The decade and a half since Gorbachev came to power has been a tumultuous time for Russia. It has seen the expectations raised by perestroika dashed, the collapse of the Soviet superpower, and the emergence of a new Russian state claiming to base itself on democratic, market principles. It has seen a political system shattered by a president turning tanks against the parliament, and then that president configuring the new political structure to give himself overwhelming power. These upheavals took place against a backdrop of social dislocations as the Russian people were ravaged by the effects of economic shock therapy. This book explains how these momentous changes came about, and in particular why political elites were able to fashion the new political system largely independent of the wishes of the populace at large. It was this relationship between powerful elites and weak civil society forces which has led to Russian democracy under Yeltsin being still born.
Reviews
the level of analysis is uniformly high, the detailed knowledge of events is impressive ... For those requiring a relatively short and accessible upper level survey of Soviet and Russian politics in the last two decades, this book would be ideal. * Richard Sakwa, Seer, 79:2, 2001 *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199240418
Author Graeme Gill
Format Paperback
Page Count 292
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 443g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 17mm