A History of Twentieth-Century Russia

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by Robert Service

Harvard University Press

Due/Published February 1999, 653 pages, paper

ISBN 0674403487

A professor of Russian history offers a fresh and lively survey of the Soviet experience, from the rise of communism in 1917 to the aftermath of its collapse in 1991. 5 maps. 7 cartoons.

Review

To say that Russia has had a dramatic century would be a bit of an understatement. A civil war, revolutions, world wars, and campaigns of mass terror are just some of the components of Russia's recent history. Obviously, the most dominant influence was Communist rule and the rise of the Soviet Union. It is here that Service concentrates, tracing the development of the Soviet Union from Lenin to its dissolution under Gorbachev. Much like Russia: A History (see above), Service views the attempts of Soviet leaders to maintain order in an unwieldy country as one of the crucial constants in Russian twentieth century history. Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, and Gorbachev all tried to reinvigorate (needless to say, often employing very violent methods) their country in a somewhat paradoxical effort to create a more stable order. At over 600 pages, Service covers a lot of ground and does so in an assured and masterful fashion, illustrating the many events, personalities, and complexities of twentieth century Russian history and life under Soviet rule.