The Time of Troubles was a period of great upheaval in Russian history. It began when the ancient ruling dynasty died out in 1598 and Boris Godunov defeated rival boyars to become the tsar. For more than a decade thereafter; Russia was plagued by dynastic struggle; devastating famine; widespread uprisings; and invasion by Polish and Swedish armies. The Time of Troubles finally ended in 1613 with the establishment of the Romanovs as the ruling dynasty. Russia's state crisis had been so severe that it nearly destroyed the country and seriously delayed its emergence as a great power. Ever since then the Time of Troubles has occupied a unique place in Russia's collective memory. Russia's First Civil War is the first major post-Marxist reassessment of the Time of Troubles and the first detailed study of that tragic era in English. Historians have long misinterpreted popular uprisings during the Times of Troubles as the first social revolution of the Russian masses against serfdom. Dunning overturns this view and demonstrates that at the heart of the "Troubles" was a long and extremely violent civil war that divided Russian society vertically instead of horizontally. He shows that serfs did not actively participate in the civil war and that the abolition of serfdom was never a rebel goal. Instead; most rebels were petty gentry; professional soldiers; townsmen; and cossacks who were united in fierce opposition to tsars they believed to be illegitimate usurpers. Based upon exhaustive research; Russia's First Civil War is a masterful mix of social and military history; firmly placing the Time of Troubles in the context of the waves of wars and rebellions that swept through early modern Europe and Asia.
#1183207 in Books 1999-01-11Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .97 x 6.00l; 1.33 #File Name: 0271019336388 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Interested in Russian German Heritage? Read about Volga Germans; Emigrating First to Russia Thence to AmericaBy Andy Anderson aka Travis C.As a youth growing up; even until I reached 37 years of age; my mother was convinced she was German. Then; after her own mother died two days previously; my mother learned; on her last night on Earth; that her mother actually was born in Russia. Mom died unaware of her Volga German heritage.It would be seven years before I became aware of the initial 104 towns that pioneered the southern border of Russia in Catherine The Great's scheme to bolster her adoptive country's hold on the frontier wrested back from China.The first book I found pertinent to the Volga Germans was Wireless Wollen Deutsche Bleiben: The Story of the Volga Germans by George J. Walters. That book led me to this; The Volga Germans in Russia and the Americas; from 1763 to the present.Fred C. Koch documents much more about he spiritual and religious thoughts and practices than did Walters. But; of greater importance; Koch gives us understanding and documentation regarding the Volga Germans emigration to Argentina; Brazil; Bolivia and other countries opt the New World.For me; since my Mother's grandfather hailed from the Volga German Republic but he fathered Mom's dad in Argenntina; this aspect was a key importance.Another nice feature of Koch's book is; 'A Roster of the German Colonies on the Lower Volga.' This feature should be a nice aid to genealogical researchers.Overall; I rate this 360-plus page; 'The Volga Germans: In Russia and the America's from 1763 to the Present;' as a five star for anyone interested in the Germans who emigrated first to Germany; thence to the Americas.9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. A Slice of Personal HistoryBy Louis NoodlemanI've always known my mother's family came over to the States from the German Frank Colony; but I knew nothing else. This book has supplied me with such a wealth of history about my ancestors. When and why they left Germany for Russia; when and why they left Russia for the U.S.; how they lived; where exactly they lived. All of these questions are answered for my ancestors' colony and for the other Volga Germans as well. This book is a treasure.22 of 23 people found the following review helpful. A Must Read for All People from German for Russian FamiliesBy Diana L. CroissantThis book and the one entitled Wir Wollen Deutsche Bleiben are essential reads for anyone who comes from a family of Germans from Russia. This ethnic group is discussed almost never in American History books; and indeed; it is a group of people who often took more pride in fitting in to the United States rather than talking about their struggles when they first arrived.But as a grandchild whose four grandparents arrived as teenagers from Russia but who were German and not "Roosian" (as they pronounced it); I found this book to be an excellent source for understanding my heritage and providing me all the more reason to be proud of my people.Koch's research is very thorough. Read it if you are a German from Russia and want to know your heritage. Please read it if you are not; simply because it describes a group of people you may have never heard of before but people you should know as part of the tossed salad or melting pot (whichever metaphor you prefer) of the United States.
