.
In the first sections of the book, Beevor demonstrates how Russia was not immune to world events. Since 1914, the Great War had been raging. It would ultimately claim the lives of around two and a half million Russians. The Russian Revolution and Civil War, which would eventually claim many more lives, ran concurrently with the latter phases of World War One.
The rest of the book describes a string of conflicts, some more memorable than others. The Bolshevik-led October coup is an eye-opener about the group’s fanatical devotion to ideology. As Beevor later says in summing up, “For ruthless inhumanity, however, the Bolsheviks were unbeatable.” An entire chapter is devoted to the Red Terror that started in 1918 and would influence events in the rest of the book. It reveals the activities of the Cheka secret police and the brutality of Communist authoritarianism.
Big historical names feature predominantly throughout the book, and the dynamics between them drive much of the narrative. The showman Trotsky works well with Lenin, but clashes with the eventual successor (beyond the timeframe of this book), Stalin. Lenin’s Red Army takes on the anti-Bolshevik coalition of the White Army, and the nature of the conflict and its consequences are detailed carefully.
As war currently rages in Ukraine against a Russian invasion, it’s possible to read in these pages, tracing history back just over a century, the origins of contemporary animosity and mistrust between neighbouring countries. ‘Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921’ is a good lesson in how contemporary events don’t happen in a vacuum, and why understanding history matters.
Ultimately, Beevor creates a solid, compelling and comprehendible account of a remarkably bloody period during the bloodiest century known to humanity (so far). The seemingly endless political machinations and military skirmishes can, at times, feel repetitive or even overwhelming. But on the whole, this is a skilfully-researched and powerfully-told account of the origins and consequences of revolution, and the violence that is so often inherent when one way of life supersedes another. Plentiful maps and photographs dotted throughout the book embellish the text and aid clarity. If you enjoyed Antony Beevor’s previous titles, then ‘Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921’ is a timely reminder of why he is one of the most celebrated and popular authors of history books working today.
Publisher: Weidenfeld and Nicolson Publication date: 25th May 2023 Buy ‘Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921’
