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<html>
<head>
<title>Appendix - The Russian Revolution
</title>
</head>
<H1><center>Appendix -- The Russian Revolution
</center></h1>
<p>
This appendix of the FAQ exists to discuss in depth the Russian
revolution and the impact that Leninist ideology and practice had
on its outcome. Given that the only reason why Leninism is taken
seriously in some parts of the revolutionary movement is the
Russian Revolution, it is useful to expose what Alexander Berkman
called "the Bolshevik Myth." This means discussing certain aspects
of the revolution and indicating exactly how Leninism helped
destroy any libertarian potential it had. It also means analysing
common, modern-day, Leninist excuses for the actions of the
Bolsheviks to see if they hold water. It also means analysing in
depth specific events of the revolution (such as the Kronstadt
uprising of March 1921 and the libertarian influenced Makhnovist
movement) to see if there was an alternative to Leninism at the
time. Luckily, the answer is yes.
<p>
As will become clear from this appendix, Bolshevik actions and
ideology had a decisive impact on the development and degeneration
of the Revolution. With its centralised, top-down statist political
vision, its (openly) state capitalist economic vision and its aim
for party power, Leninism had pushed the revolution in an
authoritarian direction before the Russian Civil War started (the
most common Leninist explanation of what went wrong). Leninism,
ironically enough, proved the anarchist critique of Marxism to be
correct. Anarchists are confident that in depth analysis of the
Russian Revolution will confirm the limitations of Bolshevism as
a revolutionary movement and point to libertarian ideas for anyone
who wants to change the world.
<p>
<h2>
<li><a href="append4.html#app41"> What happened during the Russian Revolution?</a></li>
<p>
<li><a href="append4.html#app42">What was the Kronstadt Rebellion?</a></li>
<p>
<li><a href="append4.html#app43">What caused the degeneration of the Russian Revolution?</a></li>
<p>
<li><a href="append4.html#app44">How did Bolshevik ideology contribute to the failure of the Revolution?</a></li>
<p>
<li><a href="append4.html#app45">Were any of the Bolshevik oppositions a real alternative?</a></li>
<p>
<li><a href="append4.html#app46">Why does the Makhnovist movement show there is an alternative to Bolshevism?</a></li>
</h2>
<p>
<hr align=center width=80% size=4 noshade>
<p>
<a name="app41"><H2><li><a href="append41.html">What happened during the Russian Revolution?</a></li></H2><p><ol>
<H3>
<A HREF="append41.html#app1">1 Can you give a short summary of what
happened in 1917?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app2">2 How did the Bolsheviks gain mass
support?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app3">3 Surely the Russian Revolution proves
that vanguard parties work?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app4">4 Was Lenin's "State and Revolution"
applied after October?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app5">5 Did the Bolsheviks really aim for
Soviet power?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app6">6 What happened to the soviets after
October?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app7">7 How did the factory committee
movement develop?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app8">8 What was the Bolshevik position on
"workers' control" in 1917?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app9">9 What happened to the factory
committees after October?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app10">10 What were the Bolshevik economic
policies in 1918?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app11">11 Did Bolshevik economic policies
work?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app12">12 Was there an alternative to
Lenin's "state capitalism" and "war communism"?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app13">13 Did the Bolsheviks allow
independent trade unions?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app14">14 Was the Red Army really a
revolutionary army?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app15">15 Was the Red Army "filled with
socialist consciousness"?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app16">16 How did the civil war start and
develop?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app17">17 Was the civil war between just
Reds and Whites?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app18">18 How extensive was imperialist
intervention?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app19">19 Did the end of the civil war
change Bolshevik policies?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app20">20 Can the Red Terror and the Cheka
be justified?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app21">21 Did Bolshevik peasant policies
work?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app22">22 Was there an alternative to grain
requisition?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app23">23 Was the repression of the
socialist opposition justified?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app24">24 What did the anarchists do during
the revolution?</A><br>
<A HREF="append41.html#app25">25 Did the Russian revolution refute
anarchism? </A><br>
</ol></h3>
<p>
<hr align=center width=80% size=4 noshade>
<p>
<a name="app42"><H2><li><A HREF="append42.html">What was the Kronstadt Rebellion?</A>
</li></H2><p><ol>
<H3><A HREF="append42.html#app1">1 Why is the Kronstadt rebellion
important?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app2">2 What was the context of the
Kronstadt
revolt?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app3">3 What was the Kronstadt
Programme?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app4">4 Did the Kronstadt rebellion reflect
<i>"the exasperation of the peasantry"</i>?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app5">5 What lies did the Bolsheviks spread
about Kronstadt?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app6">6 Was the Kronstadt revolt a White
plot?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app7">7 What was the <i><b>real</b></i>
relationship of Kronstadt to the Whites?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app8">8 Did the rebellion involve new
sailors?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app9">9 Was Kronstadt different
politically?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app10">10 Why did the Petrograd workers not
support Kronstadt?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app11">11 Were the Whites a threat during
the Kronstadt revolt?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app12">12 Was the country too exhausted to
allow soviet democracy?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app13">13 Was there a real alternative to
Kronstadt's <i>"third revolution"</i>?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app14">14 How do modern day Trotskyists
misrepresent Kronstadt?</A><br>
<A HREF="append42.html#app15">15 What does Kronstadt tell us about
Bolshevism?</A><br>
</ol></h3>
<p>
<hr align=center width=80% size=4 noshade>
<p>
<a name="app43"><H2><li><a href="append43.html">What caused the degeneration of the
Russian Revolution?</a></li></H2>
<p><ol>
<H3><A HREF="append43.html#app1">1 Do anarchists ignore the
objective factors facing the Russian revolution?</A><br>
<A HREF="append43.html#app2">2 Can "objective factors" really
explain the failure of Bolshevism?</A><br>
<A HREF="append43.html#app3">3 Can the civil war explain the
failure of Bolshevism?</A><br>
<A HREF="append43.html#app4">4 Did economic collapse and isolation
destroy the revolution?</A><br>
<A HREF="append43.html#app5">5 Was the Russian working class
atomised or "declassed"?</A><br>
<A HREF="append43.html#app6">6 Did the Bolsheviks blame "objective
factors" for their actions?</A>
</ol></h3>
<p>
<hr align=center width=80% size=4 noshade>
<p>
<H2><li>
<a name="app44"><A HREF="append44.html">How did Bolshevik ideology contribute to
the failure of the Revolution?</A>
</H2></li>
<p><ol>
<H3><A HREF="append44.html#app1">1 How did the Marxist historical
materialism affect Bolshevism?</A><br>
<A HREF="append44.html#app2">2 Why did the Marxist theory of the
state undermine working class power?</A><br>
<A HREF="append44.html#app3">3 How did Engels' essay "On Authority"
affect the revolution?</A><br>
<A HREF="append44.html#app4">4 What was the Bolshevik vision of
democracy?</A><br>
<A HREF="append44.html#app5">5 What was the effect of the Bolshevik
vision of "socialism"?</A><br>
<A HREF="append44.html#app6">6 How did Bolshevik preference for
nationalisation affect the revolution?</A><br>
<A HREF="append44.html#app7">7 How did Bolshevik preference for
centralism affect the revolution?</A><br>
<A HREF="append44.html#app8">8 How did the aim for party power
undermine the revolution?</A>
</ol></h3>
<p>
<hr align=center width=80% size=4 noshade>
<p>
<H2><li>
<a name="app45"><A HREF="append45.html">Were any of the Bolshevik oppositions a
real alternative?</A>
</li></H2><p><ol>
<H3><A HREF="append45.html#app1">1 Were the "Left Communists" of
1918 an alternative?</A><br>
<A HREF="append45.html#app2">2 What were the limitations of the
"Workers' Opposition" of 1920?</A><br>
<A HREF="append45.html#app3">3 What about Trotsky's "Left
Opposition" in the 1920s?</A><br>
<A HREF="append45.html#app4">4 What do these oppositions tell us
about the essence of Leninism?</A>
</ol></h3>
<p>
<hr align=center width=80% size=4 noshade>
<p>
<a name="app46"><h2><li><a href="append46.html">Why does the Makhnovist movement show
there is an alternative to Bolshevism?</a></li></h2>
<p><ol>
<H3><A HREF="append46.html#app1">1 Who was Nestor Makhno?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app2">2 Why was the movement named after
Makhno?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app3">3 Why was Makhno called
<i>"Batko"</i>?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app4">4 Can you give a short overview of
the Makhnovist movement?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app5">5 How were the Makhnovists
organised?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app6">6 Did the Makhnovists have a
constructive social programme?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app7">7 Did they apply their ideas in
practice?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app8">8 Weren't the Makhnovists just
Kulaks?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app9">9 Were the Makhnovists anti-Semitic
and pogromists?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app10">10 Did the Makhnovists hate the city
and city workers?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app11">11 Were the Makhnovists
nationalists?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app12">12 Did the Makhnovists support the
Whites?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app13">13 What was the relationship of the
Bolsheviks to the movement?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app14">14 How did the Makhnovists and
Bolsheviks differ?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app15">15 How do the modern followers of
Bolshevism slander the Makhnovists?</A><br>
<A HREF="append46.html#app16">16 What lessons can be learned from
the Makhnovists?</A><br>
</ol></h3>
<p>
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