Description
Book SynopsisThis clear and focused text provides an introduction to imperial Russian and Soviet history from the crowning of Mikhail Romanov in 1613 to Vladimir Putin’s new term. Through a consistent chronological narrative, Kees Boterbloem considers the political, military, economic, social, religious, and cultural developments and crucial turning points that led Russia from an exotic backwater to superpower stature in the twentieth century. The author assesses the tremendous price paid by those who made Russia and the Soviet Union into such a hegemonic power, both locally and globally. He considers the complex and varied interactions between Russians and non-Russians and investigates the reasons for the remarkable longevity of this last of the colonial powers, whose dependencies were not granted independence until 1991. He explores the ongoing legacies of this fraught decolonization process on the Russian Federation itself and on the other states that succeeded the Soviet Union. The only text designed and written specifically for a one-semester course on this four-hundred-year period, it will appeal to all readers interested in learning more about the history of the people who have inhabited one-sixth of the earth’s landmass for centuries.
Trade ReviewIn the second edition of this text, Kees Boterbloem has expanded his coverage of modern Russian history while maintaining the narrative of this country’s fascinating history. The new volume brings the story up to the present while expanding on issues concerning Russia’s non-Russian populations. This work is ideal for a survey of Russian history and for a general audience. Outstanding! -- William Benton Whisenhunt, College of Dupage
Kees Boterbloem provides a clear summary of Russian history from the early seventeenth century, through the Soviet period, and into the post-Soviet era. Boterbloem draws connections across periods, showing how Russia’s past continues to affect its present. His book provides an excellent and succinct introduction to Russian history for those new to the subject. -- Paul Robinson, University of Ottawa
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Phoenix: The Rise of Russia in the Seventeenth Century, 1613–1689 Chapter 2: Great Power, 1689–1796 Chapter 3: The Height and Decline of Imperial Russia, 1789–1855 Chapter 4: Domestic Convulsions, 1855–1905 Chapter 5: Fatal Foreign Entanglements and a Failed Revolution, 1877–1914 Chapter 6: Forging Soviet Civilization, 1914–1924 Chapter 7: The Inevitable Triumph of Stalinism? 1924–1941 Chapter 8: The Great Patriotic War and the Cold War, 1941–1953 Chapter 9: Embattled Leader of the "Second World," 1953–1982 Chapter 10: The Fall of the Soviet Union and Beyond, 1982–2018 Chronology Index
