The Party of Essers and Its Predecessors. The History of the Socialist-Revolutionaries Movement. The Struggle Against Terror in Russia in the Early 20th Century

Major General of the Separate Corps of Gendarmes Alexander Ivanovich Spiridonovich was a convinced monarchist, dedicating much effort to the struggle against revolutionary radicals, and he presented his experience in two books united by the theme 'The Revolutionary Movement in Russia': 'The Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party' and 'The Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries and Its Predecessors'. In 1905, he was severely wounded by a terrorist. After recovering from his injury, Spiridonovich was appointed as the head of the palace guard. He was responsible for the personal safety of the sovereign and members of his family. But the interest in political investigation did not leave the general. The activities of the Socialist-Revolutionaries party, which made terror their main means of struggle, caused him particular concern. The information on the activities of revolutionary organizations, presented in Spiridonovich's works, was submitted by him to the security department and published for the official use of employees. However, this is not an instruction and not an analytical note. This is a reliable, emotionally charged narrative about the revolution, written by a person 'from the other side of the barricades'.