Courage, resilience and sacrifice defined the Soviet effort to win in World War II. “The Great Patriotic War” became an all-consuming struggle, mobilizing the hopes and fears of the civilian population in equal measure to the military efforts on the battlefield. Indeed the border between battlefield and home front shifted constantly and was often impossible to discern. This week, please […]
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Tractor drivers and the propaganda of the purge years dominated this weeks posts, which used an array of compelling images, videos and texts to explore the cultural fallout of this tumultuous decade. The weekly stars include nuanced explorations of the poetry and poster art dedicated to tanks, tractors and their drivers, as well as an engaging discussion of Stalin’s cult […]
Read moreIn 1937 when Boris Laskin wrote “Three Tank Drivers” the Nazi war machine was ramping up its modernization and mobilization efforts and tensions were building in the East as the Japanese prepared for an excursion in to Soviet territory. On the home front the second five year plan was coming to an end, an era […]
Read morePropaganda and rhetoric was never foreign to the Soviet Union or the Bolsheviks and was a tool utilized by them on regular basis. The Purges however took this tool that the Party had used against the Whites and the enemies of the Soviet Union and now directed it at it own citizens, specifically those that… More A Tale of Two Poems
Propaganda and rhetoric was never foreign to the Soviet Union or the Bolsheviks and was a tool utilized by them on regular basis. The Purges however took this tool that the Party had used against the Whites and the enemies of the Soviet Union and now directed it at it own citizens, specifically those that… More A Tale of Two Poems
Waging a modern war requires many things, weapons, ammunition, vehicles, uniforms, supplies, and most of all, soldiers to fight. However, raising a standing military is expensive, and it takes away from the workforce that pays for all of the things needed for war. When the Soviet Union was on the march towards the Second World War … Continue reading Plowshares into Tractors, Swords into Tanks
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Through the late 1930’s the Soviet union was experiencing a new more quite change. While propaganda was a standard in the USSR there was a more serious influence that was occurring at the top. During this period Stalin had grown even more paranoid, and while the Purges rooted out his possible rivals and nay sayers […]
Read moreIn May 1933, Stalin sailed down the the newly completed Belomor Canal, which linked the White Sea and the Baltic. The project was unique due to the fact that it was built exclusively with Gulag labor. Gulag labor was provided by prisoners convicted of wide array crimes, petty to political. The government hailed the project […]
In May 1933, Stalin sailed down the the newly completed Belomor Canal, which linked the White Sea and the Baltic. The project was unique due to the fact that it was built exclusively with Gulag labor. Gulag labor was provided by prisoners convicted of wide array crimes, petty to political. The government hailed the project […]
After Vladmir Lenin died, a power struggle ensued in the now leaderless Soviet Union. During this power struggle Joseph Stalin would emerge as a powerful candidate and eventually the new leader of the Soviet Union. Stalin was quick to push rapid industrialization in the late 1920’s with his “Revolution from Above.” This revolution would prove to be … Continue reading Stalin’s Purge →
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