ABSTRACT
New thinking rejects the notion that the Soviet Union should actively promote and protect socialist revolutions around the world. The Russian Orthodox Church was dominant until the 1917 revolution, and when Vladimir Lenin instituted his particular brand of Marxism it took on many of the features and functions of a religion. When historians look back on the last half of the twentieth century, the event that will most likely stand out as the most significant is the collapse of Soviet Communism symbolized by the final demise of Vladimir Lenin. In the domestic realm, too—though the changes have been much more tentative and difficult—the Soviet Union has departed from Lenin. Karl Marxism-Leninism also blended with a penchant for group narcissism—the shared sense that the Russian people are superior and have a unique role to play in the world. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
