The Russian Revolution, 1917-1945

Description

Despite the demise of Communism and the recognized horrors of the Stalin regime, many Russians are no longer embarrassed by the memory of the Stalin years. Instead, they find the Soviet dictator representative of Russian greatness and an inspiration in their attempt to overcome what Vladimir Putin has called "the greatest geopolitical disaster in history"---the partition of the Soviet Union.For students and scholars of the Russian Revolution, there are pivotal questions that merit careful, comprehensive consideration: Why did the Tsarist regime unravel in revolution? Why did the Bolsheviks come to power rather than some other party? How did Stalin---rather than a more popular and respected leader---win the mantle of Lenin and gain leadership of the ruling party? How should Stalin's regime be Judged by subsequent generations of Russians, and in the context of world history?In The Russian Revolution, 1917-1945, Anthony D'Agostino offers a fresh and concise review of all these questions. The book explores topics including the modernization of the Tsarist Russian state, the crisis of the World War I years, the revolutionary project of Soviet Communism, the nationalist transformation of Soviet Communism under International pressures, the "Big Drive" to modernize Russia by force, and the external threat of fascism.