The Shortest History of the Soviet Union

This is a vivid and credible account of the difficult history of the USSR, studded with bright details, unexpected angles, and sharp, witty remarks. First of all, Fitzpatrick clearly shows the many paradoxes of the Soviet experiment. The ideology that claimed it would grant people power over history itself couldn’t cope with unforeseen circumstances. A state that considered itself internationalist and anti-imperialist generated countless nationalisms. In the end, the idea of a radical overcoming of social inequality and economic injustice gave rise to a country that, in its own way, proved surprisingly normal.