The Soviet Colossus: History and Aftermath

by Michael Kort

The Soviet Colossus revisits the turning points in Russia’s modern history, from the fall of the tsarist regime to the establishment of the Bolshevik dictatorship and Stalinist totalitarianism; the reforms and counter-reforms of Khrushchev and Brezhnev to the reform program of Mikhail Gorbachev and the resultant collapse of the Soviet Union; and from the effort to build a democratic and free-market Russia under Boris Yeltsin to the political authoritarianism and the establishment of a state capitalist economy under Vladimir Putin.

This eighth edition has been revised and updated to cover the latest developments from the Putin administration. These revisions include added emphasis on the increasing authoritarian nature of Russia’s political system, the serious challenges posed by the country’s unsolved economic and social problems, and the growing tensions between Russia on the one hand and the United States and the European Union on the other as a result of Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine. Kort combines this updated account with a broad exploration of Russia’s political history, examining how the Soviet past has been woven into the fabric of the modern Russian state, a state which plays such a major, assertive role in global affairs, but which simultaneously remains an allusive, secretive entity.

With Russia’s increasing influence on the global stage and the controversies that often accompany this, The Soviet Colossus is an invaluable resource for students of history, politics, and international relations.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Russia

540 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1996

Reviews

[Jael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Soviet Colossus was just that: colossal. Since it dealt with a subject I don't really care for, it's hard for me to evaluate it fairly. I will say that I thought it dealt with communism and socialism very honestly. It bluntly portrayed the failings of each. It didn't sing the praises of any particular philosophy. It let you make up your own mind. It didn't sing the praises of any particular leader, either. It just presented the facts. So, while slightly dry and boring (make sure you have a slushy to slurp on while you're trying to read this), it gives a very good overview of the Soviet Union.

[Cat Kearbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is informational and contains a wealth of data and research on its topic, but Kort's writing style can be dry at times. The book also sometimes leans into narrativization and broad generalization, such as geographic determinism, broad statements about the nature of Russia and Russians, and attempting to pull out historical patterns where none exist. At one point, he draws analogy between Eastern Slavs fighting the Mongols and Scythians fighting the Persians to imply a historical pattern of Russia defending "the West" from "Asiatic hordes." (Not his words, I should clarify, just the narrative he seems to perpetuate.) While Kort's research is extremely strong, I'm not sure the same can be said for the broad conclusions he comes to from that research.

[Hd · Rating 3 out of 5]

hahaha. shit. have to read this for school.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts of this book were interesting but it left me in the neutral zone on wheather it was good or not since 50% of the time, you were asking yoursef "Why did I pick this thing up?"