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Overview
Drawing on a wide range of post-Soviet materials, Christopher Read examines the reasons for the successes and failures of the Soviet system. He argues that the underlying reasons for the system's collapse can be found in the contradictions of the revolution which gave birth to it. The consequences are traced from Stalin to Gorbachev's doomed attempt to transform the Soviet system. Particular attention is given to the divergence between the aspirations of the leadership and the social evolution of ordinary Russians.
Synopsis
Drawing on a wide range of post-Soviet materials, Christopher Read examines the reasons for the successes and failures of the Soviet system. He argues that the underlying reasons for the system's collapse can be found in the contradictions of the revolution which gave birth to it. The consequences are traced from Stalin to Gorbachev's doomed attempt to transform the Soviet system. Particular attention is given to the divergence between the aspirations of the leadership and the social evolution of ordinary Russians.
Choice
A well-written, pithy, and concise snapshot of the Soviet system from 1917 to its collapse in the 1990s.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"...a well written, pithy, and concise snapshot of the Soviet system from 1917 to its collapse in the 1990s." --Choice