Robert Vincent Daniels studied at Harvard, received his AB degree in 1945, and PhD. degree in 1951. He has done research at the Russian Research Center at Harvard, taught Russian history at Indiana University, Bennington College, and the University of Vermont, and traveled in Russia.
Daniels published articles in the leading scholarly journals dealing with the history of Russian and communism. He was well known as the author of "The Conscience of the Revolution" and "The Nature of Communism."