This book provides an updated approach to exploring this foundational period of Soviet history. It is primarily designed to address the HSC Modern History National Study 'Option F: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917 - 41' and includes detailed coverage of the key features and issues of the period. The book draws on many contemporary historians who have challenged many old perceptions about this period and includes a range of activities and essay questions to help students engage with the material. Appendix One includes four annotated student essays to demonstrate how the ideas in the text can be used in the context of developing sophisticated arguments in response to key questions relevant to this topic.