Popular Opinion in Stalin's Russia: Terror, Propaganda and Dissent, 1934-1941

by Sarah Davies

Overview

Between 1934 and 1941 Stalin unleashed what came to be known as "The Great Terror" against millions of Soviet citizens. This book is a study of how ordinary Russians experienced life during this period. Sarah Davies' study uses NKVD and Party reports, letters and other evidence to show that, despite propaganda and repression, the people continued to criticize Stalin and the Soviet regime, and complain about particular policies. This book sheds light on a hugely important part of Russia's social, political and cultural history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521562140
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/02/1997
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.94(d)

Table of Contents

Part I. Introduction: Economy and Society: 1. Workers, the economy and labour policy; 2. Peasants and the kolkhoz; 3. Women, family policy, education; 4. Religion and the nationalities question; Part II. Politics and Terror: 5. International relations; 6. The constitution and elections; 7. The Great Terror; 8. 'Us' and 'Them': social identity and terror; Part III. The Leader Cult: 9. The cult in official discourse; 10. Affirmative representations of the leader and leader cult; 11. Negative representations of the leader and leader cult; Conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

"From her research in the archives of Leningrad, Novosibirsk, and Moscow, Sarah Davies of the University of Durham builds a fascinating picture of grumbling and alienation and shows that along with complaints about the lack of bread there remained a faith in the revolution, even socialism, and a sense that the egalitarian promise of 1917 had been violated." Ronald Grigor Suny, Slavic Review

"...interesting and commendable...offers convincing evidence of the pervasiveness of Stalin's power and his ability to dominate, if not control, public opinion in the Soviet Union." Choice

"In this important study, Sarah Davies uses recently declassified sources...to reconstruct the parameters of ‘popular opinion' in the Leningrad Region during the Second and Third Five-Year Plans. ...there should be no doubt that this study enriches our understanding of a crucial period in Soviet history and that it deserves the attention of specialists." Jeffrey J. Rossman, The Russian Review

"...an interesting and balanced book that presents the views of enthusiatic supporters of the regime, and also the dissonant voices of those who either blatantly rejected the official discourse or manipulated it for their own goals." Alison Rowley, Canadian Slavonic Papers

"This is an interesting, impressively researched study." Michael Jabara Carley, Canadian Journal of History

"This short volume makes a valuable contribution to the literature on life under Stalinism." Thomas Kuehn, Historian

From the Publisher