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A former general in the Soviet Army's propaganda department, Director of the Institute for Military History, and Defence Adviser to President Yeltsin from 1991 to his death from cancer in December 1995, Dmitri Volkogonov had unrivalled access to Soviet military archives, Communist Party documents and secret presidential files. Basing this book on these inside sources, he reveals the truth behind the activities of the world's most secretive political leaders. He throws new light on: Lenin's paranoia about foreigners in Russia; his creation of a privileged system for top Party members; Stalin's repression of the nationalities and his singular conduct of foreign policy; the origins and conduct of the Korean War; Khrushchev's relationship with the odious secret service chief Beria; Brezhnev's vanity and stupidity; the Afghan War; Poland and Solidarity; Soviet bureaucracy; and Gorbachev's Leninism and role in history.
This work investigates the internal mechanisms of power and the personal motivations of Soviet leaders from the Bolshevik Revolution through the collapse of the USSR. Dmitri Volkogonov, a former Soviet general and military historian with unprecedented access to classified Communist Party archives and presidential files, utilizes these primary sources to dismantle official state narratives. He constructs a critical framework that exposes the systemic corruption, paranoia, and bureaucratic inertia that defined the Soviet leadership hierarchy across seven decades.
What You Will Find
The text provides a dense, insider perspective on the Soviet political apparatus, intended for readers seeking a rigorous examination of twentieth-century authoritarianism. The reliance on previously classified documentation positions this work as a significant contribution to the historiography of the Soviet era.
Page Count:
570
Publication Date:
2010-08-20
Publisher:
HarperCollins
ISBN-10:
0006388183
ISBN-13:
9780006388180
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