ABSTRACT
Soviet communism was one of the most ambitious attempts at social engineering in history. Coming to power in October 1917, the Bolshevik party under the leadership of Vladimir Il’ich Lenin sought to change every aspect of Russian politics and society. The Soviet system endured far longer than most of its early critics thought possible, but ultimately in 1991 came crashing down. Three processes were at work: the dissolution of the communist system; the disintegration of the USSR; and the reconstitution of Russia. The USSR emerged victorious in Europe in May and in Asia in September 1945 as part of the winning alliance with the Western powers. This alliance soon crumbled into the Cold War as it became clear that Soviet power had come to stay in the Eastern European countries liberated from fascism by the Red Army, but now to be subordinated to the great Soviet communist experiment.
