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What's your opinion on Lenin? Ghavrel Send a noteboard - 14/03/2017 02:06:59 AM

All but the most rabid and delusional fanatics recognize Stalin for the monster he was, but Lenin is generally sidelined in the discussion. Which is a shame, really, because I think he's much more interesting (and sympathetic, frankly, though I don't know much about Russian history at all).

And do you know any good books on the revolution and USSR in general?

"We feel safe when we read what we recognise, what does not challenge our way of thinking.... a steady acceptance of pre-arranged patterns leads to the inability to question what we are told."
~Camilla

Ghavrel is Ghavrel is Ghavrel

*MySmiley*

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The February Revolution and Kerensky’s Missed Opportunity The Shrike - 13/03/2017 09:37:00 PM 915 Views
Fascinating stuff damookster - 13/03/2017 10:52:58 PM 500 Views
Who knows? It could have been worse off. The Shrike - 13/03/2017 11:37:54 PM 594 Views
What's your opinion on Lenin? Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 02:06:59 AM 550 Views
Lenin. A monster. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:55:18 PM 571 Views
Thanks. I'll ask him too. *NM* Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 03:01:36 PM 269 Views
Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky were all bloodthirsty mass murderers. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:59:06 PM 627 Views
That's fascinating. But give me a book recommendation! Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 09:15:57 PM 506 Views
Start with a general history of Russia The Shrike - 14/03/2017 10:17:22 PM 637 Views
Excellent. Thank you. It's next on the list. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:11:14 AM 580 Views
Russian history is as depressing as they come. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:08:15 PM 572 Views
Read Figes first, I suppose. Tom - 14/03/2017 10:55:23 PM 539 Views
Thanks, Tom. I've been putting off reading good literature because of my unfamiliarity with Russia. *NM* Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:12:10 AM 256 Views
Which books have you put off reading? *NM* The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:05:32 PM 246 Views
DEMONS and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV are the big two. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:58:13 PM 531 Views
You don't necessarily need to know the history. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 03:15:38 PM 562 Views
I'm always afraid I'm missing something critical, though! Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:50:59 PM 519 Views
Annotations are amazing. My eBook version of War and Peace was the same. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 04:03:59 PM 537 Views
My High School English teacher neglected Russian literature. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:46:29 AM 508 Views
Hmmmm. The Shrike - 16/03/2017 01:18:14 PM 536 Views
Tolstoy was a reprehensible human being Tom - 15/03/2017 04:02:52 PM 509 Views
I had no idea. I was under the impression he was deeply devout. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:47:43 AM 540 Views
Here's one example: Tom - 16/03/2017 02:06:45 AM 535 Views
Good lord. The man sounds deranged. But that's fascinating! Is there a good biography on him? *NM* Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 07:50:10 AM 254 Views
Pavel Basinsky's bio is best Tom - 16/03/2017 02:46:47 PM 722 Views
Getting it now. Thanks. *NM* Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 11:06:25 PM 245 Views
For what it's worth, I read Lenin & Trotsky as genuine idealists, while Stalin as just a thug Cannoli - 15/03/2017 11:16:36 AM 602 Views
Didn't the 40k authors mainly crib from the Nazis, commissariat excepted? *NM* Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:00:17 PM 249 Views
I think that's entirely incorrect. Tom - 15/03/2017 04:00:54 PM 609 Views
Fascinating post. I so need to read up on Soviet history. And Russian history. *NM* Legolas - 15/03/2017 11:10:29 PM 264 Views
I didn't mean stupid or brutish, I meant more like a mafia don than a statesman Cannoli - 16/03/2017 12:18:34 PM 492 Views
Well if you want to completely redefine the phrase "just a thug", perhaps you're right Tom - 16/03/2017 02:43:38 PM 515 Views
Good point Cannoli - 16/03/2017 09:52:29 PM 654 Views
I hear what you're saying, but... Tom - 16/03/2017 11:53:19 PM 535 Views
Yeah, it doesn't really matter if the motive is purely power seeking, or revenge. *NM* Cannoli - 17/03/2017 12:57:19 AM 314 Views
Attempt at clarification Cannoli - 17/03/2017 12:55:03 AM 625 Views
Hehehe..."Fuck off" Tom - 19/03/2017 05:23:49 PM 574 Views
Seems kind of nonsensical Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:33:49 AM 623 Views
Good reply. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:57:47 PM 607 Views
They weren't really wrong Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:30:07 PM 625 Views
I do enjoy historical "what if" situations. LiterateDog - 14/03/2017 01:47:27 AM 518 Views
Hi there. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 01:02:44 PM 493 Views
I still think democracy among those insidiously intrusive Western values Russia resists so fiercely Joel - 14/03/2017 02:37:39 PM 624 Views
Is it your persistant anti-Russia bias that makes you so dogmatic? damookster - 14/03/2017 02:51:23 PM 527 Views
I have no problem with Russia, only its government Joel - 14/03/2017 03:07:14 PM 647 Views
Really? damookster - 14/03/2017 03:15:10 PM 549 Views
Look, we both know I consider your knowledge of Russia to be non-existent and that your own bias The Shrike - 14/03/2017 03:27:05 PM 577 Views
You are just stunningly stupid. Not merely ignorant, but stupid. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:35:00 PM 640 Views
Very interesting article. One thing that's struck me more and more about WW1 is... Legolas - 14/03/2017 06:34:14 PM 653 Views
Kerensky risked a revolution if he pulled Russia out of the war Tom - 14/03/2017 08:21:05 PM 530 Views
Re: Very interesting article. One thing that's struck me more and more about WW1 is... The Shrike - 15/03/2017 11:58:01 AM 493 Views
What a terrible article Tom - 14/03/2017 08:04:50 PM 518 Views
Your criticisms of the scholarship found in posted articles never fail to make me laugh. damookster - 14/03/2017 09:02:54 PM 553 Views
I don't think anyone's ever gotten an open peer review from me *NM* Tom - 14/03/2017 11:54:45 PM 241 Views
Too bad. I would seek it out just for the amusement factor. *NM* damookster - 15/03/2017 02:18:33 AM 254 Views
I thought you would think this way. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:04:57 PM 593 Views
I can't decide what I think about Evans Tom - 15/03/2017 04:10:05 PM 503 Views
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