Vodka Politics

In Vodka Politics, Mark Lawrence Schrad explores the significant role of vodka in Russian history and politics, arguing that societal alcoholism is shaped more by an autocratic system than by genetics. Through historical investigations from Ivan the Terrible to Vladimir Putin, Schrad reveals how alcohol has been used as a tool of statecraft, affecting everything from palace intrigues to the collapse of communism. He delves into original documents to examine questions about the implications of alcohol on Russia's rulers and its influence on major historical events, highlighting the enduring importance of the "liquor question" in contemporary Russian governance.