The Fall of Tsarism

The Fall of Tsarism contains a series of gripping, plain-spoken testimonies from some of the leading participants of the Russian Revolution of February 1917, including the future revolutionary premier Alexander Kerenskii. Recorded in the spring of 1917, months before the Bolsheviks seized power, these interviews represent the earliest first-hand testimonies on the overthrow of the Tsarist regime known to historians. Hidden away and presumed lost for the better part of a century, they are now revealed to the world for the first time. For anyone with even a passing interest in the last days of Tzarism. K. C. O'Connor, CHOICE This is an extremely important book, both because of the remarkable treasure trove of unique new primary sources that it brings to light and because of Lyandres preliminary assessment of their utility and meaning. It reopens important issues in the history of the February Revolution and is a book that anyone interested in the Russian Revolution will want, indeed need, to read. Revolutionary Russia Semion Lyandres shines fresh light on the causes of the February Revolution. He has found important new sources and shows how they can be used to re-interpret the behaviour of leading figures like Alexander Kerensky and Mikhail Rodzyanko. This is an outstanding contribution to early twentieth-century Russian history. Professor Robert Service, St Antonys College, Oxford fascinating and important... the intrinsic interest and importance of these accounts is sufficient to captivate the reader and enhance our understanding of the February Revolution. Catherine Andreyev, English Historical ReviewList of Illustrations ; List of Maps ; Note to the Reader ; Chronology of Main Events Mentioned in the Interviews ; Part I: The Story of the Interviews ; 1. The Quest for the Lost Oral Histories of the February Revolution ; 2. M.A. Polievktov and the First Oral Histories of the February Revolution ; Part II: The Interviews ; 3. Engel'gardt ; 4. Chikolini ; 5. Gerasimov ; 6. Rodzianko ; 7. Tugan-Baranovskii ; 8. Nekrasov ; 9. Chkheidze ; 10. Skobelev ; 11. Kerenskii ; 12. Tereshchenko ; Conclusion: The Interviews and the Political History of the February Revolution