Political Will and Personal Belief : The Decline and Fall of Soviet Communism

by Paul Hollander

• ISBN13: 9780300076202
• ISBN10: 0300076207
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 1999-11-10
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

The unexpected collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 signaled the demise of a political and economic system that was widely perceived as durable, the preeminent rival to that of the United States. Less conspicuous than the momentous political transformations were the altered beliefs, aspirations, and illusions of the individuals who had maintained and led that system. In this original interpretation the eminent sociologist Paul Hollander focuses on the human aspects of the failure of Soviet communism. He examines how members of the Soviet political elite, leaders in communist Czechoslovakia and Hungary, high-ranking officials in agencies of control and coercion, and distinguished defectors and exiles experienced the erosion of ideals that undermined the political system they had once believed in.

Hollander analyzes an array of autobiographical and biographical writings, journalistic accounts, and scholarly interpretations of the unraveling of Soviet communism. The Soviet Union fell apart not merely because of severe economic shortcomings, Hollander argues, but

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
The Human Factor in the Failure of Communism	1	(34)
Defectors and Exiles: Disillusionment Before the Fall	35	(52)
Soviet Leaders: The Reformers	87	(48)
The Ambivalence of High-Level Functionaries	135	(32)
The Political Transformation of East European Leaders	167	(42)
Leading Specialists in ``State Security'' (Political Police)	209	(66)
Conclusions: The Unity of Theory and Practice	275	(24)
Appendix: The Interviews	299	(8)
Notes	307	(33)
Bibliography	340	(11)
Index	351