Motherland Russia in the Twentieth Century

Motherland tells the dramatic story of the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. From Lenin's virtual coup in November 1917 to Boris Yeltsin's ruthless takeover of power in 1991, the book culminates with a new view of the Yeltsin years.

David Marples focuses on the evolution of Russia during the Soviet period, and the attempt to harness Russian nationalism to the avowed Soviet mission of promoting World Communism. Along the way heanalyses some of the more intensive historical debates and uncovers some of the myths perpetuated by state propaganda, especially those associated with the Great Patriotic War.

Acknowledgements. Introduction. Maps. 1 From Tsarism to Revolution, 1896-1917. 2 The October Revolution, 1917-1921. 3 The Period of Hope - NEP and Revival, 1921-1928. 4 The Period of Change: Collectivization, Industrialization, and the Great Purge, 1929-1940. 5 Soviet Foreign Policy in the Interwar Period, 1919-1940. 6 The Great Patriotic War and Aftermath, 1941-1953. 7 Internal Politics under Khruschev, 1953-1964. 8 Foreign Policy during the early Cold War, 1945-1963. 9 The Brezhnev Regime and the Aftermath, 1964-1984. 10 The Gorbachev Regime, 1985-1991. 11 Epilogue, 1992-1999. Bibliography. Index.