Romancing the revolution : : the myth of Soviet democracy and the British Left / / Ian Bullock.

• VerfasserIn: Bullock, Ian, 1941-
• Place / Publishing House: Edmonton, Alberta : : AU Press,, 2011.; 2011
• Year of Publication: 2011
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (417 pages)

Over two decades have passed since the collapse of the USSR, yet the words ""Soviet Union"" still carry significant weight in the collective memory of millions. But how often do we consider the true meaning of the term ""Soviet""? Drawing extensively on left-wing press archives, Romancing the Revolution traces the reactions of the British Left to the idealized concept of Soviet democracy. Focusing on the turbulent period after the 1917 Russian Revolution, author Ian Bullock examines the impact of the myth of Soviet democracy: the belief that Russia was embarking on a brave experiment in a form

Table of Contents

Introduction -- Well-prepared ground: the British left on the eve of the Russian Revolution -- Intitial responses to the Russian revolution: the British left in 1917 and the Leeds "Soviet" convention -- The Bolsheviks and the British left: the October revolution and the suppression of the constituent assembly -- The myth established: the positive view of Soviet Democracy -- Polarized Social-Democrats: denunciation and debate -- Equivocal reformists: the independent Labour Party, the guild Socialists and the reaction to Kautsky -- The dictatorship of the Proletariat -- The independent Labour Party and the third international -- "An infantile disorder": Communist unity and the brief life of the Communist party (British section of the third international) -- British Bolsheviks": the Socialist Labour Party -- Pankhurst's dreadnought and the (original) fourth internationals: "Left Communism" and Soviet Democracy -- The early British Communist party: Soviet Democracy deferred and redefined -- Endings and conclusions.