Russian Politics: A Very Short Introduction

Russian Politics: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Brian D. Taylor
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197516025
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
Russia is rarely out of the news, yet Russian politics can be difficult to understand. This Very Short Introduction provides a guide to understanding Russian politics that goes beyond the headlines and offers a vivid account of the key forces driving them. Brian Taylor provides a concise and accessible overview that places Russia in a global context while explaining its internal political development. The discussion balances the role of enduring forces such as history, geography, and global status, with the dramatic influence of powerful individual leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin.

Russian History: A Very Short Introduction

Russian History: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Geoffrey Hosking
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199580987
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
A leading international authority discusses all aspects of Russian history, from the struggle by the state to control society to the transformation of the nation into a multi-ethnic empire, Russia's relations with the West and the post-Soviet era. Original.

The Russian Revolution: A Very Short Introduction

The Russian Revolution: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: S. A. Smith
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191578363
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
This Very Short Introduction provides an analytical narrative of the main events and developments in Soviet Russia between 1917 and 1936. It examines the impact of the revolution on society as a whole—on different classes, ethnic groups, the army, men and women, youth. Its central concern is to understand how one structure of domination was replaced by another. The book registers the primacy of politics, but situates political developments firmly in the context of massive economic, social, and cultural change. Since the fall of Communism there has been much reflection on the significance of the Russian Revolution. The book rejects the currently influential, liberal interpretation of the revolution in favour of one that sees it as rooted in the contradictions of a backward society which sought modernization and enlightenment and ended in political tyranny. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction

Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Catriona Kelly
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577502
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
This book is intended to capture the interest of anyone who has been attracted to Russian culture through the greats of Russian literature, either through the texts themselves, or encountering them in the cinema, or opera. Rather than a conventional chronology of Russian literature, the book will explore the place and importance of literature of all sorts in Russian culture. How and when did a Russian national literature come into being? What shaped its creation? How have the Russians regarded their literary language? The book will uses the figure of Pushkin, 'the Russian Shakespeare' as a recurring example as his work influenced every Russian writer who came after hime, whether poets or novelists. It will look at such questions as why Russian writers are venerated, how they've been interpreted inside Russia and beyond, and the influences of such things as the folk tale tradition, orthodox religion, and the West ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Soviet Union: A Very Short Introduction

The Soviet Union: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Stephen Lovell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199238480
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
Taking a fresh approach to the study of the Soviet Union, this Very Short Introduction blends political history with an investigation into Soviet society and culture from 1917 to 1991. Stephen Lovell examines aspects of patriotism, political violence, poverty, and ideology, and provides answers to some of the big questions about the Soviet experience. Throughout, the book takes a refreshing thematic approach to the Soviet Union and provides an up-to-date consideration of the Soviet Union's impact and what we have learnt since its end.

The Russian Economy: A Very Short Introduction

The Russian Economy: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Richard Connolly
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192588559
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
Russia today is as prominent in international affairs as it was at the height of the Cold War. Yet the role that the economy plays in supporting Russia's position as a 'great power' on the international stage is poorly understood. For many, Russia's political influence far exceeds its weight in the global economy. However, Russia is one of the largest economies in the world; it is not only one of the world's most important exporters of oil and gas, but also of other natural resources, such as diamonds and gold. Its status as one of the largest wheat and grain exporters shapes commodity prices across the globe, while Russia's enormous arms industry, second only to the United States, provides it with the means to pursue an increasingly assertive foreign policy. All this means that Russia's economy is crucial in serving the country's political objectives, both within Russia and across the world. Russia today has a distinctly political type of economy that is neither the planned economy of the Soviet era, nor a market-based economy of the Euro-Atlantic variety. Instead, its economic system is characterised by a unique blend of state and market; control and freedom; and natural resources alongside human ingenuity. The Russian Economy: A Very Short Introduction introduces readers to the dimensions of the Russian economy that are often ignored by the media and public figures, or exaggerated and misunderstood. In doing so, it shows how Russia's economy is one of global significance, and helps explain why many of Russia's enduring features, such as the heavy hand of the state and the emphasis on military-industrial production, have persisted despite the immense changes that took place after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Politics: A Very Short Introduction

Politics: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Kenneth Minogue
Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks
ISBN: 0192853880
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 158

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Book Description
In this introduction, Kenneth Minogue discusses the development of politics from the ancient world to the twentieth century. He considers the evolution of different systems, ideological aspects and the future of political science.

Contemporary Russian Politics

Contemporary Russian Politics PDF Author: Neil Robinson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1509525181
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin for a fourth presidential term in 2018 has seen Russian democracy weaken further and Russia’s relations with the West deteriorate seriously. Yet, within Russia, Putin’s position remains unchallenged and his foreign policy battles have received widespread public support. But is Putin as safe as his approval ratings lead us to believe? And how secure is the regime that he heads? In this new book, Neil Robinson places contemporary Russian politics in historical perspective to argue that Putin’s regime has not overcome the problems that underpinned the momentous changes in twentieth-century Russian history when the country veered from tsarism to Soviet rule to post-communist chaos. The first part of the book, outlining why crises have been perennial problems for Russia, is followed by an exploration of contemporary Russian political institutions and policy to show how Putin has stabilised Russian politics. But, while Putin’s achievements as a politician have been considerable in strengthening his personal position, they have not dealt successfully with the enduring problem of the Russian state’s functionality. Like other Russian rulers, Putin has been much better at establishing a political system that supports his rule than he has at building up a state that can deliver material wealth and protection to the Russian people. As a result, Robinson argues, Russia has been and remains vulnerable to political crisis and regime change.

British Politics: A Very Short Introduction

British Politics: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Anthony Wright
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199661103
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
This book presents an introduction to the evolution and history of the British political system.

Democracy: A Very Short Introduction

Democracy: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Bernard Crick
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577650
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
No political concept is more used, and misused, than that of democracy. Nearly every regime today claims to be democratic, but not all 'democracies' allow free politics, and free politics existed long before democratic franchises. This book is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and of the usages and practices associated with it in the modern world. It argues that democracy is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for good government, and that ideas of the rule of law, and of human rights, should in some situations limit democratic claims. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Cold War: a Very Short Introduction

The Cold War: a Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Robert J. McMahon
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198859546
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
Vividly written and based on up-to-date scholarship, this title provides an interpretive overview of the international history of the Cold War.