Reviews for Soviet State and Society Between Revolutions, 1918-1929

The average rating for Soviet State and Society Between Revolutions, 1918-1929 based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-03-04 00:00:00 John Johnson The book is a concise review of the Russian history of the 20th century. In good and bad it has a textbook-ish approach: almost a hundred years of history is crammed into under 300 pages and despite a vast array of source material actual references are quite scarce. Due to the large period to cover, many details are glossed over, while still delivering a good narrative on Soviet History. While I am not too well versed in Russian/Soviet history, I felt the writer has some kind of bias. It is very evident that they do not hold the Soviet system in high regard and also occasionally seem to misrepresent some Socialist theory and ideology. Despite that the writer also does not endorse the "shock therapy" of the 1990's and seems to maintain some objectivity. They do not cover up the cost of the collapse of the Soviet Union and while they seem to be somewhat apologetic of the post-Soviet authoritarianism in Russia, I did not feel that Chubarov entirely agrees with the methods of the modern regime. The book has been published in 2001, so it doesn't discuss the most recent developments in Russia. Chubarov's thoughts on these issues, such as suppression of of dissidents and the political opposition, attack on human rights and the rise of Orthodoxian Christian conservatism, and, of course, the general chill in relations between Russia and "the West", would certainly be interesting. What Chubarov seems to do is maintain a notion about the "Russian way" that seems somewhat common to many Russian intellectuals. According to this notion, Russia is neither European nor Asian, but something else entirely that needs to find their own solution to different societal issues. While this does hold true with all societies across the world, I feel inclined to question Chubarov's "Russian peculiarism". A more plausible answer to the struggles of Russia's modernization I would seek in the fact that Chubarov themselves discusses in the book: the incomplete modernization* and vestiges of authoritarian rule inherent to all hitherto Russian regimes. (* "Modernization" itself is a very ideological concept and standpoint. How Chubarov and myself use the word is centered around Western ideals of social liberties an democracy. Chubarov also links capitalism and free markets as vitally important to this idea. My own idea might veer closer to Marxian discussions of sequential societal/economical development phases.)

Review # 2 was written on 2014-02-03 00:00:00 Colleen Chase Colossal conflict... Road to Stalingrad The last 2 chapters of this book are by far the best (they constitute over 120 pages). Prior, I feel, the author has a hard time distinguishing the trees from the forest and the forest from the trees. These chapters are filled with endless sentences like "...the 4th Airborne corps to use his 7th and 8th Brigades..", "...the escape eastwards for 3rd, 10th and now 13th Army was.." and on and on. This approach makes for a very dry dissertation of the largest military conflict in recent history. Nevertheless Erickson does not glorify nor glamourize the Red Army. Stalin's Russia was not only unprepared for this colossal conflict with the German armies, it was incompetently led. Stalin had killed off his officer corps by the end of the 1930's and was self-quarantined in the Kremlin listening only to advisors who told him what he wanted to hear. Erickson is correct when he describes Stalin as the 'top' leader in the Soviet Union. Erickson's description of Stalin and the decision-making process is interesting if concise. It is only in the last 2 chapters that the battle scenarios are well painted by Erickson, and one feels the horror of Dante's inferno that existed in Stalingrad. Why the German armies became entrapped in this cauldron of total destructiveness is unknowable, but it lead to their first major defeat in the Second World War (aside from their aborted invasion of Britain). Do not read this book for a glimpse of civilian life in either the German or Soviet zone. There is no mention of the Einsazt-gruppen killing squads who butchered entire villages, or of Jewish life throughout German-occupied Soviet territory. This is "military history," but when it does step out of that zone, it is interesting; and Erickson offers insights into both protagonists. Some maps would have been helpful (there were none in my edition). This book does not have the 'Soviet patriotism' of Alexander Werth's Russia at War: 1941-1945 and is better for it. The Road to Berlin: The Road to Berlin is much like the first volume (The Road to Stalingrad), but the events, if possible, even over-shadow those of the first book; such as the battle of Kursk, the annexation of Eastern Europe under the Soviet yoke, and the fall of Berlin. Orchestrating all of this is the figure of Stalin. But much like the first volume there is a blur of details, i.e. military groupings and geographical minutiae. Is it necessary to list all the Guard units, divisions, battalions, etc. that took forth on the assault on the Baltic States? Words like "hammer," "break through," etc. abound. Yet there are many rewards. Erickson writes entirely from the Soviet perspective with no glorification of their overall role in the defeat of Nazi Germany. There are gems of dialogue between Stalin and his generals vividly illustrating the brutality of the regime. Once it became apparent that the Nazis were to be expunged from the Soviet Union the next step was to occupy as much land as possible in Eastern Europe. With production in full swing by 1944 and an army numbering some 5 million entering Eastern Europe (never mind the agreements at Yalta promising free elections in Poland or democratic self-determination for the countries liberated from Nazi domination); Erickson discusses this country-by-country. He also brings up the notorious Soviet stand-still in front Warsaw while the Nazis methodically routed and slaughtered Polish partisans. The Soviet army may have had to re-group, but they never told this to the Polish partisans. Do not read this book for details of the liberation of the concentration and death camps - it merits only a few sentences and there is even less on the treatment of Soviet citizens in areas occupied by Germany. Also very little is said on the barbaric treatment meted out by Soviet troops once they entered "liberated zones."