Collapse cover art

Collapse

The Fall of the Soviet Union

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Collapse

By: Vladislav M. Zubok
Narrated by: David de Vries
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $41.55

Buy Now for $41.55

About this listen

A major study of the collapse of the Soviet Union - showing how Gorbachev's misguided reforms led to its demise

In 1945, the Soviet Union controlled half of Europe and was a founding member of the United Nations. By 1991, it had an army four million strong, 5,000 nuclear-tipped missiles, and was the second biggest producer of oil in the world. But soon afterward, the union sank into an economic crisis and was torn apart by nationalist separatism. Its collapse was one of the seismic shifts of the 20th century.

Thirty years on, Vladislav Zubok offers a major reinterpretation of the final years of the USSR, refuting the notion that the breakup of the Soviet order was inevitable. Instead, Zubok reveals how Gorbachev's misguided reforms, intended to modernize and democratize the Soviet Union, deprived the government of resources and empowered separatism. Collapse sheds new light on Russian democratic populism, the Baltic struggle for independence, the crisis of Soviet finances - and the fragility of authoritarian state power.

©2021 Vladislav M. Zubok (P)2021 Tantor 20th Century Modern Russia Soviet Union Military Socialism
All stars
Most relevant
A fantastic, in-depth account of one of the most complex and impactful events of the 20th century.

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved the narrator. Great listening and a deeply engrossing story. One of the most detailed accounts of the dissolution of the Soviet union I’ve found.

A captivating and important read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
an excellent book for anyone interested in a detailed description of the last years of the Soviet Union.

Excellent book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Best accounting of the fall of the Soviet Union that I've ever seen. Well worth your time.

Fantastic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very well-searched history that maintains a lively pace despite the depth of information. Truly an engaging work. It maintains a remarkably neutral stance with respect to the events described, and free of the triumphalism found in other works.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.