From Revolutionary Pariah to Respected Pundit: Zinovi Peshkov and American Audiences, 1915-1917

Abstract

This article considers a pivotal moment in the life of Zinovy Peshkov: his 1916-1917 speaking tour of the United States. Adopted by famed author Maksim Gorki, Peshkov spent much of his youth among Russian revolutionaries. Yet, he turned his back on their path when he joined the French Foreign Legion during the First World War. Combat wounds led to the loss of an arm but also to a transformation once Peshkov was sent to the United States by a French government hoping to increase American support for the Allied War effort. The advent of the Russian Revolution made Peshkov an important pundit – one with access to American politicians, businessmen, and opinion-makers – and a heroic figure in the eyes of the public.