A Brief Introduction to the Soviet Union

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This book offers a modern and up-to-date account of the history of the Soviet Union, from the revolutions of 1917 and the Treaty of Union in 1922 to its dissolution in 1991. The Soviet Union was a pivotal chapter in the history of Europe and the world in the 20th century, and its legacy continues to resonate even 30 years after its demise.

The Soviet Union was an attempt to create a state for the liberated working class and the free peoples. However, the Soviet peoples were not truly free, and the Soviet Union became an extension of the pre-1917 Russian Empire. Within the USSR, numerous tensions arose between the central authority in Moscow and the various regions. The construction of the Soviet state and national repression feature prominently in this book.

The various chapters also address Marxist-Leninist ideology and the one-party state, illustrating how the Soviet Union emerged as a massive and brutal modernization project with a planned economy, five-year plans, prison camps, interrogations, and deportations, but also with a rich literary output and cultural life that influenced the entire world.