The Soviet Colossus: Rise and Fall of the USSR

by Michael Kort

"The Soviet Colossus" is an introduction to 20th-century Soviet history within the context of Russian history as a whole. Kort begins by showing how and why the Tsars developed powerful centralised institutions that undermined the political, civil and economic freedoms of the Russian people. He then goes on to explain how the Bolsheviks' attempt to build socialism in a backward country produced the strong centralised bureaucracy that was characteristic of the Soviet Union. The post-Stalin years of half-way reforms are surveyed for new insights. In the concluding chapters Kort discusses Gorbachev's place in the continuum of Russian and Soviet history, and his role in unleashing the force that finally toppled the Soviet colossus.

Genres: History

384 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1992

Reviews

[Omar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Soviet Colossus offers a good overview of the history of the USSR. The book tends to be a dry read, though. The other problem I have with it is the book devotes only a tiny sliver of its pages to discussing the Soviet Union's foreign policy. Given the major role the USSR played on the global stage (which is after all partly why the book is titled "Soviet Colossus") this was a disappointing flaw. All in all, though, this book is worth reading. It provides a basic history of the USSR and its key leaders. The sections discussing the Bolshevik Revolution, the period leading up to it, and the formative years of the Soviet Union under Lenin are particularly strong.