Imperial and Soviet Russia

This is an interpretative history of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union between 1850 and 1991. During this tumultuous period, the countries of this vast area were transformed from traditional, agrarian societies into modern industrial states. Like China, the Soviet Union underwent this transition under the banner of communism. After introductory chapters on traditional Russian history and lifeways, David Christian discusses how these transformations affected both governments and ordinary citizens, what they gained, what they endured, and why the Communist experiment ultimately failed.

List of Tables.- List of Figures.- Introduction.- Medieval and Early Modern Times.- The Russian Empire in the Early Nineteenth Century.- The 'Great Reforms' and the Rise of a Revolutionary Movement.- Economic and Social Change before 1914.- The 1905 Revolution.- The Final Decade of Tsarist Rule and the February Revolution 1917.- Civil War and the Origins of a New Social Order.- The New Economic Policy Collectivisation and Industrialisation.- The Stalinist Political Order.- The Great Patriotic War Reforming the Stalinist System, 1953 to 1964.- Consolidation, Stagnation and Change, 1964 to 1982.- Perestroika and the End of the Soviet Experiment, 1982 to 1991.- Conclusion: The Failure of the Soviet Experiment Statistical.- Appendix.- Annotated Bibliography.- Glossary.- Chronology Acknowledgements.- Index.