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Collapse
- The Fall of the Soviet Union
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 23 hrs and 50 mins
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Publisher's Summary
A major study of the collapse of the Soviet Union - showing how Gorbachev's misguided reforms led to its demise
In 1945, the Soviet Union controlled half of Europe and was a founding member of the United Nations. By 1991, it had an army four million strong, 5,000 nuclear-tipped missiles, and was the second biggest producer of oil in the world. But soon afterward, the union sank into an economic crisis and was torn apart by nationalist separatism. Its collapse was one of the seismic shifts of the 20th century.
Thirty years on, Vladislav Zubok offers a major reinterpretation of the final years of the USSR, refuting the notion that the breakup of the Soviet order was inevitable. Instead, Zubok reveals how Gorbachev's misguided reforms, intended to modernize and democratize the Soviet Union, deprived the government of resources and empowered separatism. Collapse sheds new light on Russian democratic populism, the Baltic struggle for independence, the crisis of Soviet finances - and the fragility of authoritarian state power.
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What listeners say about Collapse
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-24
A phenomenal history of the dissolution of the USSR
An outstanding work of history writing. Clearly and compellingly detailing the collapse of the USSR, a must read for anyone trying to make sense of the current geopolitical situation.
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- Evan Henry
- 2023-03-03
Great book and fascinating subject
For what could be a dry topic, the audio performance is super engaging. The way he reads quotes out from the leaders is very engaging.
I was shocked to find a lot of useful parallels with Canadian constitutional history.
Great read!
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