The period of Soviet history between Nikita Khrushchev’s fall from power in 1964, and the arrival of Mikhail Gorbachev as premier in 1985, has often been seen as a period of economic, social and political stagnation in the USSR. For the vast majority of this twenty year time frame, the USSR was governed by one man, Leonid Brezhnev. As such, the Brezhnev era has earned a reputation for being a flat-line in the development of the socialist experiment. However, this view is far from universal. 

To discuss the nature of Brezhnev’s rule in Russia, and particularly the extent to which it might be considered as period of stagnation, I am joined by John Keep, the emeritus professor of Russian history at the University Toronto. Since retiring in 1988, he has co-written a retrospective on Stalininsm, and has also produced a fantastic overview of the Soviet Period in his “A History of the Soviet Union 1945-1991: The Last of the Empires” which is recommended core reading for the study of the USSR.

You can find the episode on the main MeetTheHistorians page HERE.

Today’s episode is the second of a two part programme with Dr Martin McCauley, formerly a senior lecturer in Russian and European history at the University of London. Dr McCauley has a long standing interest in the Soviet Union, having conducted research there in the late 1950s. He is the author of a wide range of books on the Soviet Union, including The Khruschev Era, and the excellent, Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union.

In this programme I discuss the issues of historical approaches and methods  with Dr McCauley and try to find out a bit more about how he came to his conclusions on the Soviet  Union. This is a fascinating insight into how pastiches of a country are built up over time.
You can find the episode on the main MeetTheHistorians page HERE.
 

Today’s episode is the first of a two part programme with Dr Martin McCauley, formerly a senior lecturer in Russian and European history at the University of London. Dr McCauley has a long standing interest in the Soviet Union, having conducted research there in the late 1950s. He is the author of a wide range of books on the Soviet Union, including The Khruschev Era, and the excellent, Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union.

In this podcast, Dr Martin McCauley gives a broad overview of the rise and fall of the USSR. You can find the episode on the main MeetTheHistorians page HERE.

The Soviet Union came to an abrupt end in December 1991, with the resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev from his position as President of the USSR, leaving a multitude of affiliated and independent states in its wake. However, the union had been fragmenting for some time, and there is a good deal of historical debate about how far the end of the Soviet Union was inevitable, and the extent to which Gorbachev might be held accountable for its demise.

In this podcast, Professor Peter Kenez discusses the impact of Gorbachev on the Soviet Union. A worthwhile listen. You can find the episode on the main MeetTheHistorians page HERE.

I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to speak to Professor Taubman, author of the critically acclaimed and definitive biography of Khrushchev: "Khrushchev, the man and his era." Nikita Khrushchev is probably one of the most controversial figures in the history of the Soviet Union. Both a symbol of peaceful coexistence, but also responsible for some of the most tense moments of the Cold War. His reputation at home was no less volatile. In this episode Professor Taubman explains the impact of Khrushchev's personality on his actions as a Soviet leader, covering a diverse range of topics from economic reform to the Cold War. 

You can find the episode on the main MeetTheHistorians page HERE

Some excellent Great Patriotic War podcasts from Dr Edwin Baker. To use this you will need to login to the HA student zone with username @andallthatweb and the password from your teacher. You can listen to the podcasts HERE

The Impact and Significance of the Great Patriotic War. In this podcast Dr Jonathan Davis of Anglia Ruskin University discusses the USSR from 1941-1953 and the impact and significance of the Great Patriotic War.

Topics:

1. Introduction.
2. The condition of the USSR in 1941. Operation Barbarossa.
3. The impact of war on the Soviet people.
4. Domestic consequences of the war: the legitimizing of Stalin's regime.
5. The USSR's emergence as a superpower, the occupation of Eastern Europe and a renewed sense of Russian solidarity.
6. Conclusion.

Some excellent Gorbachev era podcasts from Dr Edwin Baker. To use this you will need to login to the HA student zone with username @andallthatweb and the password from your teacher. You can listen to the podcasts HERE

End of the USSR
In the late 1980s the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, sought to reform the Union, introducing the policies of glasnost and perestroika in an attempt to end the period of economic stagnation and democratize the government. However, this led to the rise of strong nationalist and separatist movements. Central authorities initiated a referendum, boycotted by the Baltic republics and
Georgia, which resulted in the majority of participating citizens voting in favour of preserving the Union as a renewed federation. In August 1991, a coup d'état was attempted by hardliners against Gorbachev, with the intention of reversing his policies. The coup failed, with Russian President Boris Yeltsin playing a high-profile role in facing down the coup, resulting in the banning of the Communist Party. On 25 December 1991, Gorbachev resigned and the remaining 12 constituent republics emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union as independent post-Soviet states. The Russian Federation, the successor state of the Russian SFSR, assumed the Soviet Union's rights and obligations and is recognised as its continued legal personality.

Topics:

1. Introduction.
2. Long term factors.
3. A systemic approach: the system was not open to reform.
4. Circumstantial factors and political transformation. The dissolution of the Soviet Union.
5. The Rise of Yeltsin. Russian politics as opposed to Soviet politics.
6. Conclusion.

Some excellent Brezhnev era podcasts from Dr Edwin Baker. To use this you will need to login to the HA student zone with username @andallthatweb and the password from your teacher. You can listen to the podcasts HERE

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (19 December 1906 – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),
presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in length. During Brezhnev's rule, the global influence of the Soviet Union grew dramatically, in part because of the expansion of the Soviet military during 
this time, but his tenure as leader has often been criticised for marking the beginning of an era of economic and social stagnation in which serious problems were overlooked, eventually leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Topics are:
1. Introduction: What did the Brezhnev era consist of?
2. The Era of Stagnation or the high point of Soviet power and stability?
3. Soviet Union as a super power: treaties with the West.
4. Stagnation and a growing disbelief in a communist utopia.
5. Developed Socialism: a new stage towards communism. The gerontocracy and censorship.
6. Conclusion.