Stalinism ‘From Below’?: Social Preconditions of and Popular Responses to the Great Terror
This article engages with recent western historiography on Stalinism, in particular the origins and nature of the Great Terror. I seek to contextualise the material on the Terror by re‐examining the relationship between state and society in Stalinist Russia. The partial opening of the former Soviet...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2007
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| In: |
Totalitarian movements and political religions
Year: 2007, Volume: 8, Issue: 3/4, Pages: 609-622 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article engages with recent western historiography on Stalinism, in particular the origins and nature of the Great Terror. I seek to contextualise the material on the Terror by re‐examining the relationship between state and society in Stalinist Russia. The partial opening of the former Soviet archives and the new ‘cultural turn’ have in many ways altered our perception of this complex relationship by revealing ‘a polyphony of voices’ among the Soviet peoples, though at the same time not under‐estimating the awesome power of the state. As for the Terror itself, I argue that Stalin, in collaboration with central political and police elites, undoubtedly directed the mass repressions, but the targeting of communist officials, ‘alien’ ethnic minorities and social marginals garnered a measure of popular support and input. Hence, I conclude that the terror process should be analysed from a broader social perspective, while recognising the determining hand of Stalin and the centre. |
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| ISSN: | 1743-9647 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Totalitarian movements and political religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/14690760701571239 |