The Structure of Soviet History: Essays and Documents

by Ronald Grigor Suny

Edited by eminent historian Ronald Grigor Suny, this unique collection of primary documents and important scholarly articles frames both the revolutionary changes and broad continuities in Soviet history. Organized chronologically and covering political, social, and cultural history from a variety of viewpoints, selections include official pronouncements and dissident manifestos, public speeches, private letters, and previously un-translated documents. An introductory essay provides the broad outlines of Soviet history, while chapter introductions summarize the main features and historical debates of each period.

New to the Second Edition

* Ten new essays and documents, including Jochen Hellbeck's "The Urge to Struggle On" (2006) and "Cars, Cars, and More Cars" by Lewis H. Siegelbaum (2008)
* A new chapter (10) on Russia and the former Soviet states in the twenty-first century, as well as additional readings on women and gender
* More sections on foreign policy and the Cold War

Genres: History, Russian History, Russia, College, Soviet Union, Nonfiction, Politics

752 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2002

About the author

Ronald Grigor Suny is the William H. Sewell Jr. Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan and professor emeritus of political science and history at the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome collection of primary sources from the Soviet era. Accompany it with a great history book on the Soviet Union, and you could practically teach a class on it yourself. It's really interesting to read Lenin and Stalin's official documents and see how they helped shape the course of 20th century history.