Focusing on the pivotal role of Prime Minister Stolypin from 1906 to 1911, this book delves into a crucial era of Russian history marked by the autocracy's struggle to maintain power following the 1905 Revolution and leading up to the Tsar's downfall in 1917. It examines the final efforts of tsarism to implement reforms in a turbulent political landscape, providing insights into the complexities of governance and reform during a time of significant upheaval in Russia.
Tells the stories of the Russians, exploring the vast expanses of the empire and the lives of the rural peasants, describing the ways in which Russia took on, or rejected, Western influences, and recounting how the empire was built and maintained.
The Tsarist Empire posed unique problems to its rulers. Peter Waldron examines the challenges that faced them in terms of geography, culture, finance and military power, analysing the sources of the Russian Empire's strength and the reasons why the tsars were able to maintain their unlimited power for so long.
This book explores the long-term reasons for the demise of Imperial Russia, examining the failure of the autocratic state to strengthen its own political position while economic change transformed Russian society.