The history of Russia after 1917 is traditionally written as the rise of the Communist Party from Lenin to Stalin to Gorbachev. Is that still the correct approach?Based on a trove of new historical sources from inside the Russian secret services, this exceptional book retells the story in the light of modern Russia and starts with the pivotal role of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the leader of the Communist Secret Service, the Cheka. He is relatively unknown, but was even more important in the overthrow of the Tsarist regime and submission of its people than Lenin. The leaders of the various guises of the Cheka fought tooth and nail to wrest state control from the Communist party. With the presidency of Vladimir Putin in 1999, Dzerzhinskys ultimate goal finally came to fruition. It explains why modern Russia is a state without ideology, the worlds only mafia-state programmed to forever extort, pillage and loot.There is one single reason why Communism succeeded in Russia: rather than Lenin’s oratory, it was the formation of the Cheka (The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission) under Felix Dzerzhinsky – a ruthless killer and Vladimir Putin’s predecessor as head of the Russian secret service and hero. This is the first history of the struggle of the Russian secret service with the party to gain control over the state and what drives it. This book makes clear that behind Putin stands a hundred year organisation with overriding values of its own, ready to replace him should that be necessary – like Russian dolls.
