ヨーロッパとアジアにまたがる国土を有する多民族国家、ロシア連邦。連邦政府による社会の統制から、多民族国家への転換、西側諸国との関係や、ソビエト時代とその後の状況まで、この国の壮大な歴史をたどりながら、この巨大な領土をめぐるさまざまな問題を考察します。(Cf. The Russian Revolution, #063; The Soviet Union, #207; Russia: What Everyone Needs to Know)
 

• Examines Russian history in an impartial way, arguing that 'Good Russia' and 'Bad Russia' are one and the same
• Puts into context the difficulties Russia faces in terms of the size of its territory, its ability to rule the masses, its diverse population, and its harsh and vulnerable environment
• Gives attention to the important individuals in Russian history; from Peter the Great and Catherine II to Lenin and Stalin
• Considers Russia's relationship with the West and Europe
• Examines the Soviet experience and the post-Soviet era

 
Spanning the divide between Europe and Asia, Russia is a multi-ethnic empire with a huge territory, strategically placed and abundantly provided with natural resources. But Russia's territory has a harsh climate, is cut off from most maritime contact with the outside world, and has open and vulnerable land frontiers. It has therefore had to devote much of its wealth to the armed forces, and the sheer size of the empire has made it difficult to mobilise resources and to govern effectively, especially given the diversity of its people. 

In this Very Short Introduction, Geoffrey Hosking discusses all aspects of Russian history, from the struggle by the state to control society, the transformation of the empire into a multi-ethnic empire, Russia's relationship with the West/Europe, the Soviet experience, and the post-Soviet era.