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Introduction: questions and approaches
Abstract
The ‘Introduction’ sets out the issues to consider when studying Soviet history. A chronological approach to the Soviet Union gives a definite narrative shape to Soviet history, but this VSI uses a thematic approach to explain the workings of a society, economy and political system unlike our own. It adopts a thematic approach, and aims to defamiliarize the object of inquiry. Deciding on a periodization for the Revolution has intellectual and moral consequences. Newly accessible archives have provided more evidence, but paradigms for study have been changed by the end of the Cold War. To understand the Soviet Union, it is necessary to recognize the paradoxes of Soviet rule.
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Citations
Metadata
- Authors
- Lovell, S.
- Corresponding author
- Lovell, Stephen
- ORCID
- Lovell, Stephen
- Venue
- The Soviet Union
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Published
- 2009-07-01
- Pages
- 1-14
- OpenAlex
- W2490028335
- Semantic Scholar
- 2cd7482eddb9f6ae25cc212ee5e21daf83c33258
- Cited by
- 0
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- book chapter
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Oxford University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Soviet and Russian History
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Russia and Soviet political economy
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Eastern European Communism and Reforms
- Keywords
- Soviet history, thematic approach, periodization, Russian Revolution, Soviet archives, Cold War historiography, Soviet society, Soviet economy, Soviet political system
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