Fitzpatrick The Death of Stalin

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-913083-70-0
Verlag: Old Street Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 1, 128 Seiten

Reihe: Great Events

The personal and the political collide in this masterful account of the death of a dictatorWhen Joseph Stalin died in 1953, he had been the unchallenged leader of the Soviet Union for over twenty years, having presided over the ruthless modernisation of the early 1930s, the Great Purges later in the decade, the near-catastrophe and ultimate victory of World War II, and the country's postwar emergence as a superpower. He was surrounded by a cult that made him seem godlike; no successors were in sight. His death was bound to be a deeply unsettling event, both in the Soviet Union and elsewhere.Sheila Fitzpatrick draws on her unparalleled knowledge of Stalin's circle and Soviet society to tell a tale that blends black comedy with forensic analysis, exploring the problems and opportunities -- often missed -- created by the death of the dictator. The final chapter deals with Stalin's eventful afterlife, including his recent resurrection in Putin's Russia. This is both a riveting read and a salutary one.

Sheila Fitzpatrick is a pioneer in the field of Soviet history. She regularly contributes to the London Review of Books, and is the multi-award winning author of many books, including Everyday Stalinism, On Stalin's Team, The Russian Revolution and the bestselling The Shortest History of the Soviet Union.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Fitzpatrick, Sheila

Leseproben

Cast of Characters

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Alliluyeva, Nadezhda Sergeevna (Nadya) (1901–1932)

Daughter of revolutionary friend of Stalin active in Caucasus before the revolution; married Stalin as second wife in 1918, mother of Svetlana and Vasily. Engineering student at Industrial Academy. Shot herself after quarrel with Stalin at party, 7 November 1932.

Alliluyeva, Svetlana (1926–2011)

Daughter of Joseph Stalin and his second wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva, married to Grigory Morozov (1944–7) and Yuri Zhdanov (1949–52), defected to US 1967.

Andreyeva, Nina Alexandrovna (1938–2020)

Chemistry teacher, joined party 1966, critical of perestroika, published essay ‘I cannot forsake my principles’ 13 March 1988.

Beria, Lavrenty Pavlovich (1899–1953)

Georgian, joined Bolsheviks March 1917, leaded Georgian secret police 1926–31, then 1st secretary of Georgian (Transcaucasian) party in 1930s, to Moscow 1938 as national head of the secret police, candidate member of Politburo 1939, full member 1946. Most active reformer in post–Stalin ‘collective leadership’ until arrest by colleagues June 1953 and execution December 1953.

Brezhnev, Leonid Ilyich (1906–1982)

Born Ukraine, identified as Russian, joined Komsomol 1923 then party 1929. Promoted to regional leadership Dnepropetrovsk in wake of Great Purges; political commissar in Army during World War II, 1st secretary Dnepropetrosk after war (working with Khrushchev, his later patron); full member of Politburo 1957, supporting Khrushchev against Anti–Party group; 1964 spearheaded removal of Khrushchev; de facto leader of Politburo and Soviet Union until his death.

Bukharin, Nikolai Ivanovich (1888–1938)

Russian, joined Bolsheviks as student in 1906, then in emigration, Politburo member from 1924–9, ousted as ‘Right Oppositionist 1929, defendant in show trial 1938, shot as ‘enemy of the people.’

Bulganin, Nikolai Alexandrovich (1895–1975)

Russian, joined Bolsheviks 1917, deputy minister for defence under Stalin 1944, then minister 1947–55; full member of Politburo 1948–58.

Churchill, Sir Winston (1974–1965)

British statesman, organizer of British intervention on side of Whites in Russian Civil War, 1919–21; anti–appeasement of Nazi Germany late 1930s, then Prime Minister 1940–45 (establishing good personal relations with Stalin) and 1951–55. Delivered ‘Iron curtain’ speech in Fulton, Missouri, 5 March 1946, but after Stalin’s death critical of US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and pushed unsuccessfully for a Summit meeting with Soviet Union.

Djilas, Milovan (1911–1995)

Yugoslav communist, wartime partisan working with Josip Broz Tito, visited Moscow and met Stalin 1944 and 1948, minister in Tito’s postwar government until 1953, subsequently in political disgrace after supporting 1956 Hungarian uprising.

Dobrynin, Anatoly Fedorovich (1919–2010)

Soviet diplomat, Ambassador in Washington 1962–86, associated with détente.

Dudintsev, Vladimir Dmitrievich (1918–1998)

Soviet writer, author of a Thaw hit, Not By Bread Alone (1956) and perestroika follow–up White Robes (1987).

Dulles, Allen W. (1893–1969)

Office of Strategic Services during Second World War, deputy director, then director of CIA 1951–1961. Brother of John Foster Dulles.

Dulles, John Foster (1888–1959)

Republican US Senator 1949, US Secretary of State 1953–9, hard–liner on Soviet Union. Brother of Allen Dulles.

Ehrenburg, Ilya Grigorevich (1891–1967)

Soviet writer and journalist, Jewish, well–connected in Soviet political circles, foreign correspondent Spanish Civil War and Second World War, author of The Thaw (1954) and influential reform–oriented memoirs published in the 1960s.

Ezhov, Nikolai Ivanovich (1895–1940)

Joined party 1917, working–class origin, worked in Central Committee apparat before becoming head of secret police 1936 and presiding over Great Purges; shot.

Iannucci, Armando (1963–)

British satirist, creator of TV series on British and US politics (The Thick of It; Veep); director of film The Death of Stalin (2017), acclaimed in West but banned in Russia, based on graphic novel by Fabien Nury, La mort de Staline.

Kaganovich, Lazar Moiseevich (1893–1991)

Jewish working–class, joined Bolsheviks 1911, 1st secretary Moscow party in 1930s, then in charge of railways and various industries; Politburo member 1930–57, ousted as member of ‘Anti–Party Group’ 1957.

Kamenev, Lev Borisovich (born Rozenfeld, 1883–1936)

Jewish intellectual, joined Marxist revolutionaries in 1901 and Bolsheviks in 1903, Politburo member 1919–25, with Zinoviev leader of Left Opposition, expelled from party December 1927, defendant in Moscow show trial 1936, shot.

Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeevich (1894–1971)

Russian, born Ukraine, joined party 1918, succeeded Kaganovich as 1st secretary of Moscow party organization 1935, head of Ukrainian party 1938–49, full member of Politburo (then called Presidium) from 1938, launched de–Stalinization campaign with Secret Speech at Twentieth Party Congress 1956, ousted 1964.

Kirov, Sergei Mironovich (1886–1934)

Russian, joined Bolsheviks 1904, worked Caucasus in Civil War, head of Leningrad party committee 1926–34, friend of Stalin, Full member of Politburo 1930, assassinated 1934.

Istomina, Valentina Vasilevna (1915–1994)

Housekeeper at Stalin’s dacha.

Lazurkina, Dora Abramovna (born Klebanova, 1884–1974)

Marxist revolutionary from 1902, Bolshevik underground worker, after revolution held senior positions in education and party control, arrested in Great Purges 1937, released from Gulag and rehabilitated 1955.

Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich (real name Ulyanov) (1870–1924)

Russian, in Russian revolutionary movement since youth, founder in 1903 and leader of Bolshevik party (initially a faction of the Russian Social–Democratic Labour Party), in emigration in Europe 1900–05 and 1908–17, head of government and leader of party after October Revolution, sidelined by strokes from 1922.

Lozovsky, Solomon Abramovich (born Dridzo, 1878–1952)

Jewish revolutionary, joined Bolsheviks 1905, émigré in Europe 1908–17, head of Soviet propaganda agency Sovinformbiuro during war with supervisory responsibility for Jewish Anti–Fascist Committee (JAC), defendant in trial of JAC 1952, shot.

Malenkov, Georgy Maximilianovich (1901–1988)

Russian, joined party as engineering student, worked Central Committee office in mid 1920s, in charge of party organizations and then personnel department in 1930s, full member of Politburo 1946–57, head of Soviet government 1953–5, ousted as member of ‘Anti–party group’ 1957.

Mao Tse Tung (Zedong) (1893–1976)

Chinese Communist revolutionary, foundation leader of People’s Republic of China 1949 initiator of China’s ‘Great Leap Forward’ in late 1950s. Relations with Stalin sometimes rocky but critical of Khrushchev’s de–stalinization in 1956.

Mikoyan, Anastas Ivanovich (1895–1978)

Armenian, Bolshevik from 1915, full member of Politburo 1935–66, main governmental responsibilities in external and internal trade and supply. Supporter of Khrushchev and de–stalinization in mid– 1950s; headed Rehabilitation Commission for purge victims.

Mlynár, Zdenek (1930–1997)

Czech communist, studied law Moscow State University in early 1950s and friend of fellow–student Mikhail Gorbachev, active in Prague Spring (1968) and subsequently expelled from Party after Soviet invasion, emigrated as dissident 1977.

Molotov, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich (born Skryabin, 1890–1986)

Russian, joined Bolsheviks as student 1906, full member of Poliburo 1924–57, headed Soviet government 1930–41, foreign minister 1939–49 and 1953–6, negotiated German–Soviet Non–Aggression Pact 1939. In disgrace, but still holding senior positions, 1949 to Stalin’s death. See also Zhemchuzhina, Polina (wife).

Nury, Fabien (1976–)

French cartoonist and scriptwriter; author, with artist Thierry Robin, of graphic novel La mort de Staline (2010) on which Iannucci’s film The Death of...