Spies and Commissars: The Early Years of the Russian Revolution

The early years of Bolshevik rule were marked by dynamic interaction between Russia and the West. The West strove to understand the new communist regime while also seeking to undermine it. The Bolsheviks tried to spread their revolution across Europe at the same time as they sought trade agreements that might revive their collapsing economy. Revolutionary Russia was shaped not only by Lenin and Trotsky, but by an extraordinary miscellany of people: spies and commissars certainly, but also diplomats, reporters, dissidents?as well as intellectuals, opportunistic businessmen, and casual travelers.

In Spies and Commissars, distinguished Russia scholar Robert Service tells the story of these characters, who traded information, brokered deals, infiltrated the political elite, and shaped foreign policy for decades to come.