My Disillusionment in Russia · Chapter
XI: A Visit from the Ukraine explained
Two Ukrainian Anarchists, recently released from Bolshevik imprisonment, travel illegally to Petrograd to inform Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman about the Makhnovist movement and the Bolshevik suppression of anarchist activities.
What happens
Two Ukrainian Anarchists, recently released from Bolshevik imprisonment, travel illegally to Petrograd to inform Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman about the Makhnovist movement and the Bolshevik suppression of anarchist activities. They recount the history of the Ukrainian peasant rebellion, the rise of Nestor Makhno, the initial cooperation and subsequent betrayal by the Bolsheviks, and the ongoing persecution of anarchists.
Themes in this chapter
Betrayal of Revolutionary Ideals
The Bolsheviks' failure to honor their agreement with Makhno, their suppression of free peasant soviets, and their persecution of anarchists illustrate the betrayal of revolutionary principles.
State Power vs. Individual Freedom
The conflict between Makhno's vision of autonomous peasant communes and the Bolshevik drive for centralized state control highlights the tension between individual freedom and state power.
Suffering of the People
The Ukrainian peasantry endured repeated invasions, pogroms, and oppression from thirteen different governments, reflecting the immense suffering of the people during the civil war.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Receives the Ukrainian Anarchists and listens to their account of the Makhnovist struggle.
- Nestor Makhno
Central figure of the Ukrainian peasant rebellion; described as a natural rebel, anarchist leader, and military genius who organized the povstantsi against various counterrevolutionary forces and the Bolsheviks.
- Trotsky
Accused of hampering Makhno's supplies and issuing the order that declared Makhno an outlaw, prioritizing Bolshevik control over cooperation.
- Alexander Berkman
Implied as one of the recipients of the Ukrainian Anarchists' report, alongside Emma Goldman.
- Emma Goldman
Implied as one of the recipients of the Ukrainian Anarchists' report, alongside Alexander Berkman.
Key passages
“During two weeks, in the stillness of the Petrograd nights, the two Ukrainian Anarchists unrolled before us the panorama of the struggle in the Ukraine.”
Over two weeks, the Ukrainian Anarchists narrated the full story of the Ukrainian conflict to the narrator.
Highlights the methodical and secretive nature of the information-sharing.
“The Bolsheviki were no better in this regard than Denikin or any other White element. Anarchists filled Bolshevik prisons; many had been shot and all legal Anarchist activities were suppressed.”
The Bolsheviks persecuted anarchists as harshly as the White armies did, imprisoning and executing them while banning their organizations.
Emphasizes the equivalence of Bolshevik and White terror against anarchists.
“Trotsky announced that it were better to permit the Whites to remain in the Ukraine than to suffer Makhno.”
Trotsky declared that allowing White forces to stay was preferable to tolerating Makhno's independent army.
Illustrates the Bolshevik prioritization of political control over military necessity.