Cargando…

History's greatest heist : the looting of Russia by the Bolsheviks /

"Historians have never resolved a central mystery of the Russian Revolution: How did the Bolsheviks, despite facing a world of enemies and leaving nothing but economic ruin in their path, manage to stay in power through five long years of civil war? In this book, Sean McMeekin draws on previous...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Clasificación:Libro Electrónico
Autor principal: McMeekin, Sean, 1974- (Autor)
Formato: Electrónico eBook
Idioma:Inglés
Publicado: New Haven : Yale University Press, [2009]
Temas:
Acceso en línea:Texto completo
Descripción
Sumario:"Historians have never resolved a central mystery of the Russian Revolution: How did the Bolsheviks, despite facing a world of enemies and leaving nothing but economic ruin in their path, manage to stay in power through five long years of civil war? In this book, Sean McMeekin draws on previously undiscovered materials from the Soviet Ministry of Finance and other European and American archives to expose some of the darkest secrets of Russia's early days of communism. Building on one archival revelation after another, the author reveals how the Bolsheviks financed their aggression through astonishingly extensive thievery. Their looting included everything from the cash savings of private citizens to gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, icons, antiques, and artwork." "By tracking illicit Soviet financial transactions across Europe, McMeekin shows how Lenin's regime accomplished history's greatest heist between 1917 and 1922 and turned centuries of accumulated wealth into the sinews of class war. McMeekin also names names, introducing for the first time the compliant bankers, lawyers, and middlemen who, for a price, helped the Bolsheviks launder their loot, impoverish Russia, and impose their brutal will on millions."--Jacket
Descripción Física:1 online resource (xxii, 302 pages, 6 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations
Bibliografía:Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-285) and index.
ISBN:9780300152791
0300152795
9786612352287
6612352280