Geoffrey Swain Books

Focusing on Trotsky's years in power, this biography provides a nuanced portrayal of his life, revealing a complex figure marked by both human qualities and ruthless ambition. It explores his vital role in the October Revolution, the Civil War, and the establishment of the Soviet state, utilizing previously unexplored archival materials. The analysis includes Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution, his military organization of the Red Army, and his fraught relationships with Lenin and Stalin, ultimately highlighting his misinterpretations of post-revolutionary dynamics.

Substantially expanded and rewritten, this new edition takes into account the momentous changes since the first edition was published in 1992. With several Central European states joining the European Union, the authors set the historical context in which, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe is itself increasingly dividing into two blocks: those where democracy and pluralism appear firmly established, and those where they do not.

Psát o historii vlastně znamená procházet minulost ve snaze dobrat se hlubšího smyslu. Při sestavování Stručných dějin převratných změn, které se odehrály v Rusku v období mezi únorem 1917 a červnem 1918, bylo nevyhnutelně nutné mnoho věcí vynechat. Přesto však i Stručné dějiny zákonitě musí poskytnout několik vodítek, která napomohou při bloudění spletitým labyrintem Ruské revoluce. Nabízená interpretace je jednoduchá a zahrnuje dvě hlediska. …..