Stalin

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses whether Stalin was a faithful disciple of Lenin. It discusses, briefly, the history of Russia and examines whether Stalin was responsible for the demise of communism. The paper also attempts to depict the main traits of the figure of the tyrant and puts the analysis into perspective by noting lines of continuity in the history of Russia.

Table of Contents:
The despotic continuity
Stalinism

From the Paper:

"In studying the history of the Russian state, one is struck by the continuity of its despotic character. The moments of 'liberalization' of the state were very few and very brief and led to a state of anomie which in turn brought about the return of the 'good old order'. One such moment of return to a strong state is for example the immediate aftermath of the October revolution which followed a period of chaos, another one can be seen in the advent of Vladimir Putin as head of state, following the 'decadence and enhanced corruption' of the Eltsine era. Thus there are forces of continuity leading to this permanence of the strong authoritarian state in Russia."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berdyaev, N. (1962) The Origins of Russian Communism. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
• Cohen, S. (1999) Politics Without a Past: The Absence of History in Postcommunist Nationalism. Durham and London: Duke University Press.
• Dahl, Robert A. (1989). Democracy and its Critics. Yale University Press.
• Fukuyama, F. (1989). "The end of History ?" in: National Interest summer 1989.
• Gellner, Ernst (1983). Nations and Nationalism. Oxford.

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