Nikolai Nikolaievich Sukhanov was a member of the first Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet and editor of the Menshevik Party newspaper Novaya Zhizn. His central position in the events of the Russian Revolution provided him with the material for a detailed eyewitness account, first published in 1922 as a seven-volume work, which was suppressed under Stalin. This abridged translation is the only version available in English.
Sukhanov’s insight into the personalities, emotions and ideas at work helps impart a unique perspective on the revolutionary period. Evocative descriptions of the twists and turns in the revolution, the subtle dynamics of every meeting, gives the reader a sense of being there as they follow Sukhanov through the storm of 1917, from the emergence and strengthening of the capitalist Provisional Government, to its collapse in the face of growing mass support for the Bolshevik Party and the transfer of power to the soviets.
This book is a vital asset for those who want to understand the revolution in more depth, particularly the internal politics and debates of the soviets’ leadership.