The Making And Breaking Of The Soviet System

Author : Christopher Read
Publisher : Palgrave
Page : 259 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2001-06-18
Category : History
ISBN : 0333731530

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The Making and Breaking of the Soviet System by Christopher Read Pdf

The consequences of the Russian Revolution of 1917 have been among the most dominant shaping forces of the twentieth century, eventually dividing almost the entire globe into a battleground between capitalism and communism. The reputations of the main leaders of Russia/the Soviet Union - Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev and Yeltsin - have soared and plummeted. Great achievements such as victory over Nazi Germany; putting the first satellite and human in space; building a massive industrial base and advancing the living and educational standards of the population have been undermined by political repression and incalculable human cost. In a cool, non-polemical manner, the author shows how the contradictory parts of the Soviet experience are linked. Using post-Soviet materials and perspectives he examines the reasons for the successes and failures of the Soviet system. In particular, the book argues that the underlying reasons for the system's collapse can be found in the contradictions of the revolution which gave birth to it. The consequences are traced through the Stalin Revolution, the Great Terror, the Second World War, the Cold War, the Khrushchev and Brezhnev years down to Gorbachev's doomed attempt to transform the Soviet system. Particular attention is given to the divergence between the aspirations of the leadership and the social evolution of the ordinary Russian people. The study concludes with a survey of the post-Soviet scene from Yeltsin to Putin. The result is a volume indispensible to anyone who needs a readily comprehensible guide to the Russia that lies beyond the stereotypes.

Author : Moshe Lewin
Publisher : Pantheon
Page : 364 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 1985
Category : History
ISBN : STANFORD:36105037845646

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The Making of the Soviet System by Moshe Lewin Pdf

The classic study of Russian society and government. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Author : Alexander Dallin,Gail W Lapidus
Publisher : Westview Press
Page : 756 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : STANFORD:36105016224995

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The Soviet System by Alexander Dallin,Gail W Lapidus Pdf

Published originally as "The Soviet System in Crisis - a Reader of Western and Soviet Views", this revised edition offers a discussion of the transformation of communism under Gorbachev and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. A wide variety of views is represented.

Author : Violeta Davoliūtė
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 437 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2014-01-03
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781134693580

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The Making and Breaking of Soviet Lithuania by Violeta Davoliūtė Pdf

Appearing on the world stage in 1918, Lithuania suffered numerous invasions, border changes and large scale population displacements.The successive occupations of Stalin in 1940 and Hitler in 1941, mass deportations to the Gulag and the elimination of the Jewish community in the Holocaust gave the horrors of World War II a special ferocity. Moreover, the fighting continued after 1945 with the anti-Soviet insurrection, crushed through mass deportations and forced collectivization in 1948-1951. At no point, however, did the process of national consolidation take a pause, making Lithuania an improbably representative case study of successful nation-building in this troubled region. As postwar reconstruction gained pace, ethnic Lithuanians from the countryside – the only community to remain after the war in significant numbers – were mobilized to work in the cities. They streamed into factory and university alike, creating a modern urban society, with new elites who had a surprising degree of freedom to promote national culture. This book describes how the national cultural elites constructed a Soviet Lithuanian identity against a backdrop of forced modernization in the fifties and sixties, and how they subsequently took it apart by evoking the memory of traumatic displacement in the seventies and eighties, later emerging as prominent leaders of the popular movement against Soviet rule.

Author : Fritz Bartel
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 441 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2022-08-09
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780674976788

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The Triumph of Broken Promises by Fritz Bartel Pdf

Communist and capitalist states alike were scarred by the economic shocks of the 1970s. Why did only communist governments fall in their wake? Fritz Bartel argues that Western democracies were insulated by neoliberalism. While austerity was fatal to the legitimacy of communism, democratic politicians could win votes by pushing market discipline.

Author : Amir Weiner
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 433 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2012-01-16
Category : History
ISBN : 9781400840854

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Making Sense of War by Amir Weiner Pdf

In Making Sense of War, Amir Weiner reconceptualizes the entire historical experience of the Soviet Union from a new perspective, that of World War II. Breaking with the conventional interpretation that views World War II as a post-revolutionary addendum, Weiner situates this event at the crux of the development of the Soviet--not just the Stalinist--system. Through a richly detailed look at Soviet society as a whole, and at one Ukrainian region in particular, the author shows how World War II came to define the ways in which members of the political elite as well as ordinary citizens viewed the world and acted upon their beliefs and ideologies. The book explores the creation of the myth of the war against the historiography of modern schemes for social engineering, the Holocaust, ethnic deportations, collaboration, and postwar settlements. For communist true believers, World War II was the purgatory of the revolution, the final cleansing of Soviet society of the remaining elusive "human weeds" who intruded upon socialist harmony, and it brought the polity to the brink of communism. Those ridden with doubts turned to the war as a redemption for past wrongs of the regime, while others hoped it would be the death blow to an evil enterprise. For all, it was the Armageddon of the Bolshevik Revolution. The result of Weiner's inquiry is a bold, compelling new picture of a Soviet Union both reinforced and enfeebled by the experience of total war.

Author : Kristy Ironside
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2021-06-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9780674251649

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A Full-Value Ruble by Kristy Ironside Pdf

A new history shows that, despite MarxismÕs rejection of money, the ruble was critical to the Soviet UnionÕs promise of shared prosperity for its citizens. In spite of Karl MarxÕs proclamation that money would become obsolete under Communism, the ruble remained a key feature of Soviet life. In fact, although Western economists typically concluded that money ultimately played a limited role in the Soviet Union, Kristy Ironside argues that money was both more important and more powerful than most histories have recognized. After the Second World War, money was resurrected as an essential tool of Soviet governance. Certainly, its importance was not lost on Soviet leaders, despite official Communist Party dogma. Money, Ironside demonstrates, mediated the relationship between the Soviet state and its citizens and was at the center of both the governmentÕs and the peopleÕs visions for the maturing Communist project. A strong rubleÑone that held real value in workersÕ hands and served as an effective labor incentiveÑwas seen as essential to the economic growth that would rebuild society and realize CommunismÕs promised future of abundance. Ironside shows how Soviet citizens turned to the state to remedy the damage that the ravages of the Second World War had inflicted upon their household economies. From the late 1940s through the early 1960s, progress toward Communism was increasingly measured by the health of its citizensÕ personal finances, such as greater purchasing power, higher wages, better pensions, and growing savings. However, the increasing importance of money in Soviet life did not necessarily correlate to improved living standards for Soviet citizens. The Soviet governmentÕs achievements in Òraising the peopleÕs material welfareÓ continued to lag behind the WestÕs advances during a period of unprecedented affluence. These factors combined to undermine popular support for Soviet power and confidence in the Communist project.

Author : Vladislav M. Zubok
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 468 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2021-11-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9780300262445

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Collapse by Vladislav M. Zubok Pdf

A major study of the collapse of the Soviet Union—showing how Gorbachev’s misguided reforms led to its demise “A deeply informed account of how the Soviet Union fell apart.”—Rodric Braithwaite, Financial Times “[A] masterly analysis.”—Joshua Rubenstein, Wall Street Journal In 1945 the Soviet Union controlled half of Europe and was a founding member of the United Nations. By 1991, it had an army four million strong with five thousand nuclear-tipped missiles and was the second biggest producer of oil in the world. But soon afterward the union sank into an economic crisis and was torn apart by nationalist separatism. Its collapse was one of the seismic shifts of the twentieth century. Thirty years on, Vladislav Zubok offers a major reinterpretation of the final years of the USSR, refuting the notion that the breakup of the Soviet order was inevitable. Instead, Zubok reveals how Gorbachev’s misguided reforms, intended to modernize and democratize the Soviet Union, deprived the government of resources and empowered separatism. Collapse sheds new light on Russian democratic populism, the Baltic struggle for independence, the crisis of Soviet finances—and the fragility of authoritarian state power.

Author : Robert Service
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 696 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : UOM:39015040156013

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A History of Twentieth-century Russia by Robert Service Pdf

Russia has had an extraordinary history in the twentieth century. As the first Communist society, the USSR was both an admired model and an object of fear and hatred to the rest of the world. How are we to make sense of this history? A History of Twentieth-Century Russia treats the years from 1917 to 1991 as a single period and analyzes the peculiar mixture of political, economic, and social ingredients that made up the Soviet formula. Under a succession of leaders from Lenin to Gorbachev, various methods were used to conserve and strengthen this compound. At times the emphasis was upon shaking up the ingredients, at others upon stabilization. All this occurred against a background of dictatorship, civil war, forcible industrialization, terror, world war, and the postwar arms race. Communist ideas and practices never fully pervaded the society of the USSR. Yet an impact was made and, as this book expertly documents, Russia since 1991 has encountered difficulties in completely eradicating the legacy of Communism. A History of Twentieth-Century Russia is the first work to use the mass of material that has become available in the documentary collections, memoirs, and archives over the past decade. It is an extraordinarily lucid, masterful account of the most complex and turbulent period in Russia's long history.

Author : Dimitri K. Simes
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Russia (Federation)
ISBN : 9780684827162

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After the Collapse by Dimitri K. Simes Pdf

With an insider's view, an expert on Russia and former foreign policy advisor to President Nixon argues that Russia is returning to the world stage as a great power and intends to resume a major role in international affairs.

Author : Diane P. Koenker,Library of Congress
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 836 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2011-03-01
Category : History
ISBN : 1780393806

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Revelations from the Russian Archives by Diane P. Koenker,Library of Congress Pdf

Author : George H. W. Bush,Brent Scowcroft
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 626 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2011-12-07
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780307806598

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A World Transformed by George H. W. Bush,Brent Scowcroft Pdf

It was one of the pivotal times of the twentieth century--during George Bush's presidency, an extraordinary series of international events took place that materially changed the face of the world. Now, former President Bush and his national security advisor, Brent Scowcroft, tell the story of those tumultuous years. Here are behind-the-scenes accounts of critical meetings in the White House and of summit conferences in Europe and the United States, interspersed with excerpts from Mr. Bush's diary. We are given fresh and intriguing views of world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl, and François Mitterrand--and witness the importance of personal relationships in diplomacy. There is the dramatic description of how President Bush put together the alliance against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War. There are the intensive diplomatic exchanges with Beijing following the events of Tiananmen Square, and the intricate negotiations leading up to German reunification. And there is the sometimes poignant, sometimes grim portrayal of Gorbachev's final years in power. A World Transformed is not simply a record of accomplishment; Bush and Scowcroft candidly recount how the major players sometimes disagreed over issues, and analyze what mistakes were made. This is a landmark book on the conduct of American foreign policy--and how that policy is crucial to the peace of the world. It is a fascinating inside look at great events that deepens our understanding of today's global issues.

Author : N. Bisley
Publisher : Springer
Page : 209 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2004-04-30
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780230000544

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The End of the Cold War and the Causes of Soviet Collapse by N. Bisley Pdf

Soviet efforts to end the Cold War were intended to help revitalize the USSR. Instead, Nick Bisley argues, they contributed crucially to its collapse. Using historical-sociological theory, The End of the Cold War and the Causes of Soviet Collapse shows that international confrontation had been an important element of Soviet rule and that the retreat from this confrontational posture weakened institutional-functional aspects of the state. This played a vital role in making the USSR vulnerable to the forces of economic crisis, elite fragmentation and nationalism which ultimately caused its collapse.

Author : Judy Shelton
Publisher : Touchstone
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 1990
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0029285828

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The Coming Soviet Crash by Judy Shelton Pdf

Here is the book which broke the major international news story of the year: the USSR's deficit. Rampant inflation and a huge budget deficit have ravaged the Soviet economy and are forcing Mikhail Gorbachev into a frenzied search for Western credit.

Author : Svetlana Savranskaya,Thomas S. Blanton
Publisher : Central European University Press
Page : 1080 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2016-11-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9789633861714

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The Last Superpower Summits by Svetlana Savranskaya,Thomas S. Blanton Pdf

This book publishes for the first time in print every word the American and Soviet leaders – Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, and George H.W. Bush – said to each other in their superpower summits from 1985 to 1991. Obtained by the authors through the Freedom of Information Act in the U.S., from the Gorbachev Foundation and the State Archive of the Russian Federation in Moscow, and from the personal donation of Anatoly Chernyaev, these previously Top Secret verbatim transcripts combine with key declassified preparatory and after-action documents from both sides to create a unique interactive documentary record of these historic highest-level talks – the conversations that ended the Cold War. The summits fueled a process of learning on both sides, as the authors argue in contextual essays on each summit and detailed headnotes on each document. Geneva 1985 and Reykjavik 1986 reduced Moscow's sense of threat and unleashed Reagan's inner abolitionist. Malta 1989 and Washington 1990 helped dampen any superpower sparks that might have flown in a time of revolutionary change in Eastern Europe, set off by Gorbachev and by Eastern Europeans (Solidarity, dissidents, reform Communists). The high level and scope of the dialogue between these world leaders was unprecedented, and is likely never to be repeated.