ABSTRACT
The Communist system of the Soviet Union and its dependencies is the product of two factors: the Russian political tradition and the ideology of Marxism-Leninism. Neither of these factors, taken by themselves, can explain the structure and the behavior of Communist regimes. The political culture of Russia is thus very short on the notions of private property, law and human rights, and long on everything that serves to enhance the might of the state. Communist ideology and the interests of the nomenklatura have reinforced the expansionist traditions, making Russian imperialism more aggressive and more persistent than ever before. The best way to demonstrate the need for a powerful Communist state and military establishment is constantly to expand the Communist realm. The evolution of Russia from the patrimonial tradition to the Western began in the late seventeenth century and accelerated after the accession of Peter the Great.
