Forging a Unitary State: Russia's Management of the Eurasian Space, 1650-1850 - Softcover

LeDonne, John P.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1487542119 ISBN 13: 9781487542115

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2020

Synopsis

Covering two centuries of Russian history, Forging a Unitary State is a comprehensive account of the creation of what is commonly known as the "Russian Empire," from Poland to Siberia. In this book, John P. LeDonne demonstrates that the so-called empire was, for the most part, a unitary state, defined by an obsessive emphasis on centralization and uniformity. The standardization of local administration, the judicial system, tax regime, and commercial policy were carried out slowly but systematically over eight generations, in the hope of integrating people on the periphery into the Russian political and social hierarchy.

The ultimate goal of Russian policy was to create a "Fortress Empire" consisting of a huge Russian unitary state flanked by a few peripheral territories, such as Finland, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia. Additional peripheral states, such as Sweden, Turkey, and Persia, would guarantee the security of this "Fortress Empire," and the management of Eurasian territory. LeDonne’s provocative argument is supported by a careful comparative study of Russian expansion along its western, southern, and eastern borders, drawing on vital but under-studied administrative evidence. Forging a Unitary State is an essential resource for those interested in the long history of Russian expansionism.

About this title

About the Author

John P. LeDonne is a senior research associate at the Davis Center, Harvard University.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1487542119
• ISBN 13: 9781487542115
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 682