This book comprises 11 essays on Stalinism by both eminent historians and younger scholars who have conducted research in the newly opened Russian archives. They discuss both the origins and consequences of Stalinism, and illustrate recent scholarly trends in the field of Soviet history.

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• A collection of essays on Stalinism by both eminent and younger scholars.
  
• Discusses both the origins and consequences of Stalinism.
  
• Provides an overview of the debates for students new to the subject.
  
• Includes the results of research in the newly opened Russian archives.

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This book comprises twelve essays on Stalinism by leading international historians, whose work presents a range of interpretations regarding Stalinism’s origins and consequences. In particular the essays address the following questions:

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• why did the October Revolution of 1917 result not in a communist utopia but in the Stalinist dictatorship, with prison camps, bloody purges, and unprecedented state repression?
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• was Stalin personally to blame or were these events the result of social forces, socialist ideology, or the international threat?
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• how did Stalinism affect women and gender roles?
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• what was Stalinist policy toward ethnic and national minorities?
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• what impact did the Second World War have on Soviet society?

The chapters include work by both eminent historians and younger scholars who have conducted research in the newly-opened Russian archives. These perspectives are brought together by the editor who provides a contextualizing chapter and introductions to the debates. The book provides students and teachers with a valuable overview of the scholarship on Stalinism and an understanding of the debates that have shaped the field of Soviet history.

Acknowledgments ix

Glossary xi

Introduction: Interpretations of Stalinism 1
David L. Hoffmann

Part I The Origins of Stalinism 9

1 Stalin's Role 11
Stalin and his Stalinism: Power and Authority in the Soviet Union, 1930–1953 13
Ronald Grigor Suny

2 Social Origins 37
Grappling with Stalinism 39
Moshe Lewin

3 Socialist Ideology 63
The Soviet Tragedy: A History of Socialism in Russia 65
Martin Malia

4 The Foreign Threat 81
The Objectives of the Great Terror, 1937–1938 83
Oleg Khlevnyuk

5 The Welfare State 105
Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization 107
Stephen Kotkin

6 State Violence 127
State Violence as Technique: The Logic of Violence in Soviet Totalitarianism 129
Peter Holquist

Part II The Consequences of Stalinism 157

7 Resistance and Conformity 159
Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times 161
Sheila Fitzpatrick

8 Stalinist Subjectivity 179
Working, Struggling, Becoming: Stalin-Era Autobiographical Texts 181
Jochen Hellbeck

9 Women and Gender 211
Women in Soviet Society: Equality, Development, and Social Change 213
Gail Warshofsky Lapidus

10 Ethnicity and Nationality 237
Nature and Nurture in a Socialist Utopia: Delineating the Soviet Socio-Ethnic Body in the Age of Socialism 239
Amir Weiner

11 The Postwar Years 275
Russia after the War: Hopes, Illusions, and Disappointments 277
Elena Zubkova

Index 302