Soviet Politics in Perspective is a new edition of Richard Sakwas successful textbook Soviet Politics: an introduction. Thoroughly revised and updated it builds on the previous editions comprehensive and accessible exploration of the Soviet system, from its rise in 1919 to its collapse in 1991. The book is divided into five parts, which focus on key aspects of Soviet politics. They are: * historical perspectives, beginning with the Tsarist regime on the eve of Revolution, the rise and development of Stalinism, through to the decline of the regime under Brezhnev and his successors and Gorbachev's attempts to revive the system * institutions of Government, such as the Communist Party, security apparatus, the military, the justice system, local government and participation * theoretical approaches to Soviet politics, including class and gender politics, the role of ideology and the shift from dissent to pluralism * key policy areas: the command economy and reform; nationality politics; and foreign and defence policy * an evaluation of Soviet rule, and reasons for its collapse. Providing key texts and bibliographies, this book offers the complete history and politics of the Soviet period in a single volume. It will be indispensable to students of Soviet and post-Soviet politics as well as the interested general reader.

To what extent did the Russian revolution of 1917 bring about the changes wanted by the Bolsheviks? Why did many of these changes fail to materialize? How has the Russian heritage adapted to the challenges facing all modernizing societies? What does Russia's past tell us about the present role of the USSR in world affairs? In this collection of essays, which includes new part and chapter introductions, Dr. Black discusses these questions, examining the major issues that shape our understanding of Soviet politics. Beginning with a general exploration of the ways the traditional heritage of the Russian empire has both helped and hindered the adaptation of Soviet society to the contemporary world, he illustrates the extent to which the Russian empire was already evolving into a modern society before World War · I. The author analyzes the modernization of the USSR, emphasizing the interaction of tradition and modernity and the ways the Russian heritage of institutions and values has been adapted since 1861 to the needs of political development, economic growth, and social integration. Comparisons are made with a wide range of societies, first in 1967 the fiftieth anniversary of the Russian revolution and again in the 1980s. The book considers the past and present relations of Russia/USSR with the outside world in the context of universal societal changes. Dr. Black discusses such questions as the differences between the foreign policy objectives of Czarist Russia and the Soviet Union; the degree to which Russia/USSR has been able to influence other countries through means other than military power; and, drawing on his experience in Bulgaria, the origins of the cold war. The book concludes with Dr. Black's personal interview with Nikita Khrushchev, a discussion that provides rare insights into the thought processes of a leading Soviet statesman at the height of his power

The first major new textbook to cover the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev, Sawka's "Soviet Politics" is both a comprehensive academic text and a guide for the inquiring layperson.

Exploring Soviet and Russian history and politics, The Uses of History brings together the classic essays of renowned scholar Alexander Dallin. The author provides insightful analysis and nuanced interpretations of such key--and controversial--issues as the domestic sources of Soviet foreign policy, Stalin's leadership in World War II, U.S.-Russian relations in the Reagan era, the causes of USSR's collapse, and the disappointments of Russia's post-Soviet evolution. Dallin rejects single-factor explanations for Soviet and Russian policies, instead examining the complex interplay of internal and external conditions, institutions, and individual leadership. All readers interested in Soviet and post-Soviet history will find this collection a stimulating and deeply knowledgeable resource.

It is now generally agreed that since Stalin's death there has been a definite broadening of group participation in policy formation and implementation. The contributors to this volume analyze seven elite political interest groups at the upper and middle levels of the Soviet social structure. Originally published in 1971. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika is a historic effort at restructuring the troubled Soviet economy. Wide-ranging in scope, harnessed with cultural and political reforms, it raises intriguing and important questions: Are Gorbachev's ideas different from the Kosygin-Brezhnev reform of 1965 that came to naught? What kinds of problems do the Russians have in understanding the market system? Who opposes perestroika? Do Gorbachev's proposals threaten his own future as Soviet leader? How does perestroika relate to a more general environment of openness, of glasnost? What happened at the June 1988 Party Conference? And, above all, is the old order really giving way to a new one? Or does Gorbachev aim at "capitalist icing on a socialist cake"?. To answer these questions and others, Padma Desai, a distinguished pioneer in the modern econometric analysis of the Soviet economy, has distilled from Gorbachev's myriad decrees the outlines of his strategy for doing away with the Soviet Union's long-term economic malaise. Focusing on the key areas of industry, agriculture, services, and foreign trade, she discusses specific blueprints for change and evaluates the possibilities for their success. Skillfully combining charts, photographs, cartoons, and quotes, this book offers a unique and coherent view of the strategy underlying Gorbachev's reform efforts to date--and does so gracefully and with sparkle, in terms completely understandable to the layperson. Originally published in 1989. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.