A Failed Empire: The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev

by Vladislav M. Zubok

Overview

In this widely praised book, Vladislav Zubok argues that Western interpretations of the Cold War have erred by exaggerating either the Kremlin's pragmatism or its aggressiveness. Explaining the interests, aspirations, illusions, fears, and misperceptions of the Kremlin leaders and Soviet elites, Zubok offers a Soviet perspective on the greatest standoff of the twentieth century. Using recently declassified Politburo records, ciphered telegrams, diaries, and taped conversations, among other sources, Zubok offers the first work in English to cover the entire Cold War from the Soviet side. A Failed Empire provides a history quite different from those written by the Western victors. In a new preface for this edition, the author adds to our understanding of today's events in Russia, including who the new players are and how their policies will affect the state of the world in the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807899052
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	02/01/2009
Series:	New Cold War History
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	504
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Vladislav M. Zubok is associate professor of history at Temple University. He is coauthor of Anti-Americanism in Russia: From Stalin to Putin and Inside the Kremlin's Cold War: From Stalin to Khrushchev.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Paperback Edition: Russia's Revenge ix

Preface xxiii

Abbreviations xxix

1 The Soviet People and Stalin between War and Peace, 1945 1

2 Stalin's Road to the Cold War, 1945-1948 29

3 Stalemate in Germany, 1945-1953 62

4 Kremlin Politics and "Peaceful Coexistence," 1953-1957 94

5 The Nuclear Education of Khrushchev, 1953-1963 123

6 The Soviet Home Front: First Cracks, 1953-1968 163

7 Brezhnev and the Road to Detente, 1965-1972 192

8 Detente's Decline and Soviet Overreach, 1973-1979 227

9 The Old Guard's Exit, 1980-1987 265

10 Gorbachev and the End of Soviet Power, 1988-1991 303

Epilogue 336

Notes 345

Bibliography 417

Index 455

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

This book is the best history we have of the Soviet side of the Cold War. Far more than a survey, Zubok's analysis is based on cutting-edge historical scholarship. He makes use of the most recently available sources and brings to their interpretation an unusually sharp mind."—William Taubman, Amherst College

An excellent overview of Soviet foreign policy and a forceful explanation of why Communism collapsed, centering on Gorbachev's mistakes and misjudgments."—O. A. Westad, author of The Global Cold War

Editorial Reviews

[A Failed Empire] draw[s] on abundant new primary sources to refine our understanding of the Cold War, turning it from a melodrama into a nuanced tragedy. . . . Rich in new information and fresh interpretation. Zubok reveals the full extent of Stalin's brutal post-World War II suppression of the Soviet People.—Washington Post Book World



Make[s] use of significant new primary sources but also offer[s]a more inclusive approach with respect to the considerations shaping policy on both sides.—American Historical Review



Ranks as the new standard work on the Soviet Union's Cold War—for scholars and students alike. . . . An excellent combination of old and new, offering both a synthetic interpretation of Soviet foreign policy in the latter half of the twentieth century and fresh new material to reconceptualize the factors behind that policy. . . . An important book [and] a standout.—Journal of American History



An excellent survey of Soviet foreign policy during the Cold War, one which draws on a wide range of memoirs, secondary literature, and the still-patchy archival record.—Russian Review



Fluently and authoritatively told.—International History Review



Zubok has been prominent amongst those reassessing Soviet foreign policy through the newly available primary sources. . . . [A Failed Empire] extends the story to the end of the Cold War and provides an excellent overview of the whole period.—International Journal



This challenging account is perhaps the most complete and compelling yet written of the Soviet side of the Cold War.—Virginia Quarterly Review



A fascinating and truly insightful study of the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. . . . A valuable resource in understanding not only the history of the Soviet Union but the 20th century as a whole.—WHRW News



The first work in English to cover the entire Cold War from the Soviet side . . . provides a history different from those written by the Western victors.—Ventunesimo Secolo



"A significant contribution to a field that has long been dominated by West-centric analyses. . . . Highly recommended.—CHOICE

From the Publisher