Storming the Gates

The Russian Revolution `shook the world¿ in 1917. It was the first time a socialist revolution had taken hold, putting the workers in power, seizing private property and society¿s productive capacity. This was the basis for a rational, cooperative society. That revolution became the nemesis of the United States and other imperialist countries, which would not rest until its gains were undone. The Bolshevik Revolution inspired anti-colonial revolutions and national liberation movements...
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The Russian Revolution `shook the world¿ in 1917. It was the first time a socialist revolution had taken hold, putting the workers in power, seizing private property and society¿s productive capacity. This was the basis for a rational, cooperative society. That revolution became the nemesis of the United States and other imperialist countries, which would not rest until its gains were undone. The Bolshevik Revolution inspired anti-colonial revolutions and national liberation movements around the world, lending solidarity and material assistance to them. As it emerged to be the second-largest economy in the world, the first to put a satellite and human into space, it became a valid counterweight to claims of capitalism¿s superiority.Storming the Gates looks inside the revolution, from the early years to the last ¿ not as a neutral observer, but a partisan for revolutionary change. Recounting the vast accomplishments, global impact, loyal followers, challenges and shortcomings, this book remembers `the Soviet Union not as the end of communism but as its first grand, real-life experiment.¿Looking to the future, Storming the Gates examines what role a Bolshevik-type party can have in the 21st Century, and how it can once again shape history.