Across the Revolutionary Divide: Russia and the USSR, 1861–1945

Across the Revolutionary Divide: Russia, 1861–1945 presents an ambitious interpretive account of Russian history from the abolition of serfdom by Alexander II to the end of World War II. By taking into account seven fundamental themes –– Politics, Society, Nations, Modernization, Beliefs, World, and Culture the author   recounts the turbulent series of events, influences, reforms, and revolutions that transformed the vast country from a backward society into one of the world′s two great "super–powers."

 At the same time we see how the great changes brought about by the Revolution of 1917 left the USSR with many of the same problems of the Tsarist era, including the challenges of poverty, underdevelopment, and a multi–ethnic and multi–lingual population. The book also reveals how the radical policies adopted after the Bolshevik takeover both changed the face of Russia while perpetuating an economic and political rigidity whose effects continue into the twenty–first century.

With its unique thematic approach and careful balance of political, economic, and cultural issues, Across the Revolutionary Divide is a thought–provoking overview ofone of the most fascinating periods of Russian history.

Illustrations viii

Series Editor s Preface ix

Acknowledgments xii

Introduction 1

1. Politics 18

2. Society 53

3. Nations 87

4. Modernization 117

5. Belief 147

6. World 175

7. Culture 204

Conclusion 234

Timeline 248

Notes 252

Select Bibliography 269

Index 275

Theodore R. Weeks is Professor of History at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He is author of Nation and State in Late Imperial Russia (1996) and From Assimilation to Antisemitism: The Jewish Question in Poland, 1855 to 1914 (2006).

There are different ways to write a survey of Russian history, and most of them have been tried many times. Yet Simon Dixon, the editor of this excellent three–volume series, has invited his authors to do something new.   (Slavonic and East European Review, 1 April 2012)

"On the whole, there are many positives in this work. The thematic approach makes it clear that certain characteristics were present in both tsarist and Soviet times, and that significant continuities were evident within the political and social aspects of revolutionary Russia." (Revolutionary Russia, 2 December 2011)

"Recommended. Most levels/libraries." (Choice, 1 May 2011)