Alan Wood provides a concise introduction to the Russian Revolution and its origins dating back to the emancipation of the Russian peasant serfs in 1861. The third edition of this successful pamphlet brings the historiography up to date to include the multitude of research in the last ten years that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening up of the archives.

Preface to the second edition, Preface to the third edition, Notes and acknowledgements, Chronological table of events, Map: Russian Empire: late 19th and early 20th centuries 1 Introduction 2 Autocracy and opposition 3 Reform and reaction 4 Rebellion and constitution 5 War and the February Revolution 6 Dual power and the October Revolution 7 Interpretations and conclusions