Book Review

In our era where our attention span is increasingly decreasing due to the overwhelming information on multiple platforms, the appeal of quickly grasping complex historical issues through the lens of an expert’s condensed narrative is undeniable. The Shortest History of the Soviet Union (2022) by Sheila Fitzpatrick offers a concise yet comprehensive journey through seven decades of the Soviet history. Fitzpatrick’s book accomplishes this feat with its portable format and engaging storytelling. Despite its conciseness at just 240 pages, the book effectively covers key moments, from the rise of the Bolsheviks in 1917 to the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and also the war in Ukraine in the post-Soviet period.  It is also richly illustrated with photos and maps. In the introduction, Fitzpatrick sets the tone for her approach to history, “Historians in their narrative tend by their nature to make events seem inevitable…But this is not my intention with this Shortest History” (p.23).

Chapter one titled Making the Union delves into the discontent among political and military elites and the civilian population during the transition from the Russian Empire under Czar Nicholas to the Provisional Government. This period provided an opportunity for the Bolshevik revolutionaries to seize power and create world’s first communist state.  The subsequent chapter Lenin Year and the Succession Struggle explores the challenges faced by the Soviet leaders as they worked to create a new system. This period witnessed the introduction of various policies, including the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the policy of Korenizatsiya (Indigenization) in the 1920s.  For Vladimir Lenin “relaxed economic policies did not mean political relaxation” (p. 58), but views of Stalin, Trotsky and other leaders did play their role in the shaping the state. This chapter offers anecdotes and vivid details to elaborate upon the personalities and views of the leading figures. Trotsky underestimated Stalin and was slow to see him as a political threat but Stalin emerged as successive leader to Lenin and became “leader of the economic revolution- crucial in Marxist terms’ ‘ (p. 69). The author’s meticulous research on Joseph Stalin shines through in the third chapter titled Stalinism as she skillfully presents a balanced perspective on key events such the Great Purges, collectivization process and industrialization.  The famine of 1932-33 left deep scars among the Soviet public. It is usually interpreted as an attack on the Ukrainian nation but Fitzpatrick provides evidence that Stalin was personally not antagonistic towards Ukrainians due to their nationality. Even top military commanders, industrial leaders and Politburo members were not exempt from the Stalin’s terror. It was an oppression against whatever he perceived as ideological enemy. Ethnic groups such as Germans, Chechens, Poles and Finns were targeted due to suspicion of loyalty to an outside power.

Chapter four covers the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent development of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. Despite economic challenges, Stalin emerged as a charismatic leader with international influence. War witnessed Stalin emergence as “a new, charismatic figure and established a good working relationship with Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt” (p. 108). In the aftermath of war “While the US emerged as stronger and richer, the Soviet Union emerged as poor and economically shattered. At this point the Soviet regime was terrified that “American would invade the Soviet and we would go to war” (p. 109).” Stalin’s death marks the emergence of a “collective leadership” era that is also the theme of chapter five. New phase in the Soviet history is marked from Khrushchev’s denunciation of Stalin’s terror in his “secret speech” that encouraged new freedom of expression in arts and literature and the ‘truth telling’ impulse dominated. Two events marked the fall of Khrushchev’s leadership. First was Soviet troops open firing at striking workers in 1962 and second was the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Leadership of Leonid Brezhnev is discussed in the chapter six that author describes as “the best of Soviet times or the most boring, depending on your point of view.” (p. 142). It was the period when the Soviet Union achieved military parity with the U.S. and also established influence in the Third World that led to the rise in tension in international affairs. Quality of life among the Soviet citizens improved on various parameters before the complete halt of growth in the 1980s Great majority of the Russian people now recall the Brezhnev era as a golden age as transformed society and forestalled potential discontent.   The very stability of the system under Brezhnev contributed to its stagnation, Fitzpatrick quotes the joke popular among Western journalists “‘we pretend to work and they pretend to pay us” (p. 153) to suggest a drop in productivity and labor discipline. It suggests that without strong leadership, Soviet socialism had a proclivity to revert to a state of stagnation. One can argue that stagnation is a phenomenon that frequently observed in various modern states. Even in the case of the Soviet Union, the issue was not without potential solutions. However, a multitude of intricate factors ultimately led to its collapse.

Last chapter titled The Fall is the longest and discusses various decisions and events that lead to the collapse. As China was ascending as a powerful communist nation, Gorbachev’s introduction of perestroika and glasnost marked a turning point in the Soviet Union. His move emboldened Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to criticiseGorbachev, “labelling him as ‘idiot’ for prioritising political reform over economic reforms” (p.162). Political rivalry and power struggle between Boris Yeltsin and Gorbachev also added fuel to the fire. According to Fitzpatrick, “Had Gorbachev resigned after the coup, opening the way for Yeltsin to succeed him in the senior office of Soviet president, the Soviet Union might not have disintegrated so completely as it did subsequently, because Yeltsin would then have had an interest in its survival” (p. 179).

The post-Soviet period proved to be a turbulent phase for Russia. Economic crisis led to increase in suicide rate as well as development of secessionist movement in Chechnya. The final conclusion discusses Vladimir Putin’s performance as a leader and Russian reclamation of Crimea. Russia’s rise shocked various observers as the West underestimated post-Soviet Russia’s potential to be an equal partner. NATO, originally established to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union, not only continued its existence but also expanded by admitting new members, and contradicted the assurances given to former Soviet leaders. Ukraine and Georgia were recognized as potential members in 2008 that is now interpreted as the main cause of war in Ukraine.

Overall the book is an excellent source providing a solid foundation for grasping the Soviet history and serves as a valuable tool for quick revision of critical facts. It delves into various issues currently under debate, notably due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, including topics such as the historical role of far-right leader Stepan Bandera, the assurances given by U.S. Secretary of State James Baker to Gorbachev concerning NATO expansion, and Russia’s annexation of Crimea, among others. Every paragraph in the book is rich with facts and original analysis and demonstrates the author’s exceptional scholarship. Despite being a short introduction, it avoids quick and passionate conclusions about the Soviet Union’s history, skilfully presenting both its positive and negative aspects, thus offering a more nuanced perspective.

Shiela Fitzpatrick. Shortest History of the Soviet Union

India: Picador, 2022. 240 pp. ₹ 319

(EBook). ISBN 978-1-743822-22-7

Rashid Abbasi

Intern Asia in Global Affairs

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