Nestor Makhno and Rural Anarchism in Ukraine, 1917-1921

Darch, Colin

ISBN 10: 0745338879 / ISBN 13: 9780745338873

Published by Pluto Press, 2020

Seller Inventory # E-9780745338873-2-2

Synopsis:

Histories of the Russian Revolution often present the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917 as the central event, neglecting the diverse struggles of urban and rural revolutionaries across the heartlands of the Russian Empire. This book takes as its subject one such struggle, the anarcho-communist peasant revolt led by Nestor Makhno in left-bank Ukraine, locating it in the context of the final collapse of the Empire that began in 1914. Between 1917 and 1921, the Makhnovists fought German and Austrian invaders, reactionary monarchist forces, Ukrainian nationalists and sometimes the Bolsheviks themselves. Drawing upon anarchist ideology, the Makhnovists gathered widespread support amongst the Ukrainian peasantry, taking up arms when under attack and playing a significant role - in temporary alliance with the Red Army - in the defeats of the White Generals Denikin and Wrangel. Often dismissed as a kulak revolt, or a manifestation of Ukrainian nationalism, Colin Darch analyses the successes and failures of the Makhnovist movement, emphasising its revolutionary character. Over 100 years after the revolutions, this book reveals a lesser known side of 1917, contributing both to histories of the period and broadening the narrative of 1917, whilst enriching the lineage of anarchist history.

About the Author: Colin Darch is a fellow of the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa, and an honorary researcher at the University of Cape Town. He is the author of the Historical Dictionary of Mozambique (London: Rowman and Littefield, 2018) and co-author of both Freedom of Information in the Developing World (Oxford: Chandos, 2010), and Samora Machel: Retorica Politica e Independencia em Mocambique (Salvador, Brazil: EDUFBA, 2018).

Bibliographic Details

Title: Nestor Makhno and Rural Anarchism in Ukraine...
Publisher: Pluto Press
Publication Date: 2020
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Very good