The Real Russia
U.S.S.R.: Its Significance for the West. By S. C. G. (Gollancz. 2s.6d
MORE nonsense has been written about the Soviet Union th about any other country. The writers generally tried to prove much—either that Russian communism should be universall applied, or that it finally proved the case againht socialism in an shape or form. The result was usually to give quite a clear pictur of the writer's mind but a very poor picture of the Soviet UM Quite a superficial knowledge of pre-revolutionary Russian histo would generally have prevented the grosser distortions in eith direction, and this book has been written with full regard for th historical background.
Much less nonsense is written today about the Soviet Union, b what is written is much more one-sided. One of the most signifi things that has happened this country since the war began is th fact that the U.S.S.R. has called forth from the British public enthusiasm perhaps greater than anything in the home field h stimulated. The reason is not merely that military victories hay been won in Russia, for the enthusiasm was there while the Russi armies were still retreating. The reason is to be found rather i a vague, undefined feeling that the Russians have started to soh a number of problems in social and economic organisation whit we have still to face. That emotional enthusiasm may be a positi% danger unless it is tempered by knowledge and it is therefor essential to learn what the Russians have done, how and why the have done it, and how much of it can usefully be detached fr its purely Russian setting and transplanted to western Europe.
It is futile to' approach such a task .in the spirit of uncriti admiration engendered by the Russian victories. The great me of U.S.S.R. Its Significance for the West is that it avoids th elementary, but common error. In 72 pages it outlines the on of the U.S.S.R., its economic and social development, its polit developrhent internally as well as in the field of external relation and draws certain conclusions about the lessons we can learn her And it discusses the major problem which has somehow got to solved—but which neither we nor the Russians have yet succeed in solving—how to combine economic planning with democrat forms of government. It puts many things into perspective whi seem inexplicable by themselves. T3 our. way of thinking, the has been a ruthlessness about Soviet methods which we would no' tolerate. But a job had to be done quickly and thoroughly if Soviet State was to survive against foreign aggression, and kid-glo methods would have led to disaster. So, too, probably, would democratic constitution, superimposed on a people which had alwa been used to autocratic government.
Russian history must be studied elsewhere but this book proudas good a starting point as any for learning what the Soviet Uni
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