An 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 Edele--a noted expert on the topic--clearly
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 author also explores the challenges encountered by the
successor states, their struggles with and against democracy,
capitalism, authoritarianism, and war. This vital resource:
- Provides a concise overview of the history of the Soviet Union
- Includes information on the latest research that takes the broad view
of the history of the Soviet Union and its place in world history
- Treats scholarly disagreements as part of the history of the influence
of the Soviet Union on the course of the twentieth century
- Offers suggestion for further readings and a link to online primary
sources
Written for students of twentieth century Russia, the Russian
Revolution, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War, and twentieth century
World History, The Soviet Union: A Short History is a volume in the
popular Wiley Short Histories series.
