Almost twenty years after the Soviet Unions` end, what are we to make of its existence? Was it a heroic experiment, an unmitigated disaster, or a viable if flawed response to the modern world?

Taking a fresh approach to the study of the Soviet Union, this Very Short Introduction blends political history with an investigation into the society and culture at the time. Stephen Lovell examines aspects of patriotism, political violence, poverty, and ideology; and provides answers to some of the big questions about the Soviet experience.

Table of Contents:
1: Future and past
2: Coercion and participation
3: Poverty and wealth
4: Elite and masses
5: Patriotism and multinationalism
6: West and East
Conclusion

Author Information:
Stephen Lovell, Reader in Modern European History at King`s College London