NUCLEAR DOVES LIKE RUSSIAN EAGLES OVER THE EUROPEAN SKY He points out that Lenin was no moralist or humanitarian. It was Lenin who coined the term “dictatorship of the proletariat” which meant NO to democracy, NO to elections; and as the term implies a dictatorship by an authoritarian state. The secret police was integral in Lenin’s agenda. Mr. Service also points out that Russia (Soviet Union) was always a dual society. The top levels had only limited knowledge of what occurred away from the centre. At the bottom, reports and statistics were embellished to accord with the desires of the upper ruling stratas. This made corruption endemic at all layers of society – for the lower classes it would be the only way to survive. Khrushchev is portrayed as a partial reformer. It must be remembered that both Khrushchev and Brezhnev continued the repression in Eastern Europe. Gorbachev had the moral courage to stop this. The only drawback is that little is mentioned on the invasion of Afghanistan and the role it played in the demise and fracturing of the Soviet Union......the objective way in which it is written unlike most Western Historians who write on Russia with a huge political and ideological axe to grind. Robert Service lets the facts do the talking and conclusions are foregone but do not seem to be imposed on the reader. The overthrow of Nicholas II, Lenin days, degenerating into horror of Stalin's 'Terror and days of purge', Cold period of Khruschev followed by dreadiness of Breznev, International optimism under Gorbachov coupled with despair with the transition to market economy for Russians, collapse of one of the greatest empires of the world overnight in 1991, cementing nexus of politicians and Oligarchs under Yelstin is well captured in this book. One negative is that though the sub title says ' Nicholas II to PUT IN FOR PUTIN

A GOOD SERVICE....

corruption, that became endemic under the Brezhnev era with complacent, irresponsible management, and supplementing of income from other, often illegitimate, sources. Service reveals that by the time of the Brezhnev era, a deep cynicism was inbedded in the leadership that had scant regard for the actual ideals of communism, and instead sought little more than to preserve their hold on power. Such logic was behind the selection of the deathly ill Chernenko in the Kremlin succession of 1984, merely as a means to forestall a shakeup of the Soviet hierarchy.
Service gives coverage to the Perestroika era, which is similar to his study in Comrades, but perhaps with more detail. From the breakup of the USSR he covers the power struggles, and uncertainty of the Yeltsin era, and take the readers up to and including the succession of Medvedev and the 2008 5 day war in Georgia.
Service is praising of Russia's achivements in the post Soviet era, and is reasonably optimistic of Russia's future.