A History of Russia and Its Empire

From Mikhail Romanov to Vladimir Putin, Second Edition

Kees Boterbloem

This clear and focused text provides an introduction to imperial Russian and Soviet history from the crowning of Mikhail Romanov in 1613 to Vladimir Putin’s new term. Through a consistent chronological narrative, Kees Boterbloem considers the political, military, economic, social, religious, and cultural developments and crucial turning points that led Russia from an exotic backwater to superpower stature in the twentieth century. The author assesses the tremendous price paid by those who made Russia and the Soviet Union into such a hegemonic power, both locally and globally. He considers the complex and varied interactions between Russians and non-Russians and investigates the reasons for the remarkable longevity of this last of the colonial powers, whose dependencies were not granted independence until 1991. He explores the ongoing legacies of this fraught decolonization process on the Russian Federation itself and on the other states that succeeded the Soviet Union. The only text designed and written specifically for a one-semester course on this four-hundred-year period, it will appeal to all readers interested in learning more about the history of the people who have inhabited one-sixth of the earth’s landmass for centuries.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 372 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-5381-0439-2 • Hardback • June 2018 • $143.00 • (£110.00)

978-1-5381-0440-8 • Paperback • June 2018 • $60.00 • (£46.00)

978-1-5381-0441-5 • eBook • June 2018 • $57.00 • (£44.00)

Subjects: History / Europe / Russia & the Former Soviet Union

Courses: History; Europe; Russia & Former USSR

A History of Russia and Its Empire

From Mikhail Romanov to Vladimir Putin, Second Edition

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

This clear and focused text provides an introduction to imperial Russian and Soviet history from the crowning of Mikhail Romanov in 1613 to Vladimir Putin’s new term. Through a consistent chronological narrative, Kees Boterbloem considers the political, military, economic, social, religious, and cultural developments and crucial turning points that led Russia from an exotic backwater to superpower stature in the twentieth century. The author assesses the tremendous price paid by those who made Russia and the Soviet Union into such a hegemonic power, both locally and globally. He considers the complex and varied interactions between Russians and non-Russians and investigates the reasons for the remarkable longevity of this last of the colonial powers, whose dependencies were not granted independence until 1991. He explores the ongoing legacies of this fraught decolonization process on the Russian Federation itself and on the other states that succeeded the Soviet Union. The only text designed and written specifically for a one-semester course on this four-hundred-year period, it will appeal to all readers interested in learning more about the history of the people who have inhabited one-sixth of the earth’s landmass for centuries.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 372 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-5381-0439-2 • Hardback • June 2018 • $143.00 • (£110.00)

978-1-5381-0440-8 • Paperback • June 2018 • $60.00 • (£46.00)

978-1-5381-0441-5 • eBook • June 2018 • $57.00 • (£44.00)

Subjects: History / Europe / Russia & the Former Soviet Union

Courses: History; Europe; Russia & Former USSR

Author

Kees Boterbloem is professor of history at the University of South Florida.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Phoenix: The Rise of Russia in the Seventeenth Century, 1613–1689
Chapter 2: Great Power, 1689–1796
Chapter 3: The Height and Decline of Imperial Russia, 1789–1855
Chapter 4: Domestic Convulsions, 1855–1905
Chapter 5: Fatal Foreign Entanglements and a Failed Revolution, 1877–1914
Chapter 6: Forging Soviet Civilization, 1914–1924
Chapter 7: The Inevitable Triumph of Stalinism? 1924–1941
Chapter 8: The Great Patriotic War and the Cold War, 1941–1953
Chapter 9: Embattled Leader of the "Second World," 1953–1982
Chapter 10: The Fall of the Soviet Union and Beyond, 1982–2018

Chronology

Index

Reviews

In the second edition of this text, Kees Boterbloem has expanded his coverage of modern Russian history while maintaining the narrative of this country’s fascinating history. The new volume brings the story up to the present while expanding on issues concerning Russia’s non-Russian populations. This work is ideal for a survey of Russian history and for a general audience. Outstanding!
— William Benton Whisenhunt, College of Dupage

Kees Boterbloem provides a clear summary of Russian history from the early seventeenth century, through the Soviet period, and into the post-Soviet era. Boterbloem draws connections across periods, showing how Russia’s past continues to affect its present. His book provides an excellent and succinct introduction to Russian history for those new to the subject.
— Paul Robinson, University of Ottawa

Features

Considers political, military, economic, social, religious, and cultural developments

Designed as a one-term textbook for adoption in courses on Russian and Soviet history

Includes maps, photos, links to websites, films, primary sources, suggested reading, and timelines.

Resources

FOR PROFESSORS
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Instructor's Manual. For each chapter, this valuable resource provides a variety of tools such as lecture outlines, student learning objectives, discussion questions, and other resources to simplify classroom preparation.