Ten Days That Shook the World · Chapter
Russian Soldiers in France explained
The chapter details the rebellion of Russian soldiers stationed in France after the February Revolution, driven by Bolshevik propaganda and a desire to return to Russia.
What happens
The chapter details the rebellion of Russian soldiers stationed in France after the February Revolution, driven by Bolshevik propaganda and a desire to return to Russia. The Provisional Government's official report describes the escalation from refusal to drill to armed mutiny at the camp of Courtine, culminating in artillery bombardment and mass surrender. Secret documents reveal that the soldiers had been left without officers, mistreated, and that French artillery may have been used against them, with over two hundred mutineers executed after surrender.
Themes in this chapter
Class Conflict and Polarization
The rebellion of Russian soldiers against their officers and the Provisional Government exemplifies the deepening class divide and the soldiers' rejection of authority.
Counterrevolution and Civil War
The violent suppression of the mutiny, including artillery bombardment and mass executions, foreshadows the brutal conflicts of the coming civil war.
Characters to notice
- General Zankievitch
Commander-in-Chief of Russian Armies abroad who ordered the isolation of rebel soldiers and directed the artillery bombardment at Courtine.
- Commissar Rapp
Commissar of the Ministry of War who attempted to negotiate with the rebels and insisted on their surrender.
Key passages
“From the time the news of the Russian Revolution reached Paris, Russian newspapers of extreme tendencies immediately began to appear; and these newspapers, as well as individuals, freely circulated among the soldier masses and began a Bolshevik propaganda, often spreading false news which appeared in the French journals.”
After the February Revolution, radical Russian newspapers and agitators in Paris spread Bolshevik propaganda among the troops, frequently using fabricated stories from French papers.
Describes the onset of revolutionary agitation among Russian soldiers in France.
“The first trouble arose when the soldiers tried to form Committees, as their comrades in Russia were doing. They demanded to be sent back to Russia, which was refused; and then, being considered a dangerous influence in France, they were ordered to Salonika. They refused to go, and the battle followed.”
The conflict began when soldiers attempted to establish committees like those in Russia and demanded repatriation; after being denied and ordered to Salonika, they refused, leading to armed confrontation.
Reveals the underlying causes of the mutiny, contrasting with the official report.