He died in 1953, and the disintegration of communism both in eastern europe and in russia appears to have largely broken a sense of continuity between stalin and the contemporary world. In clear, precise language conquest documents the rise of stalin from obscure party. Of all the despots of our time, joseph stalin lasted the longest and wielded the greatest power, and his secrets have been the most jealously guardedeven after his death. In conclusion, i hope i have proved the efficiency of stalin s policies. This book is 346 pages, including bibliographical notes and index. An examination of stalin s documented behaviors attempts to evaluate any signs of psychopathology in accordance with dsmivtr criteria. He was known as a brutal leader who was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million. To view the full text please use the links above to select your preferred format. Internet archive contributor internet archive language english. Blending impeccable scholarship and deeply revealing anecdotes, noted soviet scholar conquest stalin and the kirov murder, 1989, etc. Germansoviet union relations date to the aftermath of the first world war. And yet at the same time stalin was supporting israel in the united nations including official recognition of the zionist state.
Between 1928 and 1953, joseph stalin was the undisputed totalitarian dictator of the former soviet union whose reign of fear continues to maintain its egregious reputation. How effective were the internal and external policies of. Was stalin responsible for the outbreak of the cold war. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this stalin. Where was the most significant impacts on iranian women during the pahlavi dynasties from 19241979 change. Stalin breaker of nations is an excellent book which covers coherntly the complicated events that eventually put stalin power. New biography of a new dictator, by oleg khlevniuk, and stalin. How stalin, the breaker of nations, hated, murdered jews. Breaker of nations kicks off with a dialogue as a great hook between a reporter and a woman which talks about december 21st being the day that joseph stalin was born. Stalin s external policies paid dividends in the postwar conferences.
Joseph stalin seems increasingly remote to most people in the western world. Breaker of nations unabridged by robert conquest isbn. What i like to do in class is to choose a question at random, discuss possible approaches, and then dictate an answer one paragraph at a time. One of the last of robert conquests books dealing with 20th century russia is stalin. His early revolutionary activities led to his expulsion from st. A graceful, evocative and compact biography, written by a longtime student of this man and his heroic, sad, too often awful times. In it were gathered, and increasingly so, the threads of all the political potentials in the party and the. While the georgianborn stalin didnt particularly favor one nationality over another during his reign of terror, he was a breaker of nations, as in robert conquests book title and. Breaker of nations by robert conquest in pdf form, in that case you come on to the correct website. Ivan maisky was born jan lachowiecki in kirillov to a polishjewish family living in imperial russia. The tragic fate of soviet prisoners of war in german captivity. To what extent did reza khan of iran consolidate political power under authoritarian rule from 19251941. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. This is an appropriate method for discussing british and american foreign policy during and after the second world war.
Robert conquest, the writer on soviet russia who has died aged 98, was a polemicist and a serious, published poet. Containment by the time world war ii ended, most american officials agreed that the best defense against the soviet threat was a strategy called containment. Overall he gives the impression of a large and crude claylike figure, a golem, into which a demonic spark has been instilled, writes conquest of a man who perhaps more than any other. Breaker of nations is an indepth study about the soviet unions molding and most powerful man. He was the author of such works as the bestselling the harvest of sorrow and stalin and the kirov murder. Breaker of nations will at least come away with the conclusion that stalin was the most prolific mass murderer in history yes even more than hitler. Beattie a historian, the soviet defector victor suvorov tells the story of world war ii as started not by hitler, but by stalin.
But through their military and other interests they can be forced to support progressive movements. Breaker of nations and me rise of modem china, are then evaluated in detail in terms of their origins, purpose, value and limitations. Benefitting from the great flow of new information recently available from russian archives, he endeavored to portray one of the few men in history who harmed both his own country and much of the. Estimations on the number of stalin s victims over his twentyfiveyear reign, from 1928 to 1953, vary widely, but 20 million is now considered the minimum. Even the ardent anticommunist robert conquest admitted in stalin. Since then, the united nations, in accordance with the united states and vari ous other nations, has attempted to apply the information. But then most of the essential documentary material covering stalin s years in power is still missing and the times are therefore better suited to an analysis of the phenomenon of stalinism its origins. Stalin s political machine was by far the most effectively organized body in the country. One of my duties in the various places where i teach is to show students how to write essays something most young people are not nowadays taught to do. Breaker of nations world war ii leaders, volume 3 on. Benefitting from the great flow of new information recently available from russian archives, he endeavored to portray one of the few men in history who harmed both his own country and much of the world.
Distilling a lifetimes study, conquest provides a powerful, living portrait of josef. Neither in explaining stalin nor in probing the ism to which he gave rise does the book break. The unexpected result is that the unity provided by a focus on the workers and peasants produces both new levels of cultural diversity and enables a. Stalin s september 1927 declaration on the topic provided the final impetus for the beginning of the construction of the fortified regions. A few months later stalin was inveighing against zionism as an outpost of american imperialism and the jafc members became part of a zionistu. Roosevelt had died and churchill had been replaced so as the single surviving war leader stalin dominated soviet control of eastern europe. This detail is only surpassed by the amount of research done on his political maneuverings in the communist party. Its material on the purges is top notch, except for a lacking of detal about buhkarin. Breaker of nations that, many prisoners were quoted as expressing their joy at having been saved and turned into decent citizens 15.
Evidence of a troubled upbringing, depression, paranoia, and alcohol abuse. The soviet union, he wrote, was a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the u. In 1946, in his famous long telegram, the diplomat george kennan 19042005 explained this policy. A cultural history of russia by orlando figes allen lane penguin press, 2002 a history of the soviet union 1917. However, 1927 berlin realized that the comintern, and stalin, did not reflect a. Stalin proposes that class is the determining factor, which then enables a very different approach to national culture. Conquest was most notable for his influential works of nonfiction including the great terror. In it, he warned of the growing menace of a new war launched against the soviet union by the main capitalist nations of europe. Soviet collectivization and the terrorfamine 1986 and the nation killers. However, it is scetchy on detail at times completely glosses over ww2. Roosevelt, supported by the representatives of 26 countries, published the declaration by united nations, a document that pledged their governments to continue fighting together against nazi germany and japan during the second world war. To what extent can stalin be blamed for the outbreak of this cold war.
The reporter asks her if that day meant anything to her and she answered no. The purpose of the book is ultimately to stimulate enough interest for the reader to do some further research and reading. George robert acworth conquest cmg obe fba frsl 15 july 1917 3 august 2015 was a britishamerican historian and poet. By 1919, both germany and the soviet union were pariah nations in the eyes of. So far, i have spoken of countries, and most historians do the same, when it comes to foreign policy. After internal exile in siberia, he travelled in western europe, where he learned english and french. Most of the documents pertaining to secret germansoviet military. Breaker of nations study guide and get instant access to the following summary. At dawn on june 22, 1941, began the mightiest military offensive in history. Breaker of nations by robert conquest viking, 1991 natashas dance. By 1948 soviet satellite states were in power in east europe. Pdf between 1928 and 1953, joseph stalin was the undisputed totalitarian dictator of. However, since the publication of his works new information has been released by the kremlin which radically changes the story he presents, so much so that the old narratives are unreliable.
Of all the despots of our time, joseph stalin lasted the longest and wielded. The writing and rewriting of joseph stalin and his regime. The book is easy to read, wellorganized, and ideal for the beginning student of soviet history and stalinism. Joseph stalin became leader of the soviet union after the founder of the soviet union, vladimir lenin, died in 1924. Whats generally accepted to be the best biography of stalin. In clear, precise language conquest documents the rise of stalin from obscure party functionary to perhaps historys most prolific massmurderer. This book is 346 pages, including bibliographical notes. We furnish full release of this ebook in doc, pdf, txt, epub, djvu forms. Stalin breaker of nations by robert conquest 1991 covers the life of joseph stalin, from his childhood in gori to his death at his nearer dacha kuntsevo near moscow on march 5, 1953.
1261 1297 393 70 146 675 142 932 1118 256 161 565 1447 1197 493 783 1161 903 1182 95 1411 171 96 942 1172 723 1386 1223 352 934 182 98 179 288