About the book: 2020 / The book by the German specialist in the history of Eastern Europe Eva Ingeborg Fleischhauer is devoted to the study of the influence of foreign states on Russian domestic politics with the aim of unleashing revolution in the Russian Empire for the sake of the ultimate weakening and ultimately destruction of the latter. In the course of ten years of truly “detective” work, the author discovered a wide panorama of unknown facts and connections, which, in the author’s opinion, indicates the penetration of the intelligence services of the Central Powers into the St. Petersburg centers of power in preparation for war. By citing a number of indirect evidence, the author compensates for the well-known lack of direct evidence (the three main interested parties - the German and Austrian general staffs and the Bolshevik party leadership - agreed, according to the author, to destroy the relevant documents and methodically cover up the traces of their cooperation). As a result, a picture emerges of a partnership between the Bolsheviks and the general staffs of the Central Powers, aimed at the destruction of traditional Russia. The results of the study can help put into the past the dispute about the “German trace” in the Russian revolution, generated by the lack of strong direct evidence. The book is intended for specialists, historians and sociologists, as well as a wide range of readers interested in the history of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. and, in particular, the reasons for the destabilization of the Russian Empire during this period. The author’s opinion may not coincide with the position of the publishing house.