Sample-1 Psychology Research Papers

      Sheila Fitzpatrick, in her book on the Russian Revolution portrays the masses as having just such a natural political and social development. It is in her view of the Russian Revolution, as a social historian, that allows for respect to be given to the masses of people who were fighting for social and political freedoms. She views the Anarchists as having had the natural support of the workers and peasants. In her book The Russian Revolution, Fitzpatrick describes this movement by the workers themselves. She states that "...the factory committees took over [the factories in order] to save the workers from unemployment, when the owner or manager abandoned the plant or threatened to close it because it was losing money. As such events became more common, the definition of workers' control moved closer to something like workers' self-management." (Fitzpatrick, p. 54) Fitzpatrick notes that because of the growing fallout between the workers and the government, that real grievances were developed and that a program of self-management became every more necessary in the eyes of the working classes. Instead of foreign anarchistic elements conspiring to get worker support, it was the conditions in Petrograd that caused the workers to become more militant. Workers angered by "...the Bolsheviks [who had gained] influence in the factory committees...[that] there was an emerging sense in the working class that 'soviet power' meant that the workers should be sole masters in the district, the city, and perhaps the country as a whole...this was closer to anarchism or anarcho-syndicalism than to Bolshevism, and the Bolshevik leaders did not in fact share the view that direct workers'democracy through factory committees and the soviets was a plausible or desirable alternative to their own concept of party-led 'proletarian dictatorship."(Fitzpatrick, p. 56)

      Fitzpatrick makes known form the beginning of her work that the Russian Revolution to many is seen as being corrupt and is clearly a controversial subject between many historians. She points to most important three primary, recurrent motifs or themes - a modernization theme, a class theme, and a theme of revolutionary violence and terror. Fitzpatrick believes that the newly released information from the historical archives is so dynamic that each writer and each historian may interpret it differently. Given the circumstances of the new found evidence of the Revolution Fitzpatrick works to break down the political, social and economic forces found within society at the time of the Revolution in hopes to gain a greater understanding of the Russian Revolution. Shelia as a writer and historian also works to make known the profound connections between the Russian Revolution and what effect it has on the people and the governmental system within Russia.

      Once Fitzpatrick has provided the reader with the basic knowledge of the Revolution she then calls upon the reader to analyze not only the purpose of the Revolution, but the success of it as well. Fitzpatrick then works to find the answer if it was really a “Revolution” at all, in comparison to other national revolutions.

      In explaining the modernization theme Fitzpatrick works to uncover what the Russian Revolution meant not only to the political structure within Russia but what the Revolution meant for the people of Russia in regards to their economic and social success. Fitzpatrick makes known the role that Lenin and Stalin played during the Russian Revolution as members of the Bolsheviks. Fitzpatrick also works to uncover the tragedy and corruption found within the political system of Russia, while making known the cost of corruption and violence.

      The major themes found within the book are in the form of three primary forces that led up to the Russian Revolution, and were ultimately forever changed by the Revolution. Fitzpatrick believes that the Russian Revolution centers around three major forces, which are in the form of political, social and economical. Under these three forces there are three major themes found within the Revolution, which are in the form of modernization, class issues, and violence. Fitzpatrick then breaks down the themes into various subjects offering an in-depth look into the Russian Revolution. For within the book the author discusses various issues found within the Revolution such as the rise of the NEP, socialism, Stalin’s Revolution, collectivization, and lastly the Great Purges.

      Fitzpatrick concludes the book by discussing the success of the Revolution, and making known that the Revolution offered little to the people within Russia, and although they may have saw a little improvement in their lives during the Revolution it was short lived. For soon as Fitzpatrick mentioned Russia would slip back into its backwardness and digress back to its old ways.

References

Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution, Oxford University Press, 1994, p.54-56.

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