The Soviet Union Pre-World War II

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the US ignorance of Stalin's crimes for political and diplomatic purposes. It particularly assesses the degree to which the Soviet rule managed to undergo a massive purge in the years preceding World War Two without being controlled or stopped by any additional forces, such as the Western countries. The paper briefly discusses the historical background for the era, including the situation in Europe and in Russia at the time.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Introduction
Thesis
Historiography
Part 2: Stalin's crimes
Part 3: The American Perspective
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"From a general perspective, it can be concluded that the history of the Great Purges represents an important if not essential element in the wider historical existence of a country and of the world. The actions undergone by Joseph Stalin in his attempt to take complete control of the power in Russia determined the deaths of millions of people, many of them accused of facts they had not commit. Furthermore, the trials that marked the climax of the Purges were a clear breach of any sense of democratic endeavor. In this context the US decided to overlook the dispatches of the Mission in Moscow and not consider the potential abuses that were taking place in Russia. However, decades later, it appears rather unbelievable to consider the fact that the US was simply unaware of the facts taking place in Moscow in particular. A much more pertinent assumption would be that indeed the US refused to see the situation in Russia because the international context and the threats coming from Japan and Germany required the unlimited support of the Russian side."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Beichman, Arnold. "Pulitzer-Winning Lies". The Daily Standard. 2003. http://www.theweeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/002/791vwuaz.asp
• Bernard, Henri. Le communisme et l'aveuglement occidental (Soumagne, Belgium: Editions Andre Grisard, 1982)
• Boris Bajanov, Avec Staline dans le Kremlin. Paris: Les Editions de France, 1930, pp. 2--3.
• Connor, Walter D. "The Manufacture of Deviance: The Case of the Soviet Purge, 1936-1938". American Sociological Review, Vol. 37, No. 4, 1972, pp. 403-413.
• Conquest, Robert. The Great Terror: A Reassessment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.

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