Synopses & Reviews
'An expert in probing mafia-type relationships in present-day Russia, Martin McCauley here offers a vigorously written scrutiny of Soviet politics and society since the days of Lenin and Stalin.'
John Keep, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto.
The birth of the Soviet Union surprised many; its demise amazed the whole world. How did imperial Russia give way to the Soviet Union in 1917, and why did the USSR collapse so quickly in 1991?
Marxism promised paradise on earth, but the Communist Party never had true power, instead allowing Lenin and Stalin to become dictators who ruled in its name. The failure of the planned economy to live up to expectations led to a boom in the unplanned economy, in particular the black market. In turn, this led to the growth of organised crime and corruption within the government.
The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union examines the strengths, weaknesses, and contradictions of the first Marxist state, and reassesses the role of power, authority and legitimacy in Soviet politics. Including first-person accounts, anecdotes, illustrations and diagrams to illustrate key concepts, McCauley provides a seminal history of this twentieth-century Superpower.
Martin McCauley is former Senior Lecturer in Politics at the School of Slavonicand East European Studies, University College, University of London. His previous publications include Stalin and Stalinism (2003), Bandits, Gangsters and the Mafia: Russia, the Baltic States and the CIS Since 1991 (2001) and Gorbachev (2000).
Synopsis
A second edition of this famous survey has been eagerly awaited. When the first edition appeared Brezhnev was still in power, Gorbachev did not make it to the index, and the USSR was a superpower. Today the Soviet experiment is over and the USSR no longer exists. How? Why? Martin McCauley has reworked and greatly expanded his book to answer these questions, and to provide a complete account of the Soviet years. Essential reading to an appreciation of recent history -- and to a better understanding of whatever happens next.
Synopsis
An authoritative account of the Soviet Unionfrom its conception to its demise.
Contains features such as a chronology, biographies, chapter openers and boxed studies that will highlight and explain key information
McCauley worked in the Soviet Union for many years and met key figures such as Gorbachev his personal accounts, anecdotes and photos give a unique perspective on the subject
About the Author
Martin McCauley is former Senior Lecturer in Politics at the School of Slavonicand East European Studies, University College, University of London. An accomplished author, his previous publications include Stalin and Stalinism (2003), Bandits, Gangsters and the Mafia: Russia, the Baltic States and the CIS Since 1991 (2001) and Gorbachev (2000).
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. August 1991. Dramatic scenes from Foros. Gorby comes back to Moscow and finds Yeltsin has taken over. This chapter covers August-December 1991 and
the demise of the Soviet Union. Why did it all happen? Chapter 2. Twelve Reasons Why the Soviet Union Collapsed Chapter 3. The Revolution 1917-1921 Chapter 4. The New Economic Policy 1920s Chapter 5. The 1930s
Chapter 6. The Great Fatherland War 1941-45
Chapter 7. High Stalinism 1945-53
Chapter 8 Khrushchev Era
Chapter 9 Brezhnev Era
Chapter 10 Gorbachev Era
Chapter 11. What Has Changed? Yeltsin and Putin