An authoritative short history of Russia, from the mysterious origins of the nation-state to the death of StalinA classic work now back in print for the first time since 1956and still regarded as one of the groundbreaking books on the subjectthis narrative history of Russia was the first to encompass the myth-befogged beginnings of the nation-state, the rise and cataclysmic fall of tsarism, and the Spartan years of the U.S.S.R. Charques emphasizes three points of view: that autocracy has played a dominant role throughout all of Russian history; that serfdom is the fabric of Russia's social history; and that it is of paramount importance to recognize Russia's present regime under Putin and Medvedev as the latest phase in a long history of oppression.