Jonathan Davis

War and Revolution in Russia, 1914–22

The First World War wreaked havoc across Europe. It led to the fall of long-established empires, socio-political upheaval and accelerated the coming to power of socialist parties. Arguably the most...

AN OUTSIDER LOOKS IN: WALTER CITRINE'S FIRST VISIT TO THE SOVIET UNION, 1925

This article examines Walter Citrines first tour of the Soviet Union in 1925. Although Citrine visited the USSR at a time of great uncertainty, when the outcomes of the revolution were still unclear and the question of who would succeed Lenin remained to be answered, his visit has not received the attention that it deserves. Through analysis of Citrines unpublished diaries, the article shows how the British trade unionist was impressed with some aspects of the Soviet system, but troubled by others, such as the closeness of the Russian trade unions to the Communist Party.