The Making of the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia

(Paperback)

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In this classic book, Moshe Lewin traces the transformation of Russian society and government that was to lead, in the 1930s, to Stalinism. His emphasis is on the changes stemming from war, revolution, civil war and industrialization, and he analyses such topics as rural society and religion in the 20th century; the background of Soviet collectivization; Soviet prewar policies of agricultural procurement; the kolkhoz and the muzhik; Leninism and bolshevism; industrial relations during the five-year plans of 1928-1941; and the social background to Stalinism. Lewin examines the political, ideological and cultural developments that accompanied or, in some cases, resulted from these changes and, through a comprehensive approach to understanding the problem and origins of Stalinism, makes a significant contribution to the study of Russia's social history before the Revolution as well as in the Soviet period.

Author Bio

Moshe Lewin was born in Poland and served in the Russian army during World War II. One of the most respected scholars in his field, he has been a Fellow in Russian Studies at Columbia, Princeton, and the Kennan Institute in Washington, D.C. He is the author of many books, including The Gorbachev Phenomenon and The Making of the Soviet System (reissued by The New Press). He is currently professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania.