Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading stalin in power. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 by stephen kotkin alibris. This then triggered me to read the wonderful simon sebag montefiere book red tsar another wonderful book that covered stalin from 1928, but really kicks off in 1934 through to his death, this meant i needed more knowledge of stalins earlier years. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 paperback by stephen kotkin. See all 5 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. In january 1928, stalins fateful trip to siberia to begin consolidating his land collectivization scheme would transformdisastrously, it turned outsoviet eurasia. Roosevelt house public policy institute at hunter college 50,721 views 1. Paradoxes of power, 1878 1928 kindle edition by kotkin, stephen. Stephen kotkin offers a biography that, at long last, is equal to this shrewd, sociopathic, charismatic dictator in all his dimensions. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 01 by kotkin, stephen isbn. Kotkin history and international affairsprinceton univ stalin. There is a kind of justice when a great despot like joseph stalin, who.
Jun 04, 2015 stalins trip to siberia in january 1928. Paradoxes of power, 1878 1928 book by stephen kotkin. Kotkins book approaches the highest standard of scholarly rigor and generalinterest readability. Pluralism denotes a diversity of views or stands rather than a single approach or method. Historian kotkin authoritatively examines stalins life, from his childhood in currentday georgia to his metamorphosis as student priest to his unlikely rise as lenins ultimate successor. A magnificent new biography that revolutionizes our understanding of stalin and his world the product of a decade of intrepid research, stalin is a landmark achievement.
Kotkin rejects the inherited wisdom about stalin s psychological makeup, showing us instead how stalin s near paranoia was fundamentally political, and closely tracks the. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 reprint by kotkin, stephen isbn. A magnificent new biography that revolutionizes our understanding of stalin and his world it has the quality of myth. The time period covered is noted on the cover 1878 to 1928 which is birth to when he begins his power grab for the top.
Kotkin has set out to write not only the definitive life of stalin but also the definitive history of the collapse of the russian empire and the creation of the new soviet empire in its. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 is the first volume in a three volume series of tomes on the life of the soviet dictator iosef soso jugashvili a. In his introductory chapter he makes the lofty assertion that a history if stalin is akin to a history of the world and he delivers not only a history of the late imperial russia and of the revolution and early soviet state, but also frequent. Stalin, in three volumes, tells the story of russias power in the world and stalins power in russia, recast as the soviet union. Generally well researched, authoritative in its scholarship and treatment of available primary sources, this book provides a gripping narrative of how the lenininspired soviet regime of the october revolution was radically transformed by stalin, in a deep and ruthless. The revolution from above, 1928 1941 9780393308693. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 hardcover by stephen kotkin. Volume one of stalin begins and ends in january 1928 as stalin boards a train bound for siberia, about to embark upon the greatest gamble of his political life.
Volume i is a huge book with a bibliography that is over 300 pages which makes it literally a rd of the tome. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading stalin. Above all, kotkin offers a convincing portrait and explanation of stalins monstrous power and of russian power in the world. Kotkin presents some interesting details about stalins secret trip, but mainly to show how strongwilled stalin was, even in the face of a looming. Stephen kotkin, whose first book, magnetic mountain. Kotkins volume joins an impressive shelf of books on stalin. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 by stephen kotkin online at alibris. A magnificent new biography that revolutionizes our understanding of stalin and his world. Between 1917 and 1922, lenins government was quite pluralistic. Nov 23, 2014 by 1928, when this volume closes, stalin had exploited his power over the party apparatus, his own cunning, his closeness to lenin, and the mistakes of his rivals to seize control. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Paradoxes of power, 18781928 kindle edition by kotkin, stephen. Kotkin has set out to write not only the definitive life of stalin but also the definitive history of the collapse of the russian empire and the creation of the new soviet empire. Kotkin has no patience with psychological explanations for stalins obsessiveness, thuggery and paranoiae. He was about to launch collectivisation, the greatest revolution in russias history, to wrench the nation out of its past. Joseph vissarionovich stalin born ioseb besarionis dz djugashvili. The russian revolution from above, 1928 1941 kindle edition by tucker, robert c download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Paradoxes of power is the first of three volumes that, in stephen kotkins explanation, tell the story of russias power in the world and stalins power in russia. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 ebook written by stephen kotkin. Pluralism denotes a diversity of views or stands rather than a single approach or method stalin had transformed the party in four ways. Birkelund professor in history and international affairs at princeton university. Waiting for hitler, 19291941 will be published by penguin press in october 2017 about the author stephen kotkin is the john p.
In some ways the book builds toward a history of the world from stalins office at least that is what it has felt like to write it. The character of stalin emerges as both astute and blinkered, cynical and true believing, people oriented and vicious, canny enough to see through people but prone to nonsensical beliefs. Paradoxes of power, 18781928, a masterly account that is the. Nov 06, 2014 kotkin was a pultizer prize finalist for stalin.
Paradoxes of power, 18781928 by stephen kotkin penguin once stalin became dictator while lenin was still alive, collectivization and the bloodletting of. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Kotkin rejects the inherited wisdom about stalins psychological makeup, showing us instead how stalins near paranoia was fundamentally political, and closely. In early 1928 stalin travelled to novosibirsk, where he alleged that kulaks were hoarding their grain and ordered that the kulaks be arrested and their grain confiscated, with stalin bringing much of the areas grain back to moscow with him in february. In stalin, stephen kotkin offers a biography that, at long last, is equal to this shrewd, sociopathic, charismatic dictator in all his dimensions. The vastest peasant economy in the world would be transformed into socialist modernity, whatever it took.
Between 1923 and 1928, the leadership struggle changed the nature of the communist party. A very detailed history of stalin s ascent to absolute power and his consolidation of an autocratic nationalbolshevik regime. He is now the ruler of the largest country in the world, but a poor and backward one, far behind the great capitalist countries in industrial and military power, encircled on all sides. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 paperback for this book. The first volume of a new biography argues that stalin had social as well as. Volume 1 paradoxes of power, 18781928, the first of his planned threevolume biography of. Stalin gives an intimate view of the bolshevik regimes inner geography of power, bringing to the fore fresh materials from soviet military intelligence and the secret police. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 by stephen kotkin penguin once stalin became dictator while lenin was still alive, collectivization and the bloodletting of the 1930s were. Generally well researched, authoritative in its scholarship and treatment of available primary sources, this book provides a gripping narrative of how the lenininspired soviet regime of the october revolution was radically transformed by stalin, in a deep. By 1928, when this volume closes, stalin had exploited his power over the party apparatus, his own cunning, his closeness to lenin, and the mistakes of his rivals to seize control. Kotkin has set out to write not only the definitive life of stalin but also the definitive history of the collapse of the russian empire and the creation of the new soviet empire in its place. Kotkin offers the sweeping context so often missing from all but the best biographies.
A very detailed history of stalins ascent to absolute power and his consolidation of an autocratic nationalbolshevik regime. Aleksandr ostrovskiis 2002 book who stood behind stalin. The book places stalins momentous decision for collectivization more deeply than ever in the tragic history of imperial russia. Paradoxes of power, 18781928, it was 1928, and he had finally climbed the mountaintop and achieved dictatorial power of the soviet empire. Kotkin rejects the inherited wisdom about stalins psychological makeup, showing us instead how stalins near paranoia was fundamentally political, and closely tracks the. Paradoxes of power, 18781928, a masterly account that is the first of a projected threevolume study, kotkin paints a. This book forms the second volume of tuckers biography of stalin. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read stalin. Kotkin presents some interesting details about stalins secret trip, but mainly to show how strong. Paradoxes of power, 18781928 paperback october, 2015.
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