Description
Book SynopsisAn acclaimed historian explores the dynamic history of the twentieth century Soviet Union
In ten concise and compelling chapters, The Soviet Union covers the entire Soviet Union experience from the years 1904 to 1991 by putting the focus on three major themes: warfare, welfare, and empire. Throughout the book, Mark Edelea noted expert on the topicclearly demonstrates that the Soviet Union was more than simply Russia. Instead, it was a multi-ethnic empire.
The author explains that there were many incarnations of Soviet society throughout its turbulent history, each one a representative of Soviet socialism. The text covers a wide range of topics: The end Romanov empire; The outbreak of World War I; The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917; The breakdown of the old empire and its re-constitution in the Civil War; The New Economic Policy; The rise of Stalin; The Soviet's role in World War II; Post war normalization; and Gorbachev's attempt to end the Cold War. The au
Table of Contents
Preface ix
Part I The First Age of Violence 1
1 Twilight of Empire (1904–1914) 3
2 Imperial Apocalypse (1914–1918) 23
3 Regathering the Empire (1918–1923) 49
Part II The Interwar Years 73
4 Consolidating the Empire (1921–1928) 75
Part III The Second Age of Violence 97
5 Building the Warfare State (1928–1938) 99
6 A Long Second World War (1937–1949) 123
Part IV From Warfare to Welfare 145
7 Normalization (1944–1957) 147
8 Mature Socialism (1956–1985) 167
Part V Imperial Discontent 189
9 Reform, Crisis, Breakdown (1985–1991) 191
10 After Empire: Epilogue 217
Index 221
