A new edition of Richard Sakwas successful textbook Soviet Politics: an introduction. Thoroughly revised and updated it builds on the previous editions comprehensive and accessible exploration of the Soviet system, from its rise in 1919 to its collapse in 1991.

Part I History 1. The Russian Legacy The Old Regime Social and economic developments Revolutionary movements and Bolshevism 2. The Creation of the Soviet State The Revolutions of 1917 The formation of the Soviet State, 1918-21: The dictatorship of the proletariat and commune democracy, Civil war and armed peace, War communism, The oppositions 3. Stalin and Stalinism The NEP compromise The great industrialization debate The revolution from above Command economy and society The great purges 'Stalinism' 4. Khrushchev and Destalinisation The New Course Destalinization Economy and Society Authority and ideology Khrushchev's fall 5. From Brezhnev to Gorbachev Corporatism and compromise The decline of the regime The final Soviet Politics, Andropov: the struggle for discipline, Chernenko: the struggle for conformity, Gorbachev: the struggle for change Part II Government 6. The Communist Party Recruitment Organisation Party, state and government The leading role of the party The end of party rule 7. The Structure of Power Constitutions and power The national legislature: The Supreme Soviet, The Congress of People's Deputies and the Supreme Soviet The government 8. Security and Justice The military and Soviet politics The KGB Justice 9. Local Government and Participation Local soviets and administration Elections Participation and socialisation: The meaning of participation, Institutional forms of participation, Non-institutional forms of participation Part III Politics 10. Power and Policy-Making The role of leadership Models of Soviet power: Totalitarianism and concentration models, The group approach and diffusion models, Corporatism and other approaches 11. Ideology and Authority The meaning of ideology The ideological apparatus The role of ideology Power, political culture and legitimacy 12. Class and Gender New class and society The politics of gender 13. From Dissent to Pluralism Political dissent and the state The evolution of dissent Strands of resistance The return of pluralism Dissent in perspective Part IV Policies 14. The Command Economy and Reform Planning and political economy History of economic reform The failure of reform 15. Nationality Politics Soviet constitutions and federalism: Soviet constitutions, Soviet federalism Nationalism in the USSR The politics of nationalism 16. Foreign and Defence Policy The course of Soviet foreign policy The making of foreign policy The politics of security Part V Perspectives 17. Rise and Fall Main features Patterns of Soviet rule Reasons for the fall 18. Conclusion: Soviet Politics in Perspective