The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of fifteen independent states on its former territory is one of the most momentous developments of the twentieth century. In this volume, five leading international scholars team up to examine the forces that lay behind the rise of national movements which challenged, then destroyed, the stability and territorial integrity of the former Soviet state offering unique insights into the links between political structure and nationalism. Presenting a broad and timely analysis of the national dimension of politics after perestroika, this book is essential reading for all those seeking to understand the complexities underlying the demise of the Soviet state, as well as the emergence of new states actively engaged in defining their national identities at home and abroad.

"Of the many books that emerged from the Fourth World Congress of Soviet and East European Studies Conference heldl at Harrogate, England, in 1990, this slim volume may be the best....It should be read by everyone interested in why the Soviet Union collapsed and what lies ahead." The Russian Review

"An excellent and experienced set of authors...." Foreign Affairs

"Ideal for graduate seminars....wide-ranging essays place the events of 1985-91 and the rise of ethnonationalism conceptually and historically in the broad evolution of the Soviet Union and the often contradictory phases of policies affecting ethnic nationalities." Joel C. Moses, American Political Science Review

"Students of nationalism and of Soviet demise will find the individual contributions in this book useful as an orientation to the subject and valuable for the insights that they provide." Mark R. Beissinger, Slavic Review