The Soviet Union
Subtitle: a very short introduction
By: Stephen Lovell.
Series: Very short introductions -- 207
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Oxford; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 151
ISBN-13: 9780199238484
Subjects: Soviet Union -- History; Soviet Union -- Politics and government; Soviet Union -- Social conditions
Description: Almost twenty years after the Soviet Union's end, what are we to make of its existence? Was it a heroic experiment, an unmitigated disaster, or a viable if flawed response to the modern world? What was the Soviet Union like? How did it evolve over seven decades? What was the relationship between the regime and the general population? This introduction blends political history with an investigation into the society and culture at the time. The author examines aspects of patriotism, mass culture, political violence, poverty, and ideology; and provides answers to some of the big questions about the Soviet experience.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-145) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction : questions and approaches; title: Future and past; title: Coercion and participation; title: Poverty and wealth; title: Elite and masses; title: Patriotism and multinationalism; title: West and East; title: Conclusion.