The Soviet Union shaped the 20 ^th century like no other nation except the United States. In the 1960s and 70s, it was justifiably viewed as the second world superpower. M. Hildermeier reviews the most important developmental phases, inflection points, and disruptions in Soviet history. An updated research section includes Stalinism, Brezhnev's "developed socialism," and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Manfred Hildermeier, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen