The year 1908 was somewhat pivotal for Leo Tolstoy, the world’s greatest writer. In that year, Tolstoy wrote «I Cannot Be Silent» in which he condemned the government for using violence against revolutionaries and ordinary people during the Revolution of 1905-1907. As Tolstoy wrote: “You say the atrocities committed by the revolutionaries are terrible. I […]
Leo Tolstoy, the world’s greatest writer, is often glorified as the apostle of non-violent resistance to evil. Tolstoy has been hailed as a Christian anarchist who inspired the heroism of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As noted in the previous article, Tolstoy exonerated terrorists and revolutionaries in his letter “I Cannot Be Silent” […]
The generation of terrorists in the Russian Empire between 1901-1911 constitute a unique generation in the history of European and world terrorism. This generation created mass terrorism in today’s world. These terrorists also found a supporter in Leo Tolstoy, the world’s greatest writer. The government’s decision in August 1906 to use speedy courts martial against […]
Political terrorism in the Russian Empire lasted from 1866 to 1911. This period was equivalent to two generations. One can divide the history of Russian terrorists into the story of the Great Known Generation of the members of the People’s Will from 1879-1894 and the story of the Great Unknown Generation of terrorists from different […]
There are different ways of dividing the history of terrorism in Russia between 1866 and 1911. In my last article, I suggested that one way to look at the history of political terrorism in the Russian Empire is to divide it into two main periods. The period of the Great Known runs from 1879-1894. It […]
One way to look at the history of political terrorism in the Russian Empire is to divide it into two main periods. The period of the Great Known runs from 1879-1894. It is the history of the People’s Will (Народная Воля) whose members assassinated Tsar Alexander II on March 1, 1881. The period of the […]
The ambivalence of many conservatives and reactionaries in Russia about political terrorism possibly did more harm to the government than we can imagine. In the long run, conservative ambivalence contributed to the collapse of the autocracy in the February Revolution of 1917. It is undoubtable that most conservatives and reactionaries condemned left-wing terrorism, but many […]
Support from liberals and moderate socialists and ambivalent attitudes by conservatives enabled the massiveness and continuity of left-wing terrorism in Russia between 1901-1911. In many respects, these tendencies already began in the first wave of political terrorism in Russia from 1878-1894. Just how much do we know about liberal support for terrorism and conservative ambivalence […]
Terrorism in the Russian Empire between 1901-1911 was both a multiethnic and multireligious phenomenon. In no way can it be considered an ethnically Russian phenomenon. However, too many historians ignore the multiethnic and multireligious composition of terrorists in Russia, and this is one more reason why terrorism remains a Great Unknown. Part of the problem […]
In its own way, terrorism became a mass movement in the Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. However, few historians consider terrorism a mass movement but regard it as something committed by individuals or small groups. The Revolution of 1905-1907 was the first European revolution with a strong terrorist component. Politically motivated murders did happen in previous […]
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