The Soviet Union, the Communist Movement, and the World ― Prelude to the Cold War, 1917-1941

Levine traces the development of the Soviet Union and the Communist movement from 1917 to the Nazi invasion of the USSR in June 1941. Arguing that the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the Western democracies can only be fully understood by examining the doctrine and practices of the Soviet Union and the world Communist movement from their inception, Levine offers a detailed account of the development of the state parties in Russia and China, the Communist seizure of power, the Soviet Union's role in international relations between the two world wars, and the development of the techniques of conflict management used by the Communist powers later in the era of the Cold War.

ALAN J. LEVINE is an historian specializing in Russian history and the study of twentieth-century international relations. A freelance writer and reviewer, he has written numerous articles on World War II and the Cold War.