History of Russia

Author: Zhang Jianhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: A Series of National Histories. A nation on the cusp of catching up, a latecomer to modernization, the source of a red storm, a meeting point of Eastern and Western cultures, a land of brilliant stars, a large Eurasian empire that has split and reunited time and again—Russia. Her backwardness, her development, her strength, her decline; her yesterday, her today, her tomorrow—all are unsolved mysteries. This book attempts to unravel them. Russia—Soviet Union—Russian Federation (hereafter referred to as Russia)—cannot be ignored. Whether it is the Russian Empire in modern history or the Soviet Union in modern history, or the Russian Federation that still dominates half of Europe today, it has always commanded attention with its formidable presence. Her sudden rise in international influence, her abrupt decline in economic status, her prosperity, and her weakness have all triggered seismic chain reactions around the world. Why was the world's first socialist country born in Russia? Why did more than 70 years of socialist practice ultimately fail? Her rapid rise, her sudden decline, her yesterday, her today, and her tomorrow have all left us with a series of unsolved mysteries. Dr. Zhang Jianhua's History of Russia may help you dispel the layers of fog. The book begins with the origins of the Russian nation and narrates history from the time of the Grand Princes of Kievan Rus' in the 10th century to the reign of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great in the 18th century, from the 19th-century reigns of Alexander I and Alexander II to the era of social upheaval triggered by the early 20th-century revolution and reforms, from the Soviet Union's era of leading the world to the present-day Russian Federation on the verge of a new surge. It is the only comprehensive historical work in China that includes the history of Russia before the October Revolution, the history of the Soviet Union, and the history of the newly formed Russian Federation after its dissolution. It is worth noting that the author does not simply stack the three stages of Russian history together but organically integrates the three parts, seeking the inseparable ties between the history of Russia, the Soviet Union, and the newly established Russian Federation, paying attention to the unbroken continuity in cultural traditions and national psychology across all stages.