The Fall of Soviet Communism, 1986-1991 - (Studies in European History) by Jeremy Smith (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In 1991, Communist rule in the Soviet Union came to an end after 84 years, and the world's largest state, one of the two global superpowers, broke up into fifteen independent countries. Few had predicted such an outcome when Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union six years before. Jeremy Smith discusses the long-term and short-term factors behind this extraordinary collapse, assessing the impact of economic crisis, nationalism, personalities and democratization in the process.

From the Back Cover

The fall of communism and the break-up of the Soviet Union into 15 independent states in December 1991 was one of the most significant events of the twentieth century. In the last years of Soviet rule, images of mass protests on the streets of Moscow, Tbilisi and Vilnius, bloodshed in Baku, striking miners, Mikhail Gorbachev wooing the West, and Boris Yeltsin defiantly mounting a tank in front of the White House building in Moscow, shattered all of the old certainties about the seemingly unbreakable communist system. Gorbachev and Yeltsin were the dominant figures in this process, but non-Russian national movements, workers, intellectuals, and international developments all had roles to play.

Jeremy Smith presents the dramatic events of 1985-91 in a clear and succinct form, setting out a variety of interpretations for the demise of communism in the Soviet Union, and suggesting new approaches to answering the unresolved question of why it happened. Smith discusses the long-term and short-term factors behind the extraordinary collapse, assessing the impact of economic crisis, nationalism, personalities and democratization in the process.

About the Author

JEREMY SMITH is Lecturer in Russian History at the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK, and has previously worked at the University of Helsinki, Finland. His previous publications include The Bolsheviks and the National Question, 1917-23 (1999), also published by Palgrave Macmillan.
JEREMY SMITH is Lecturer in Russian History at the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK, and has previously worked at the University of Helsinki, Finland. His previous publications include The Bolsheviks and the National Question, 1917-23 (1999), also published by Palgrave Macmillan.