
Days of Defeat and Victory
Yegor Gaidar(Author)
University of Washington Press
Will be published approx. on 28. July 2015
Book
Hardback
374 pages
978-0-295-99803-9 (ISBN)
Description
Yegor Gaidar, the first post-Soviet prime minister of Russia and one of the principal architects of its historic transformation to a market economy, here presents his lively account of governing in the tumultuous early 1990s. Though still in his forties, Gaidar has already played a pivotal role in contemporary Russian political history, championing the cause of dramatic economic reform, aggressive privatization of state enterprises, and painful fiscal discipline in the face of widespread popular resistance.
Gaidar's youthfulness, energy, and daring are symbolic of a new phenomenon in Russian politics - the emergence of a younger generation of politicians with a distinctly technocratic bent, looking firmly to the United States and Europe for inspiration and sharing little of the old generation's nostalgia for Communist stability. It was largely the implementation of Gaidar's policies that drove the Russian parliament to rebel against Boris Yeltsin in 1993, leading to the bloody tank assault on the parliament itself. Though Yeltsin prevailed, it was clear that the political and social costs of "shock therapy" were too great for Russia's fragile democracy to bear, and Gaidar himself was ousted to appease the conservatives. His unfinished agenda was put on hold, though he later returned when Yeltsin needed to placate international financial forces.
Gaidar remains active in Russian politics, having formed his own political party, Russia's Democratic Choice. In this book, he brings his story through Yeltsin's cliffhanger re-election in 1996, and assesses the still-precarious state of the market reforms and democratic politics.
Gaidar's youthfulness, energy, and daring are symbolic of a new phenomenon in Russian politics - the emergence of a younger generation of politicians with a distinctly technocratic bent, looking firmly to the United States and Europe for inspiration and sharing little of the old generation's nostalgia for Communist stability. It was largely the implementation of Gaidar's policies that drove the Russian parliament to rebel against Boris Yeltsin in 1993, leading to the bloody tank assault on the parliament itself. Though Yeltsin prevailed, it was clear that the political and social costs of "shock therapy" were too great for Russia's fragile democracy to bear, and Gaidar himself was ousted to appease the conservatives. His unfinished agenda was put on hold, though he later returned when Yeltsin needed to placate international financial forces.
Gaidar remains active in Russian politics, having formed his own political party, Russia's Democratic Choice. In this book, he brings his story through Yeltsin's cliffhanger re-election in 1996, and assesses the still-precarious state of the market reforms and democratic politics.
Reviews / Votes
"Those seeking a deeper understanding of the tumultuous economic and political changes that occurred in Russia during the 1990s will welcome this translation of Gaidar's lively and candid account of his role in Russia's painful and still incomplete transition to a market economy. . . . Gaidar opens a window onto the formidable challenges of introducing democratic and economic change in his native land."(Publishers Weekly)
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Seattle
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
16 b&w photos
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
689 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-295-99803-9 (9780295998039)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Yegor Gaidar. Foreword by Jane Ann Miller and Michael McFaul
Content
Foreword
Preface
Childhood
Getting My Bearings
Options and Forecasts
August of Ninety-one
On the Eve . . .
The First Step is Always the Hardest
The Terrible Winter of Ninety-one
An Accurate Forecast
Dismissal
Dvoevlastie
The Battle
Lost Opportunities
Democracy and Chechnya
Conclusion
Afterword to the English-Language Edition
Notes
Index
Preface
Childhood
Getting My Bearings
Options and Forecasts
August of Ninety-one
On the Eve . . .
The First Step is Always the Hardest
The Terrible Winter of Ninety-one
An Accurate Forecast
Dismissal
Dvoevlastie
The Battle
Lost Opportunities
Democracy and Chechnya
Conclusion
Afterword to the English-Language Edition
Notes
Index