Bakunin and Nechaev, Paul Avrich

Description

Bakunin’s interaction with Nechaev was a relatively brief part of his career (1869-1872). For Paul Avrich, ‘apart from being a fascinating psychological drama, it forms an important chapter in the history of the Russian revolutionary movement, posing fundamental questions of revolutionary tactics and revolutionary morality’.

Bakunin’s relationship with Nechaev was a contributing factor in his famous conflict with Marx. It led him to a reassertion of his libertarian principles against what he called the “Jesuitism” and “Machiavellianism” of Nechaev.