The Russian Revolution and Global Development: Lessons from the First Hundred Years

The Russian Revolution was the greatest anti-capitalist uprising in history and, from its origins, sparked controversy, chaos, imagination and hope. It began with the dismantling of the Tsarist autocracy in February 1917 and its replacement with a provisional government; by October, the provisional government was also overthrown.

The Soviets (workers', soldiers' and peasants' councils) began to run society and peasants took over and redistributed land; women's rights​ ​were recognised and there was an explosion of cultural and artistic creativity. The civil war that followed nearly overthrew the revolution, and the devastation it caused helped create the conditions for its ultimate defeat under Stalin. Nevertheless, the world was never the same again. This panel explores the roots and significance of the October revolution in world history, the role of Lenin and other revolutionaries, and the contribution of Marx to the theory and practice of revolution.

Keynot speakers: Tariq Ali (writer and filmmaker) Professor August H. Nimtz (University of Minnesota, US) Professor Tamás Krausz (Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences in Budapest, Hungary)