Towards the flame : empire, war and the end of Tsarist Russia

The Russian decision to mobilize in July 1914 may have been the single most catastrophic choice of the modern era. Some articulate, thoughtful figures around the tsar understood Russia's fragility, yet they were shouted down by those who were convinced that despite Germany's patent military superiority, Russian greatness required decisive action. Russia's rulers thought they were acting to secure their future, but in fact - after millions of deaths and two revolutions - they were consigning their entire class to death or exile and their country to a uniquely terrible generations-long experiment under a very different regime. As Much As Anything, World War I Turned On The Fate Of Ukraine . . . 'the Decision To Go To War In 1914 Had Catastrophic Consequences For Russia. The Result Was Revolution, Civil War And Famine In 1917-20, Followed By Decades Of Communist Rule. Dominic Lieven's Powerful And Original New Book, Based On Exhaustive And Unprecedented Study In Russian And Many Other Foreign Archives, Explains Why This Suicidal Decision Was Made And Explores The World Of The Men Who Made It, Thereby Consigning Their Entire Class To Death Or Exile And Making Their Country The Victim Of A Uniquely Terrible Political Experiment Under Lenin And Stalin. But Towards The Flame Is About Far More Than Russia.by Looking At The Origins And Results Of The First World War From A Mostly Russian Angle It Offers A Radically Different View Of Why Europe Descended Into Disaster. Dominic Lieven's Interpretation Of Europe's Great War And Russia's Revolution Will Overturn Assumptions About Events That Still Have Major Implications For World History Down To The Present Day. A World Of Empires -- The Russian Empire -- The Decision Makers -- The Emergence Of The Triple Entente, 1904-9 -- Crisis Follows Crisis, 1909-13 -- 1914 -- The July Crisis -- War, Revolution, And Empire. Dominic Lieven. Includes Bilbiographical References And Index. "'As much as anything, the First World War turned on the fate of Ukraine...' The decision to go to war in 1914 had catastrophic consequences for Russia. The result was revolution, civil war and famine in 1917-20, followed by decades of Communist rule. Dominic Lieven's powerful and original new book, based on exhaustive and unprecedented study in Russian and many other foreign archives, explains why this suicidal decision was made and explores the world of the men who made it, thereby consigning their entire class to death or exile and making their country the victim of a uniquely terrible political experiment under Lenin and Stalin. Epic in detail and scope, THE END OF TSARIST RUSSIA is a gripping study of why the Russian Revolution happened and why it had such fateful consequences for both Russia and Europe. THE END OF TSARIST RUSSIA is about far more than Russia. By looking at the origins and results of the First World War from a mostly Russian angle, it offers a radically different view of why Europe descended into disaster. Dominic Lieven's interpretation of Europe's great war and Russia's revolution will overturn assumptions about events that still have major implications for world history down to the present day"-- Book jacket TLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016 FINANCIAL TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2015 WINNER OF THE PUSHKIN HOUSE RUSSIAN BOOK PRIZE 2016 'Magisterial... reveals how much is at stake for world order in Ukraine and Syria.' Rachel Polonsky 'As much as anything, World War I turned on the fate of Ukraine' The decision to go to war in 1914 had catastrophic consequences for Russia. The result was revolution, civil war and famine in 1917-20, followed by decades of communist rule. Dominic Lieven's powerful and original book, based on exhaustive and unprecedented study in Russian and many other foreign archives, explains why this suicidal decision was made and explores the world of the men who made it, thereby consigning their entire class to death or exile and making their country the victim of a uniquely terrible political experiment under Lenin and Stalin. Dominic Lieven is a Senior Research Fellow of Trinity College,Cambridge University, and a Fellow of the British Academy. His book Russia Against Napoleon (Penguin) won the Wolfson Prize for History and the Prize of the Fondation Napoleon for the best foreign work on the Napoleonic era. "'As much as anything, World War I turned on the fate of Ukraine . . . 'The decision to go to war in 1914 had catastrophic consequences for Russia. The result was revolution, civil war and famine in 1917-20, followed by decades of Communist rule. Dominic Lieven's powerful and original new book, based on exhaustive and unprecedented study in Russian and many other foreign archives, explains why this suicidal decision was made and explores the world of the men who made it, thereby consigning their entire class to death or exile and making their country the victim of a uniquely terrible political experiment under Lenin and Stalin. But Towards the Flame is about far more than Russia. By looking at the origins and results of the First World War from a mostly Russian angle it offers a radically different view of why Europe descended into disaster. Dominic Lieven's interpretation of Europe's great war and Russia's revolution will overturn assumptions about events that still have major implications for world history down to the present day."--Book jacket. The Russian decision to mobilize in July 1914 may have been the single most catastrophic choice of the modern era. This title deals with the foreign work on the Napoleonic era.