A History of Russia and Its Empire: From Mikhail Romanov to Vladimir Putin

by Kees Boterbloem University of South Flori

Overview

This clear and focused text provides an introduction to imperial Russian and Soviet history from the crowning of Mikhail Romanov in 1613 to Vladimir Putin’s new term. Through a consistent chronological narrative, Kees Boterbloem considers the political, military, economic, social, religious, and cultural developments and crucial turning points that led Russia from an exotic backwater to superpower stature in the twentieth century. The author assesses the tremendous price paid by those who made Russia and the Soviet Union into such a hegemonic power, both locally and globally. He considers the complex and varied interactions between Russians and non-Russians and investigates the reasons for the remarkable longevity of this last of the colonial powers, whose dependencies were not granted independence until 1991. He explores the ongoing legacies of this fraught decolonization process on the Russian Federation itself and on the other states that succeeded the Soviet Union. The only text designed and written specifically for a one-semester course on this four-hundred-year period, it will appeal to all readers interested in learning more about the history of the people who have inhabited one-sixth of the earth’s landmass for centuries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538104392
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/26/2018
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	372
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.33(h) x 1.11(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Kees Boterbloem is professor of history at the University of South Florida.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Phoenix: The Rise of Russia in the Seventeenth Century, 1613–1689
Chapter 2: Great Power, 1689–1796
Chapter 3: The Height and Decline of Imperial Russia, 1789–1855
Chapter 4: Domestic Convulsions, 1855–1905
Chapter 5: Fatal Foreign Entanglements and a Failed Revolution, 1877–1914
Chapter 6: Forging Soviet Civilization, 1914–1924
Chapter 7: The Inevitable Triumph of Stalinism? 1924–1941
Chapter 8: The Great Patriotic War and the Cold War, 1941–1953
Chapter 9: Embattled Leader of the "Second World," 1953–1982
Chapter 10: The Fall of the Soviet Union and Beyond, 1982–2018

Chronology

Index

Editorial Reviews

In the second edition of this text, Kees Boterbloem has expanded his coverage of modern Russian history while maintaining the narrative of this country’s fascinating history. The new volume brings the story up to the present while expanding on issues concerning Russia’s non-Russian populations. This work is ideal for a survey of Russian history and for a general audience. Outstanding!

William Benton Whisenhunt

Kees Boterbloem provides a clear summary of Russian history from the early seventeenth century, through the Soviet period, and into the post-Soviet era. Boterbloem draws connections across periods, showing how Russia’s past continues to affect its present. His book provides an excellent and succinct introduction to Russian history for those new to the subject.

Paul Robinson

In a concise and readable account of the past four centuries of 'Russia' (the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and today's Russian Federation), Boterbloem skillfully condenses a rich and complex history into a lucid narrative accessible to undergraduate students. Highly recommended.

Hiroaki Kuromiya

This book is a fine introductory survey of Russian history, designed for one-semester university courses. The volume covers all key events in the history of Russia from the seventeenth century to the present day. . . .The book provides a chronology of events, has an index of names and terms, many maps, and unique photographs. All of this m kes it very convenient for student learning. The volume can be interesting for anybody looking for a comprehensive, concise Russian history.

The Russian Review

Boterbloem provides a succinct introductory survey of Russian history from the foundation of the Romanov Dynasty in 1613 to the beginning of Vladimir Putin's third term as president of the Russian Federation in 2012. The author emphasizes the role of important leaders and the rapid growth of the multiethnic Russian Empire. Boterbloem explores continuity and change from the Russian Empire to the Soviet Union to the Russian Federation, arguing that a general absence of a rule of law or a frequent ignoring of existing laws by leaders and commoners alike was a similar phenomenon in all three states. The work is quite appropriate for undergraduate courses, especially those seeking to cover Russian and Soviet history in one semester. Most useful for students and instructors are a 20-page time line and lists at the end of each chapter of relevant translated primary source readings, secondary scholarly selections, websites, and films. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. General and undergraduate collections.

CHOICE

In the second edition of this text, Kees Boterbloem has expanded his coverage of modern Russian history while maintaining the narrative of this country's fascinating history. The new volume brings the story up to the present while expanding on issues concerning Russia's non-Russian populations. This work is ideal for a survey of Russian history and for a general audience. Outstanding!

Kees Boterbloem provides a clear summary of Russian history from the early seventeenth century, through the Soviet period, and into the post-Soviet era. Boterbloem draws connections across periods, showing how Russia's past continues to affect its present. His book provides an excellent and succinct introduction to Russian history for those new to the subject.

From the Publisher