The term was originally used during the cold war to describe noncommunists regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and. May 22, 2012 the russian revolution, 1917 by rex wade is a good one. Revolution answered to a need the soviet union no longer satisfied. Its premise is that the perspectives of the post1945 period are not adequate to understand the international setting of the revolution in world war i, the great depression, and the rise of fascism. The russian empire collapsed on march 8, 1917, and the bolsheviks took power a few. Mona charen chronicled the phenomenon in her superb 2003 book useful idiots, which recalls example after jawdropping example of american liberals defending, flattering, and excusing the. Useful idiots and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. We did not know about the famine then but the cultural revolution was causing havoc. In case youve yet to be sunk by the deluge of coverage, you should know that the 100th anniversary of russias twin, momentous revolutions lands this year. Supposedly, vladimir lenin and joseph stalin used this expression contemptuously of noncommunists who aligned themselves with their political positions. Apr 12, 2017 top 10 books about the russian revolution a century after the bolsheviks seized power for communism, tariq ali chooses some of the best books about an uprising that changed the world forever. Nov 06, 2017 the october revolution, organized by vladimir lenin exactly a century ago, is still relevant today in ways that would have seemed unimaginable when soviet communism collapsed.
Che guevara, who aided fidel castro in his rise to power in cuba in the late 1950s and early 1960s, is today an icon of liberal culture worldwide. The best books on the russian revolution london evening. Fast forward to today, and communist cuba has its own useful idiot. A chilling new conspiracy thriller set in stalins soviet union kindle edition by john sweeney. This is a concise introduction to the russian revolution from 1917 to 1945, that is, in the period prior to the cold war. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the. In effect, they are a new version of the useful idiots the term coined for western supporters of the early communist regime, whom lenin, and then later stalin, happily exploited. The best books on the russian revolution five books. He meets american and british journalists who acclaim stalins great experiment but when jones witnesses people starving to death in ukraine, his belief in the soviet revolution is shattered.
How liberals got it wrong in the cold war and still blame america first. Jan 29, 2020 the russian revolution s of 1917 may be the most important and worldaltering event of the twentieth century, but restrictions on documents and official communist histories have often affected the efforts of historians. On the afternoon of july 4, 1917, thousands of soldiers, sailors and workers converged on a former. This selection of russian revolution books has been recommended by alpha history authors. Russian revolution by trotsky abebooks shop for books. In the years following the collapse of the soviet regime and the opening of its archives, it has become possible to step back and see the full picture. My enjoyment of novels set in russia has never left me. Jun 06, 2017 the russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin basic books. Russian revolution 1917 score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Post revolution, from june 1918 to october 1919, more than 16,000 people were executedabout 1,000 a month. The first revolution was on 8 march 1917, but in russia it was recorded as 28 february 1917.
A chilling new conspiracy thriller set in stalins soviet union. Oct 30, 2017 10 books to read about the russian revolution my greatgrandfather was a bolshevik. The russian revolution by leon trotsky and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. How liberals got it wrong in the cold war and still blame. I continue to work on trying to identify the earliest occurence. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the guardian. Groundbreaking in its inclusiveness, enthralling in its narrative of a movement whose purpose, in the words of leon trotsky, was to overthrow the world, the russian revolution draws conclusions that have already aroused great controversy in this countryand that are certain to be explosive when the book is published in the soviet union. In political jargon, a useful idiot is a derogatory term for a person perceived as propagandizing. A new generation of useful idiots, that lenin identified living in liberal democracies who furthered the work of communism.
The original occupy movement to me perfectly represented a truth the useful idiots proclaim partlythat i too believe. The term was originally used during the cold war to describe noncommunists regarded as susce. Putins useful idiot doesnt apply to trump because he is. The russian revolution, also called the bolshevik revolution, consisted of two parts. The democrat frontrunner is an admirer of former socialist dictator fidel castro. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the russian bolshevik revolution. The best books on revolutionary movements in latin america.
Wall street is totally corrupt, it is just an extension of the central banksters that have put their feet on the neck of main street and have been grinding one foot and then the other down harder and harder since 19. Shirleys rendezvous with destiny was hailed by wall street journal columnist michael medved as one of the five greatest campaign books of all time. To propagandize the west, lenin recruited a corps of. The first part of the revolution, occurring in february of 1917, was known as the february revolution. Cool icon che guevara was a murderous thug, author says. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. They have selected these books for their content, accessibility and affordability. The book is the result of many years of research, which is evident from the impressive. The best books to read on the russian revolution, a recommended list courtesy of the publishers. They are available for purchase through our affiliate partner, the book depository, at low prices all of which include worldwide shipping. I have found the following documented citation the history and impact of marxistleninist organizational theory.
The islamic human rights commission is one of the iranian regimes useful idiots parroting lines, taking offense when iran wants offense to be taken, ignoring genuine human rights. He is the author of eleven books, including three novels. The most important thing when ill is to never lose heart. In the first of a twopart interview, cybercast news service speaks to humberto fontova, author of the new book, exposing the real che guevara and the useful idiots who idolize him. During the 1950s, there was a term that was sometimes used to describe people who were exploited by soviet communists to publicly support their ideology.
The useful idiot is the secret history of the first great soviet lie wrapped up in an electrifying novel perfect for readers of robert harris, ken follett and kate atkinson. Deng xiao ping abandoned the maoist fallacy but carefully went on paying homage to him. Caught in the revolution by helen rappaport helen rappaport offers a thoroughlyresearched and absorbing account of the russian revoultion. How liberals got it wrong in the cold war and still. The movement that remade america in the prologue to his splendid history of the hews, paul johnson explained that writing a history of the jews is almost like writing a history of the world, but from a highly peculiar ingle of vision. He is currently working on three more books about ronald reagan including morning in america, about the 1984 campaign and the search for reagan. The best known is probably john reeds ten days that shook the world, but ive gone with ransomes book because ransome is my man, and because whereas reeds book is a highly imaginative view of the 1917 revolution, ransomes is an equally stylised version of the revolution a little way down the road. Now, following the collapse of the soviet regime and the opening of its archives, it is possible to step back and see the full picture. The phrase useful idiot has long been in circulation to describe naive revolutionary tourists and other ignorant dupes of foreign dictatorships. Top ten books about the russian revolution historia magazine. Fully illustrated snippets of history presented in a most engaging manner complete with a brief quiz at the end.
An unnamed voter, one of those useful idiots, was ridiculed by a politician for his extreme antigovernment stance. Useful idiots quotes 7 quotes goodreads share book. Stalins regime had been eulogised by the webbs in their book the soviet. Sukhanov, a left menshevik hostile to lenin, was actually present in petrograd in both february and october. The russian revolution was a series of revolutions in the russian empire during 1917. But is russias reachout to the far right actually effective.
Mar 20, 2020 useful idiot plural useful idiots historical, derogatory, political jargon soviet sympathizer in western countries, from the perspective of the political right. The term was originally used during the cold war to describ e noncommunis ts regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and manipulation. When i first went to china in 1973,i was a useful idiot. Under ortegas rule, nicaragua quickly fell further into poverty, and the socialists were voted out in 1990. The best books on the russian revolution saul david picks the best of the many new books published to coincide with the centenary of the russian revolution. Foreign affairs called the book a useful survey of how soviet intelligence used disinformation to further its strategic. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the russian revolution. Stalin used the term, useful idiot as a form of derision for the wide eyed idealists who actually believed the propaganda about the altruistic goals of the revolution. These dossiers proved useful to the secret police of lenin and later joseph stalin, especially the overseas predecessor to the kgb known as the gpu. Historically, the term useful idiot has referred to a naive or unwitting ally of a ruthless political movement especially a communist movement.
Russian revolution simple english wikipedia, the free. Strategy, shultz authored another book on soviet war tactics. Aug 22, 2017 solzhenitsyns russian revolution epic to be published in english. The russian bolshevik revolution kindle edition by edward ross. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the useful idiot. Or as the soviet communists used to put it, a useful idiot. Opinion what if the russian revolution had never happened. This happened because russia still used the julian calendar instead of the gregorian.
Obama was influenced by the writings and philosophies saul alinsky, author of the book, rules for radicals, and later by frank marshall davis, with similar philosophies. Vladimir lenin quotes author of the state and revolution. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian revolution. Islam enjoys a large and influential ally among nonmuslims.
Mona charens book useful idiots is named after lenin allegedly said it when. We have not determined that alinsky wrote the 8 levels of control, although alinsky did write a book called. The useful idiots, the leftists who are idealistically believing in the beauty of the soviet socialist or communist or whatever system, when they get disillusioned, they become the worst enemies. Thats why my kgb instructors specifically made the point. Please tell us more about six weeks in russia in 1919 there are only a couple of wellknown eyewitness accounts of the revolution. It doesnt have a lot of detail on daytoday life, but it explicit discusses the working class and peasantry as political subjects in their own right rather than as the mere constituencies of thisorthat party, so its a good text for situating whatever you read about daily life in the broader political context. Freedom in capitalist society always remains about the same as it was in ancient greek republics. The facts are well known, but history is about making connections between these facts, and there could be and there are many histories of the russian revolution. The russian revolution by richard pipes, paperback barnes. Vladimir lenin is credited with originating the description useful idiots for capitalists who unwittingly helped him beat them. The phrase, like communism itself, has largely disappeared from use, but there are still plenty of useful idiots. This new generation of useful idiots also live in liberal democracies, but serves the cause of islamofascismanother virulent form of totalitarian ideology. A personal record by nn sukhanov this book was necessary reading for all early historians of the revolution. Lenin called them useful idiots, those people living in liberal democracies who by giving moral and material support to a totalitarian ideology in effect were braiding the rope that would hang them.
Mar 30, 2009 my semester project for ap world history. They are driven by pathological altruism, believing that they know how to run our lives better than us and believing the western guilt stories. The russian revolution had a decisive impact on the history of the twentieth century. Gorky was inspired by the 1905 revolution, but he felt that the october 1917 revolution was premature. Diane samuels finds much to chew on in jan marks timely story of britain in the 23rd century, useful idiots.
The events destroyed the tsarist autocracy, and helped create the soviet union. Why people who enjoyed freedom and prosperity worked passionately to destroy both is a fascinating question, one still with us today. This new edition of planned chaos features a new introduction by chris westley of jacksonville state university. I thought mao was a great man who was interested in the poor and wanted an egalitarian society. The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency. The term was originally used during the cold war to describe noncommunists regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and manipulation. The phrase, like communism itself, has largely disappeared from use, but there are still plenty of useful idiots around.
Although he was too young to have participated in the events of the revolution of 1917, he joined grassroots communist groups to spread literacyand the word of lenin. Useful idiots, innocents clubs, and transmission belts, by john pearson roche institute for foreign policy analysis, incorporated pub. This new history of the russian revolution was one of many books published to mark the 100th anniversary of the bolshevik revolution. The best books to read on the russian revolution, a. Active measures in soviet strategy is a nonfiction book about disinformation. The author, a distinguished harvard historian, seeks to present a comprehensive view of the russian revolution, tracing its roots in the half century before 1917, a period he has already examined in. Mona charen chronicled the phenomenon in her superb 2003 book useful idiots, which recalls example after jawdropping example of american liberals defending, flattering, and excusing the crimes of one communist ruler and regime after another. In political jargon, a useful idio t is a derogatory term for a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause without fully comprehending the causes goals, and who is cynically used by the causes leaders. Obama and the 8 levels of control by saul alinskyunproven. Possessed by the fantasy that another new world was in the making, former leftist visionaries such as hitchens became the bush administrations useful idiots. A chilling new thriller set in stalins soviet union. Hence the sadness that fidel castros death has provoked among idiots everywhere. The centenary of the russian revolution is an opportunity for me to revisit books that are set just before, during and in the immediate aftermath of the revolution. The result is huge almost pages, but dont let that put you off because figes covers almost every level with verve, style, and a highly readable text.
These foot soldiers would push his revolution in every country. To have artwork along with factual info on a subject i might not ordinarily pursue made it all the easier going down. Anyone who sacrifices themselves to a narcissist is called a useful idiot. Having searched his writings for any possible similar reference i tried useful plus something, then tried various synonyms for idiot, the best i could come up with was utter simpleton this phrase was used in reference to president wilsons naivete regarding the treaty of versailles. By leosmith march 12, 2017 4 comments going on the basis that the theory of communism is, in theory, potentially a very humane and extremely democratic one, we have to ask if its author was nothing more than a useful idiot. There is no way that obama could have been personally mentored by alinsky. As vladimir putin rewrites the nazisoviet pact and with the horrors of chernobyl and the cold war so recent, this thriller of fake news in 1932 is real storytelling of. The russian revolution, 19171945 by anthony dagostino, 2011.
A marxist begins with his prime truth that all evils are caused by the exploitation of the proletariat by the capitalists. Obama was influenced by the writings and philosophies saul alinsky, author of the book, rules for radicals, and later by frank marshall davis. Useful idiots become cannon fodder for the left flopping. Besides, unless you have my ap world teacher, they might not. These useful idiots performed their roles as selfless zealots for the revolution, often until the stark realization, just before they realized their own mortality, that their. Useful idiots is a pungent phrase usually attributed to lenin.
May 20, 2003 the term useful idiots has been attributed to lenin, as a description of those mindless people in the western democracies who would always find ways to excuse whatever the soviet union did. Covering the events of 1891 to 1924, figes book is a masterclass of historical writing, mixing the personal effects of revolution with the overall political and economic effects. Laurent alexandre first comments that the young people who follow greta thunberg are the useful idiots of the green dictatorship much in the same way lenin called leftwing bourgeois useful idiots of the revolution and that the failures of all marxist models have left the antiliberals in turmoil. Guy sorman, a city journal contributing editor and french public intellectual, is the author of many books, including empire of lies. Useful idiot is a political insult that describes a person who, through manipulation or not, is useful to a political cause that is not their own despite not fully realizing their role. Vladimir lenin once referred to americans who spread communist propaganda in america most notably journalist lincoln steffensas useful idiots. May 08, 2017 according to the late christopher hitchens, the invasion of iraq was only the first in a succession of revolutionary wars of liberation. Nevertheless, there are plenty of texts on the subject. Historically, the term useful idiot has referred to.
The best books on the russian revolution five books expert. The best known is probably john reeds ten days that shook the world, but ive gone with ransomes book because ransome is my man, and because whereas reeds book is a highly imaginative view of the 1917 revolution. If you have never heard the term useful idiot it was the attitude held by vladimir lenin towards communist sympathizers in the west america. The russian revolution of 1917 played a very important role in not only russian history, but world history as well. The introduction brings this classic up to date not that it has ever fallen out of date or ever will. From this he logically proceeds to the revolution to end capitalism, then into the third stage of reorganization into a new social order of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and finally the last stage. Saul alinsky died in 1972 when barack obama was 10 years old. In political jargon, a useful idiot is a derogatory term for a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause without fully comprehending the causes goals, and who is cynically used by the causes leaders. Mar 10, 2017 at queens university belfast, i read russian studies and english for my first degree. Russian revolution edition 3 by sheila fitzpatrick. Solzhenitsyns russian revolution epic to be published in. The title comes from misess description of the reality of central planning and socialism, whether of the national variety nazism or the international variety communism. And how has the kremlin cultivated the relationship. Useful idiots is a pejorative term that was used by the soviets to describe soviet sympathizers in western countries and in the united states in particular.
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