Alexander Yakovlev: The Man Whose Ideas Delivered Russia from Communism (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies)

A significant political figure in twentieth-century Russia, Alexander Yakovlev was the intellectual force behind the processes of perestroika (reconstruction) and glasnost (openness) that liberated the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from Communist rule between 1989 and 1991. Yet, until now, not a single full-scale biography has been devoted to him. In his study of the unsung hero, Richard Pipes seeks to rectify this lacuna and give Yakovlev his historical due. Yakovlev's life provides a unique instance of a leading figure in the Soviet government who evolved from a dedicated Communist and Stalinist into an equally ardent foe of everything the Leninist-Stalinist regime stood for. He quit government service in 1991 and lived until 2005, becoming toward the end of his life a classical western liberal who shared none of the traditional Russian values. Pipes's illuminating study consists of two parts: a biography of Yakovlev and Pipes's translation of two important articles by Yakovlev. It will appeal to specialists and students of Soviet and post-Soviet studies, government officials involved with foreign policy, and general readers interested in the history of Russia and the Soviet Union.

A significant political figure in twentieth-century Russia, Alexander Yakovlev was the intellectual force behind the processes of perestroika (reconstruction) and glasnost (openness) that liberated the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from Communist rule between 1989 and 1991. Yet, until now, not a single full-scale biography has been devoted to him.

In his study of the unsung hero, Richard Pipes seeks to rectify this lacuna and give Yakovlev his historical due. Yakovlev's life provides a unique instance of a leading figure in the Soviet government who evolved from a dedicated Communist and Stalinist into an equally ardent foe of everything the Leninist-Stalinist regime stood for. He quit government service in 1991 and lived until 2005, becoming toward the end of his life a classical western liberal who shared none of the traditional Russian values. Pipes's illuminating study consists of two parts: a biography of Yakovlev and Pipes's translation of two important articles by Yakovlev. It will appeal to specialists and students of Soviet and post-Soviet studies, government officials involved with foreign policy, and general readers interested in the history of Russia and the Soviet Union.

"A significant political figure in twentieth-century Russia, Alexander Yakovlev was the intellectual force behind the processes of peretroika (reconstruction) and glasnost' (openness) that liberated the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe form Communist rule between 1989 and 1991. Yet, until now, not a single full-scale biography has been devoted to him. The main reason for this deliberate oblivion is that the communists regard Yakovlev as their bête noire, while the reformers prefer to give credit to Mikhail Gorbachev. In his study of the unsung hero, Richard Pipes seeks to rectify this lacuna and give Yakovlev his historic due. Yakovlev's life provides a unique instance of a leading figure in the Soviet government who evolved from a dedicated Communist and Stalinist into an equally ardent foe of everything the Leninist-Stalinist regime stood for. He quit government service in 1991 and lived until 2005, becoming toward the end of his life a classical western liberal who shared none of the traditional Russian values. Pipes's illuminating study consists of two parts: a biography of Yakovlev and Pipes's translation of two important articles by Yakovlev." --back cover Preface viv 1 Youth 3 2 War 6 3 Khrushchev's Speech 9 4 Columbia University 14 5 Trouble 17 6 Canada 20 7 Back Home 26 8 The December 1985 Memorandum 29 9 Relations with Gorbachev 33 10 Glasnost' 36 11 Need of a Fundamental Break 47 12 Role in Foreign Policy 48 13 The 1939 Secret Protocol 51 14 Attitude toward the United States 54 15 Advocating Presidency 59 16 Accusations of Treason 61 17 Bolshevik Crimes 66 18 The Dissolution of the Soviet Union 73 19 Private Life 74 20 The August 1991 Coup 75 21 Yakovlev's Final Thoughts about Russia and Russians 78 22 Death 80 Documents 1 Article "Against Anti-Historicism" (1972) 81 2 Memorandum of December 1985 115 Acknowledgments 129 List of Illustrations 131 Abbreviations of Yakovlev's Works 133 Notes 135 Bibliography 143 Index 145