The official ideology of Marxism-Leninism is central to Soviet politics and yet its development in recent years has received very little scholarly attention. In this book a group of leading specialists drawn from both sides of the Atlantic advance decisively upon all earlier discussions of this subject to provide both an authoritative and detailed picture of the development of official ideology from the early years up to Gorbachev's 1986 Party Programme, as well as a consideration of the changing role of ideology in Soviet foreign and domestic policy-making. The book will be required reading...

Serves as an introduction to contemporary Polish literature, developed through critical discussion of key problems and representative writers. It includes poetry, fiction and drama. Some essays are devoted to individual writers including, Milosz, Herbert, Gombrowicz, Schulz, Konwicki and Mrozek.

This selection of documents - for the most part never before translated into English - traces the process of modernization which took place in Russia between 1856 and 1881. Political, social and economic developments are dealt with in thematic sections and the documents also show the growth of the revolutionary movement and conservative attempts to quell it. The great flowering of Russian literature and art during the quarter-century is also reflected. The documents are accompanied by individual commentaries and an extensive guide to further reading, whilst the volume is prefaced by a...

Over the past two decades in the West there has been a substantial re-appraisal of the Stalinist period. Social historians, in particular, have focused their attention on the social dynamics of Stalinism. This collection of essays is based on a conference held at the School of Slavonic & East European Studies, the University of London, on 'Stalin and Stalinism'. The contributors have analysed specific areas of the research available on Stalin and Stalinism in the USSR debate. Their work should be placed within the context of current scholarship in the field, both in the Former Soviet Union...

This book provides a narrative and analysis of the first four years of the Gorbachev phenomenon. All areas of great significance are covered. Special attention is paid to the economy, nationality affairs and foreign affairs. Gorbachev's standing abroad is much higher than at home. Seen by many abroad as a charismatic figure, he has still to convince the average worker and farmer that perestroika is good for them. The first four years present a fascinating tableau of Soviet change and resistance to change. This book provides the reader with the insights to understand the processes now under...

In this book specialists address the main problems facing Gorbachev and are cautiously optimistic about his chances of modernising the USSR. It is absolutely essential that results in 1986 and 1987 are good otherwise he will face failure. He has been faced with serious problems in coming to power; how has he fared?

Focusing on the Black Sea fleet between 1827-1841, this book assesses Russia's naval strength against other Mediterranean powers, especially the Ottoman Empire, arguing their limitations came from geographic, political and economic considerations. Primary and secondary sources are utilized.