Ten Days That Shook the World

John Reed

Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed is a vivid and firsthand journalistic account of the Russian Revolution of October 1917. Reed, an American journalist and socialist sympathizer, documents the dramatic overthrow of the Provisional Government and the rise of Bolshevik power with immediacy and insight, capturing the passion, chaos, and political intrigue that defined this pivotal moment in world history. The book offers an intimate portrayal of revolutionary leaders, workers, soldiers, and peasants as they participate in a seismic political upheaval. Reed's narrative combines eyewitness testimony, speeches, proclamations, and detailed chronology to reveal the inner workings of the revolution—from the initial storming of the Winter Palace to the establishment of Soviet authority. This classic work remains an essential primary source for understanding the Bolshevik Revolution, its social dynamics, and its profound impact on 20th-century politics and ideology.

Table of contents

• Preface
• Notes and Explanations
• Chapter 1 Background
• Chapter 2 The Coming Storm
• Chapter 3 On the Eve
• Chapter 4 The Fall of the Provisional Government
• Chapter 5 Plunging Ahead
• Chapter 6 The Committee for Salvation
• Chapter 7 The Revolutionary Front
• Chapter 8 Counter-Revolution
• Chapter 9 Victory
• Chapter 10 Moscow
• Chapter 11 The Conquest of Power (See App. XI, Sect. 1)
• Chapter 12 The Peasants’ Congress