The Soviet Colossus / Edition 7

by Michael G. Kort

Overview

Will twenty-first century Russia be peaceful, prosperous, and free? Part of the answer to that question lies in the past. In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of his readable, accessible, and judicious short history of modern Russia, Kort provides an overview of the historical background that shaped Russia as it entered the twentieth century. He then focuses on the pivotal events that led in turn to the establishment of the Bolshevik dictatorship, Stalinist totalitarianism, the reforms and counter-reforms of Krushchev and Brezhnev, and the dramatic changes that swept the country during the Gorbachev years, culminating in the collapse of the Soviet system. The final section of the book considers the first decade of post-Soviet Russia—the loss of empire; the attempt to create a Russian-style capitalist democracy; and the legacy of Boris Yeltsin's presidency.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765623874
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/15/2010
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.30(d)

Table of Contents

PART ONE: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF RUSSIAN HISTORY
Prologue
The Autocratic State
The Nineteenth-Century Crisis
The People
The Intelligentsia: Strangers in a Strange Land
PART TWO: THEEND OF THE OLD ORDER
Capitalism Comes to Russia
The Revolutionaries Regroup
The Final Years and Last Stand
PART THREE: LENIN'S RUSSIA
1917: Russia's Two Revolutions
Into the Fire: The Civil War
New Policies and New Problems
PART FOUR: STEELING THE REVOLUTION
Bolshevism without Lenin
The Revolution From Above
Trial by Fire: The Great Patriotic War
September Songs
PART FIVE: THE SOCIALIST SUPERPOWER
Krushchev: Reforming the Revolution
The Brezhnev Era: The Graying of the Revolution
PART SIX: FAILED COMMUNISM AND FLAWED CAPITALISM
Gorbachev: Restructuring to Deconstruction
The Russiab Devolution

Editorial Reviews

This short history of modern Russia begins with an overview of the historical background that shaped Russia as it entered the 20th century. Kort (social science, Boston U.) then focuses on the pivotal events that led in turn to the establishment of the Bolshevik dictatorship, Stalinist totalitarianism, the reforms and counter- reforms of Krushchev and Brezhnev, and the dramatic changes during the Gorbachev years, culminating in the collapse of the Soviet system. The final section considers the first decade of post-Soviet Russia, including the loss of empire, the attempt to create a Russian-style capitalist democracy, and the legacy of Boris Yeltsin's presidency. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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