Two Really Good Books on Russia's Eastern Front

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aiwac
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Joined: 29 Jun 2014, 01:58

Two Really Good Books on Russia's Eastern Front

#1

Post by aiwac » 07 Feb 2016, 04:14

Prof. David Stone provides an easy to read operational history, largely from Russia's perspective, on every major operation, including the Caucusus, Operation Albion and Riga, and so forth, based on Soviet and post-Soviet studies. Maps are easy to understand (wish there were a few more, though!), and arguments are clear. I like Stone's emphasis on contingency, arguing that there were many points in the war that could have easily gone the other way, including the precise moment when Russia exited.

http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Army-Grea ... avid+stone

A much more ambitious work that looks at the war through the lens of its effects on the Russia empire and society as a whole, also making much use of Russian material, is Joshua Sanborn's Imperial Apocalypse. You see here many of the machinations and civilian sufferings in the east that put paid to the idea that WWI was generally a "clean" war between soldiers. Stone is better on the military aspects, FWIW.

http://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Apocalyp ... ian+empire

There's a lot more work to be done in the Russian archives (and likely there's much material in the archives of post-Soviet states) on all aspects, but I think we've reached the point now that the Eastern Front is no longer an "unknown front." Churchill would be pleased.

The Ibis
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Re: Two Really Good Books on Russia's Eastern Front

#2

Post by The Ibis » 07 Feb 2016, 22:29

aiwac wrote:...

There's a lot more work to be done in the Russian archives (and likely there's much material in the archives of post-Soviet states) on all aspects, but I think we've reached the point now that the Eastern Front is no longer an "unknown front." Churchill would be pleased.
Apparently Dominic Lieven was the proverbial last man out of the Russian foreign ministry archives before they were closed because they are sinking into the Moscow subway!
"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." - Casey Stengel


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