When the Working Class Took Power: The 1917 Russian Revolution

The monumental task we’re fighting for has been achieved before. The seizure of power by the working class of Russia in 1917 was the single greatest event in human history—one that will only be surpassed by the overthrow of capitalism in the 21st century. When the revolution broke out in this country of 160 million, the Bolshevik party had just 8,000 members in its ranks. Eight months later, the banner of Bolshevism had the backing of tens of millions, and built the world’s first soviet republic. These events deserve serious study by every communist dedicated to replicating that victory in our lifetime.

This discussion will be introduced by Jake Thorp, a leading member of the RCA in Los Angeles.

Reading list:

The Legacy of October – Introductory Articles

• The Russian Revolution: The Meaning of October – Alan Woods
• Lenin and the October Insurrection – Ben Curry
• Lessons of October – Leon Trotsky
• In Defense of October – Leon Trotsky

In the Heat of Events – Lenin in 1917

• The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Revolution (The April Theses) – V.I. Lenin
• The Dual Power – V.I. Lenin
• The Crisis Has Matured – V.I. Lenin

Books

• History of the Russian Revolution – Leon Trotsky
• Ten Days that Shook the World – John Reed
• In Defence of Lenin, Chapters 19 through 24 – Rob Sewell & Alan Woods