To Break Russia's Chains: Boris Savinkov and His Wars Against the Tsar and the Bolsheviks

Boris Savinkov was a Russian revolutionary who tried to change Russian and world history, and this book examines his life and legacy. He was a paradoxically moral revolutionary terrorist, novelist, friend of artists, government minister, and fighter against Lenin and the Bolsheviks. He conspired to be captured by the Soviet secret police and claimed to accept the Bolshevik state, but this was his final play as a gambler. His life challenges popular myths about the Russian Revolution, and his goals remain a poignant reminder of how things could have been in Russia.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 576 pages
\n Publication date: 25 November 2021
\n Publisher: Pegasus Books
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Boris Savinkov, a enigmatic Russian revolutionary, remains a legendary and controversial figure in his homeland today. Despite being largely forgotten outside Russia, his life spans the end of the Russian Empire and the establishment of the Soviet Union. A complex and conflicted individual, Savinkov was a paradoxically moral revolutionary terrorist, a scandalous novelist, a friend of artists like Modigliani and Diego Rivera, a government minister, a tireless fighter against Lenin and the Bolsheviks, and an advisor to Winston Churchill. At the end of his life, Savinkov conspired to be captured by the Soviet secret police, making headlines worldwide when he claimed to accept the Bolshevik state. However, as this book argues, this was Savinkov's final play as a gambler, and he had staked his life on a secret plan to strike one last blow against the tyrannical regime.

Savinkov's life was an epic journey that challenged many popular myths about the Russian Revolution, which was arguably the most important catalyst of twentieth-century world history. His efforts were directed at transforming his homeland into a uniquely democratic, humane, and enlightened state. While his violent legacy should remain frozen in the past as part of the historical record, the support he received from many of his countrymen suggests that the paths Russia took during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries—the tyranny of communism, the authoritarianism—were influenced by his vision.

Savinkov's story is a reminder of the complexities and contradictions of the Russian Revolution and the individuals who played a significant role in shaping its course. His life and actions continue to inspire debate and discussion, and his legacy serves as a cautionary tale for those seeking to change the world for the better.

\n Weight: 770g\n
Dimension: 162 x 238 x 7 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781643137186\n \n