Russia has undergone more seismic changes over the last 100 years than almost any other country. The 1917 Revolution, the rapid industrialization of the 1930s, the following devastation of World War II, and the return to Capitalism has seen the deep impoverishment of the entire population. The key questions which this work addresses are how to understand these changes, and how to Characterize the complex process of reform, revolution and counter revolution. In a country with such a turbulent and violent political history, what path should development take, and what lies ahead? Looking in detail at the nature of Russian society and politics since 1990, this work offers an introductory political analysis of the major political and economic developments that have taken place under President Yeltsin, and the legacy bequeathed so unexpectedly to his successor Putin.