Paul Dukes

"At the Washington Conference on the Limitation of Armament and on Pacific and Far Eastern Questions of 1921-1922, hosted by President Harding, the USA established predominance over Britain and its empire, France and Japan in a series of treaties limiting the size of the world's major navies and aiming at stability throughout the Pacific as well as on the Asiatic mainland. Meanwhile, 'Uninvited Russia' was attempting to establish its hold on the former Tsarist lands, partly through the stratagem of the Far East Republic used against Japanese intervention. In 1922, Soviet power was consolidated in the creation of the USSR." "The USA in the Making of the USSR will show the importance of the 'Russian question' at the Washington Conference and throw light on the emergence of the 'Versailles-Washington' system of international relations."--Jacket.

The Urals are best known as the boundary between Europe and Asia. A History of the Urals demonstrates the region's importance in its own right, as a crucible of Russia's defence industry in particular. In the first English-language book to explore the subject fully, Paul Dukes examines the region's contribution to the power of the state in Tsarist, Soviet and post-Soviet times, offering a refreshing antidote to Moscow-centric interpretations of Russian history. The book contextualizes more recent periods with chapters on the earlier years of the Urals and covers the key environmental as well as economic, political and cultural themes. The book contains illustrations and maps, plus lists of books and websites, as aids to further research and understanding of the subject. A History of the Urals is an important book that provides new and valuable insights for all students of Russian history. -- from back cover.