The Time of Troubles: A Historical Study of the Internal Crisis and Social Struggle in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Muscovy

By S.A. Platonov

Book Overview

Sergei Feodorovich Platonov's Time of Troubles is a classic study of the years 1598-1613, a turbulent and decisive period in Russian history. Available for the first time in English, this work will be a valuable tool for students of the medieval as well as modern periods.

Platonov, himself a tragic victim of the regimentation imposed on Soviet cultural life in the 1920s, was born in 1860 and attained immense public and professional recognition in Russia as a leading historian. In his work he synthesized, to a high degree, two major traditions of Russian historiography: the St. Petersburg "school," which emphasized the collection and rigorous use of primary sources, and the Moscow "school" with its socioeconomic and geopolitical approaches. Time of Troubles represents the finished product of a lifetime spent in research, writing, and teaching. In broad terms it treats nearly a century and a half of Russian history (1500-1648); in detail it scrutinizes developments in the Muscovite State from 1598 to 1613. Some of the major issues covered in this volume are: the growing consolidation of Muscovite absolutism and the formation of a national state; the expansion of Muscovy to the west and southeast; the demise of the boyar class and the rise of the service-gentry; the emergence of serfdom as the social basis of Muscovite society; the cataclysmic end of one dynasty, the House of Rurik, and the beginnings of another, the House of Romanov. For Platonov--who devoted most of his career as a scholar to the study of these dramatic years--the epoch marked nothing less than the great divide between medieval Muscovy and modern Russia, witnessing the downfall of an essentially patrimonial regime and its replacement, after fierce struggles, by a more modern state founded on a new constellation of social groups.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0700600620
• ISBN13: 9780700600625
• Release Date: April 1970
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Platonov presents the complete context for the development of "The Time of Troubles"

From the death of Ivan IV (the terrible) in 1584 until the election of Mikhail Romanov as Tsar in 1613, the Russian nation was in a state of continuous war and chaos. At times, there was no authority beyond what local control could be asserted. Bands of brigands roamed the countryside, contingents of foreign troops followed their own agendas and large numbers of people died from all conceivable causes. This period of time is known as "The Time of Troubles." Historians are in general agreement that it is not possible to understand the current Russian mentality and desire for a strong leader without knowing about this period of Russian history. Sergei Platonov was a Russian historian born in 1860 and he lived long enough to experience the growing regimentation and brutality of Joseph Stalin. Therefore, he was familiar with the problems of the Russian Empire under Tsar Nicolas II, the tragedy of the First World War, the rise of Bolshevik power and the chaos of the Russian Civil war. Platonov puts the history of the country in the years 1584 - 1613 in the proper perspective. National disasters of the political and economic nature do not simply arise from nothing; there is always a lengthy preparation of the conditions that allow the disasters to arise and linger for extended periods. If you want to understand the broad spectrum of social, political and economic forces that led to "The Time of Troubles", then this is one of the best sources available.

An essential work for history lovers

This book is written by Russia's late expert in the country's history, which is one of the reasons why this book is important to every medieval history student. It's quite easy to read- cause the author divides the book into many small chapters, which cover only one subject at a time. This is a huge asset, since many history book tend to rush from one subject to another- leaving the reader confused and irritated. So for those who don't like the thought of a dry treatise- don't worry it's very accesible!!!!The author's knowledge is evident, it's written with security and straight-forwardness without unneccesary complications. There's no specific point of view, from which the book is written, so it gives a good, thorough review of this remarkable era in Russian history. Good for non-experts in medieval history- but also nice for historylovers!!