Did the Soviet Union want world revolution? Why did the USSR send missiles to Cuba? What made the Cold War last as long as it did? The end of the Cold War makes it possible, for the first time, to begin writing its history from a truly international perspective. Based on the latest findings of Cold War historians and extensive research in American archives as well as the recently opened archives in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China, We Now Know provides a vividly written, eye-opening account of the Cold War during the years from the end of World War II to its most dangerous moment, the Cuban missile crisis.
We Now Know stands as a powerful vindication of United States policy throughout the period, and as a thought-provoking reassessment of the Cold War by one of its most distinguished historians.
Lost princesses, a queen who dethroned her own husband, the country that defeated Napoleon, and a dog who went to space—these are just a few of the fascinating aspects of Russian history.
The history of Russia has enthralled the public for generations. From the exploits of Ivan the Terrible to the murder of the Romanov royal family, there’s a lot of history to explore. How did Ivan the Terrible earn his title? Who were the Romanovs, and what led to the brutal end of their dynasty? Follow the story of Russia and discover the major historical events that shaped this country.
This audiobook will be your guide to the fascinating history of Russia and answer the following questions:
- Who were the early East Slavs?
- How was Kievan Rus’ founded?
- How did the tsars gain power?
- What was life like during the height of the Russian Empire?
- What happened when Napoleon tried to invade Russia?
- What was the Great Purge?
- What led to the dissolution of the USSR?
- Who was Boris Yeltsin?
- And many other questions!
Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to begin your journey into Russian history!
Disarmament in the Time of Perestroika is the definitive history of the implementation of the INF Treaty signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in all its complexities, and the lengths both sides went to “trust, but verify” this successful and unique historic disarmament process. It demonstrates how two nations fundamentally at odds with one another could come together and rid the world of weapons which threatened international peace and security and, indeed, all of humanity. Those engaged were pioneers in what was to be the new frontier of superpower arms control―on-site inspection―that would define compliance verification for future treaties and agreements to come. Their work represents not just a guide to but the standard upon which all future on-site inspections will be based and judged.
Ritter traces in great detail the formation of the On-Site Inspection Agency, who was involved, and how a technologically advanced compliance verification system was installed outside the gates of one of the most sensitive military industrial facilities in the remote Soviet city of Votkinsk, nestled in the foothills of the Ural Mountains in the Soviet Union. He draws upon his own personal history― occasionally hilarious, occasionally fraught with peril― as well as the recollections of the other inspectors and personnel involved, and an extensive archive of reports and memoranda relating to the work of OSIA to tell the story of how OSIA was created, and the first three years of inspection operations at the Votkinsk portal monitoring facility. The Votkinsk Portal, circa December 1988, was the wild, wild East of arms control, a place where the inspectors and inspected alike were writing the rules of the game as it played out before them.
This treaty implementation did not occur in a geopolitical vacuum. Ritter captures, on a human level, the historic changes taking place inside the Soviet Union under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev due to the new policies of perestroika and glasnost that gripped the Soviet Union during this time, and their real and meaningful impact on the lives of the Soviet people, and the economic functioning of the Soviet nation. Much of it was for the worse.
The INF treaty was not only born of these new policies, but also helped trigger meaningful changes inside the Soviet Union due to the economic and political implications brought on by the cessation of missile production in a factory town whose lifeblood was missile production.
With some of the most memorable names in history, the Romanov dynasty is one of those royal families whose legacy can only be rivaled by a few.
Ruling Russia for a little over three hundred years, from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, the Romanov tsars and, in rare but unforgettable cases, empresses dominated the political landscapes of their times and forged one of the most legendary dynasties of all time.
In fact, Russia, the big and powerful nation-state we know today, was largely created because of the efforts of Romanov rulers like Peter the Great or Catherine the Great. The Romanov family has forever been guaranteed a place in Russian, European, and even world history books.
Diving into the history of such a well-known dynasty is a treat for anyone who is passionate about learning more about Russia.
Here’s a glimpse of what you will find in this audiobook:
- An in-depth history of the emergence of the Romanov dynasty, which happened during perhaps the most turbulent period in Russia’s existence
- The social and political developments throughout the Romanov dynasty, from Mikhail Romanov to Nicholas II
- A deep dive into the external and domestic conflicts that shaped Russia under the Romanovs
- An exciting journey of Russia’s cultural transformation from a backward country to a world superpower that strived to achieve a clear European identity
- The role of the Romanovs in several world-shattering events, such as World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917
- The legacy of the Romanov dynasty
- And much, much more!
Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to begin your journey into the past today!
From the bestselling author of On Tyranny comes a revealing history of the four modern national ideas that arose from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Modern nationalism in northeastern Europe has often led to violence and then reconciliation between nations with bloody pasts. In this fascinating book, Timothy Snyder traces the emergence of Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and Belarusian nationhood over four centuries, discusses various atrocities (including the first account of the massive Ukrainian-Polish ethnic cleansings of the 1940s), and examines Poland's recent successful negotiations with its newly independent Eastern neighbors, as it has channeled national interest toward peace.
An authoritative account of Stalin as a wartime leader-showing how his paradoxical policies of mass mobilization and repression affected all aspects of Soviet society
The Second World War was the defining moment in the history of the Soviet Union. With Stalin at the helm, it emerged victorious at a huge economic and human cost. But even before the fighting had ended, Stalin began to turn against the architects of success.
In this original and comprehensive study, Alfred J. Rieber examines Stalin as a wartime leader, arguing that his policies were profoundly paradoxical. In preparation for the war, Stalin mobilized the whole of Soviet society in pursuit of his military goals and intensified the centralization of his power. Yet at the same time, his use of terror weakened the forces vital to the defense of the country. In his efforts to rebuild the country after the devastating losses and destruction, he suppressed groups that had contributed immeasurably to victory. His steady, ruthless leadership cultivated a legacy that was to burden the Soviet Union and Russia to the present day.
Russia's Empires analyzes how and why Russia expanded to become the largest country on the globe and how it repeatedly fell under the sway of strong, authoritarian leaders.
Authors Valerie A. Kivelson and Ronald Grigor Suny examine how imperial practices shaped choices and limited alternatives. Using the concept of empire, they look at the ways in which ordinary people imagined their position within a non-democratic polity-whether the Muscovite tsardom or the Soviet Union-and what concessions the rulers had to make, or appear to make, in order to establish their authority and preserve their rule.
Russia's Empires tackles the long history of the region, following the vicissitudes of empire-the absence, the coalescence, and the setbacks of imperial aspirations-across the centuries. The framework of empire allows the authors to address pressing questions of how various forms of non-democratic governance managed to succeed and survive, or, alternatively, what caused them to collapse and disappear. Studying Russia's extensive history in an imperial guise encourages students to pay attention to forms of inclusion, displays of reciprocity, and manifestations of ideology that might otherwise go unnoted, overlooked under the bleak record of coercion and oppression that so often characterizes ideas about Russia.
In April 1945, German troops withdrawing from the Seelow Heights were encircled by the Soviet Army near the small town of Halbe, south-east of Berlin. Rather than surrender, their orders were to attempt to break out, westward, and join up with the German twelfth Army. A brutal battle ensued, with an estimated 30,000 German and 20,000 Russian soldiers killed, along with thousands of civilians.
This collection of first-hand accounts tells the story of the battle and its aftermath from the German perspective. It is an eclectic mix, containing the recollections of ordinary soldiers, SS-men and men of the Panzer Divisions, as well as civilians caught up in the battle as they attempted to flee ahead of the advancing armies. It brings to life the grim realities of this one-sided engagement, revealing the brutal vengeance of the Soviets and the desperation to escape the slaughter.
Translated into English for the first time, this is an important insight into this devastating and little-known aspect of World War II history.
When Ukrainian journalist Iuliia Mendel got the call she had been hired to work for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she had no idea what was to come.
In this frank and moving inside account, Zelenskyy's former press secretary tells the story of his improbable rise from popular comedian to the president of Ukraine. Mendel had a front row seat to many of the key events preceding the 2022 Russian invasion. From attending meetings between Zelenskyy and Putin and other European leaders, visiting the front lines in Donbas, to fielding press inquiries after the infamous phone calls between Donald Trump and Zelenskyy that led to Trump's first impeachment.
Mendel saw firsthand Zelenskyy's efforts to transform his country from a poor, backward Soviet state into a vibrant, prosperous European democracy. Mendel sheds light on the massive economic problems facing Ukraine and the entrenched corrupt oligarchs in league with Russia. She witnessed the Kremlin's repeated attacks to discredit Zelenskyy through disinformation and an army of bots and trolls.
Woven into her account are details about her own life as a member of Zelenskyy's new Ukraine. Written with the sound of Russian bombs and exploding shells in the background, Mendel details life lived under Russian siege in 2022. She says goodbye to her fiancé who joins the front lines, like so many other Ukrainian men. Throughout this story of Zelenskyy, Ukraine, and its extraordinary people, Iuliia Mendel reminds us of the paramount importance of truth and human values, especially in these darkest of times.
Ukraine is currently embroiled in a tense fight with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independence. But today's conflict is only the latest in a long history of battles over Ukraine's territory and its existence as a sovereign nation. As the award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy argues in The Gates of Europe, we must examine Ukraine's past in order to understand its present and future.
Situated between Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, Ukraine was shaped by the empires that used it as a strategic gateway between East and West -- from the Roman and Ottoman empires to the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. For centuries, Ukraine has been a meeting place of various cultures. The mixing of sedentary and nomadic peoples and Christianity and Islam on the steppe borderland produced the class of ferocious warriors known as the Cossacks, for example, while the encounter between the Catholic and Orthodox churches created a religious tradition that bridges Western and Eastern Christianity. Ukraine has also been a home to millions of Jews, serving as the birthplace of Hassidism -- and as one of the killing fields of the Holocaust.
Plokhy examines the history of Ukraine's search for its identity through the lives of the major figures in Ukrainian history: Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kyiv, whose daughter Anna became queen of France; the Cossack ruler Ivan Mazepa, who was immortalized in the poems of Byron and Pushkin; Nikita Khrushchev and his protege-turned-nemesis Leonid Brezhnev, who called Ukraine their home; and the heroes of the Maidan protests of 2013 and 2014, who embody the current struggle over Ukraine's future.
As Plokhy explains, today's crisis is a tragic case of history repeating itself, as Ukraine once again finds itself in the center of the battle of global proportions. An authoritative history of this vital country, The Gates of Europe provides a unique insight into the origins of the most dangerous international crisis since the end of the Cold War.
The 2022 War in Ukraine has been Breaking News since it began. Have you been feeling bewildered about how a civilized world can explode into conflict? Have you been worried about how worried you should be? Are you fascinated with the interplay of truth and lies? Are you a student of military tactics?
If so, the answer is not more information but deeper information: untangling the history that led to this crisis.
Imagine being able to evaluate the information about Ukraine with real expertise. Imagine being able to distinguish between real issues and propaganda issues. Imagine being in control of your social media rather than being controlled by rumors and speculation!
Journalist and author, Marc Miles Vaughn, gives you an insight into history unlike any history professor’s. Having studied Ukraine from its earliest roots as a Viking Pirate Kingdom to its latest “TikTok” war, he takes you, step by step, through twelve centuries of destruction and mayhem, and shows you what the official statues of Ukraine are hiding: the inextinguishable Ukrainian heart.
His readable, compelling style draws you on as if you are following a Netflix series. As the “Game of Ukrainian Thrones” unfolds, he introduces you to the folktale of the Iron Wolf and takes you to handle the bones in the mass-graves of the Holodomor, where Stalin starved four million peasants to death.
He then goes on to deliver a disturbing analysis of the invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin wants history to re-repeat itself. Ukrainian Comic-turned-President (and war hero) Volodymyr Zelensky is staring him down in a high-stakes, high-tech war.
This book is for anyone who wants to read history in order to understand the present. It’s a launching pad for any inquisitive mind, students or couch-detectives or scholars. Turn off your TV, read Vaughn’s book, and then turn your TV on again. His book will enable you to understand the news, not just spectate it.
Did you know that Russia, as a united state, was not formed until the 16th century?
Today, Russia is the biggest and one of the most populous countries in the world. From the early, primitive state-like formations in the 9th century, all the way to the creation of the first true tsardom of Russia in 1547, the history of medieval Russia is one filled with constant struggles for power, personal rivalries between various princes, bloody wars, and a search for identity.
This period, which spans about eight centuries, is often forgotten when talking about Russia, despite its importance. Nowadays, people’s perception of Russia is largely defined by the era of the Soviet Union, and it is not hard to understand why. However, exploring such a pivotal period that shaped modern Russia is a must for everybody who is even partially interested in the history of the world.
This audiobook serves as a guide for all listeners who want to delve deep into the history of medieval Russia. It covers exciting topics, such as:
- The rise and fall of Kievan Rus—the first Russian state
- The separation of Russian territories into appanages
- Internal fighting between the Russian princes for domination
- The Mongol conquest and how they ruled Russia
- The emergence of new social and cultural trends in Russian society
- Struggle for independence and freedom from the Mongol rulers
- Assumption of power by Muscovy—the most powerful Russian territory in the 14th century
Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to begin learning more about medieval Russia!
