Russia and the Soviet Union

Download or read book Russia and the Soviet Union written by John M. Thompson and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2011-05 with total page 746 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This lucid account of Russian and Soviet history presents major trends and events from ancient Kievan Rus' to Vladimir Putin's presidency of the twenty-first century. Now thoroughly revised and updated, Russia and the Soviet Union addresses controversial topics, including the impact of the Mongol conquest, the paradoxes of Peter the Great, the ''inevitability'' of the 1917 Revolution, the Stalinist terror, and the Gorbachev reform effort. The sixth edition includes a new chapter on Vladimir Putin, additional treatment of social and foreign policy issues, and an updated chapter on post-Soviet Russia and the Yeltsin era. Distinguished by its brevity and amply supplemented with useful maps, illustrations, photos, and suggested readings, this essential text provides balanced coverage of all periods of Russian history and incorporates economic, social, and cultural developments as well as politics and foreign policy.