A Brief History of the Soviet Union
6.99 €
5.59 €
In stock
A Brief History of the Soviet Union
6.99 €
5.59 €
In 1917, the Bolsheviks came to power in the World War I-weary Russian Empire against all odds, including their own. In 1991, after a roughly average human lifespan, the Soviet Union collapsed as casually as it had come into existence. The decades between those two events encompassed tragedies of incredible proportions-the chaos of the post-revolutionary years, famine and terror, the hard-won victory in the most devastating war in human history, and global geopolitical conflict-but all of these tragedies were inextricably intertwined with the dream of building a better society. Renowned historian Sheila Fitzpatrick has compiled the most succinct chronicle of the Soviet era - its beginnings, heyday, and unexpected end, as well as its posthumous existence in today's Russia. This book is a lively and authentic narrative of the complicated history of the USSR, studded with vivid details, unexpected angles and witty remarks. First and foremost, Fitzpatrick clearly shows the many paradoxes of the Soviet experiment. The ideology that claimed to give man power over history itself failed to cope with unforeseen circumstances. A state that considered itself internationalist and anti-imperialist gave rise to a multitude of nationalisms. In the end, the idea of radically overcoming social inequality and economic injustice gave rise to a country that was, in its own way, remarkably normal.
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