Thisconcise,accessibleintroductionprovidesananalyticalnarrativeofthemaineventsanddevelopmentsinSovietRussiabetween1917and1936.Itexaminestheimpactoftherevolutiononsocietyasawhole--ondifferentclasses,ethnicgroups,thearmy,menandwomen,youth.Itscentralconcernistounderstandhowonestructureofdominationwasreplacedbyanother.Thebookregisterstheprimacyofpolitics,butsituatespoliticaldevelopmentsfirmlyinthecontextofmassiveeconomic,social,andculturalchange.SincethefallofCommunismtherehasbeenmuchreflectiononthesignificanceoftheRussianRevolution.Thebookrejectsthecurrentlyinfluential,liberalinterpretationoftherevolutioninfavorofonethatseesitasrootedinthecontradictionsofabackwardsocietywhichsoughtmodernizationandenlightenmentandendedinpoliticaltyranny.
