Gulag: A History is an examination of Soviet history, specifically the Soviet Gulag system. Author Anne Applebaum discusses the time periods from the Bolshevik revolution to the collapse of the Soviet Union. She emphasizes the creation, implementation and expansion, and the disintegration of the Gulag system. This novel is separated into three distinct parts that examine the rise of the Gulag system, life in the Gulag, and the fall and legacy of the system. Perhaps most strikingly, the latter part of the book questions why the Gulag system was met with a historical collective amnesia from not only the Soviet Union, but the West as well. The author discusses the social, economic, and political history of the Gulag system. Her poignant novel …show more content…
Applebaum writes, “Lenin—like the Bolshevik legal theorists who followed in his wake—also reckoned that the creation of the Soviet state would give rise to a new kind of criminal: the ‘class enemy’” (5). This is interesting because although the definition of ‘class enemy’ was eventually expanded to an all-encompassing category to essentially include anyone Stalin wished, the idea of a class enemy was not unique to Stalin. In fact, the author says, “From the very earliest days of the new Soviet state, in other words, people were to be sentenced not for what they had done, but for who they were” (Applebaum, 6). This sentence is important because it truly represents the Gulag system at its core. In addition, this factor is a unique identifier when comparing repressive regimes and for that reason, vitally important. I believe part of the reason Applebaum focuses so much on the disorganization and economic failures of the Gulag system is because it is ironic that a system that was inherently repressive and controlling lacked true control. In other words, none of the Soviet leaders were able to maintain communist ideology and build a successful economy simultaneously. Applebaum suggests that this may be because of a lack of purpose: “The purpose of the camps remained ambiguous. The prisoners were to carry out labor—but to what end? Was labor …show more content…
For clarity, I would rate this book 5/5 stars. The author carefully points out her arguments and provides rich evidence to support her claims. This book was a relatively easy read. Most importantly, this book is perfect for an individual who knows next to nothing about the history of the Soviet Union. For organization, I give Applebaum 3.5/5 stars. Part two of the book, “Life and Work in the Camps,” was my favorite part due to how emotionally raw it was. However, the author told many different personal accounts and the stories were not in chronological order. I often found myself having to revisit pages I had already read to remind myself which person Applebaum was writing about at the time. For the ability to keep my interest, I give the book 5/5 stars. This book captivated me from the very beginning. I experienced everything from sadness and disgust to inspiration throughout the course of this novel. The monstrosities that occurred at the hands of the Soviet leaders, particularly Stalin, are utterly fascinating, albeit heartbreaking. However, many stories of survival and optimism within the camps were incredibly encouraging. Despite the book being historical first and foremost, Applebaum delivers the history lesson with endless amounts of emotion and humanity, even when discussing the suffering of those in the Gulag system. I learned many more details about daily life inside the Gulag that I had not previously known. This was
Tucker, Robert C. "Stalinism as Revolution from Above". Stalinism. Edited by Robert C. Tucker. New York: American Council of Learned Societies, 1999.
As relations changed between Russia and the rest of the world, so did the main historical schools of thought. Following Stalins death, hostilities between the capitalist powers and the USSR, along with an increased awareness of the atrocities that were previously hidden and ignored, led to a split in the opinions of Soviet and Western Liberal historians. In Russia, he was seen, as Trotsky had always maintained, as a betrayer of the revolution, therefore as much distance as possible was placed between himself and Lenin in the schoolbooks of the 50s and early 60s in the USSR. These historians point to Stalin’s killing of fellow communists as a marked difference between himself and his predecessor. Trotsky himself remarked that ‘The present purge draws between Bolshevism and Stalinism… a whole river of blood’[1].
Originally platformed by Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin took control of the communist party in 1924 when Lenin died of a stroke. Communist ideals were heavily in opposition to classical liberal values; Whereas Liberalism stressed the importance of the individual, Communism sought to better the greater good of society by stripping many of the individual rights and freedoms of citizens. Communism revoked the class structure of society and created a universal equality for all. This equality came with a price however. Any who opposed the communist rule were assassinated in order to keep order within society. Joseph Stalin took this matter to the extreme during an event known as the Great Purge. The Great Purge, also known as The Great Terror, began in 1936 and concluded in 1938. During these two years, millions of people were murdered and sent to labour camps in Siberia for opposing the Communist party and the ultimate dictator, Stalin himself. In some cases, even those who did not oppose the regime were killed. Sergey Kirov was a very popular member of the communist party and Stalin saw this as a possible threat to his ultimate power. As a result, Stalin order Kirov to be executed. Stalin furthered his violation of individual rights by introducing the NKVD who worked closely with the russian secret police force. One of the primary goals of the secret police was to search out dissidents who were not entirely faithful to the communist regime. This violation of privacy caused histeria en mass in the Soviet Union and millions were killed as a result. The Soviet union resisted liberalism to such an extreme that it resulted in the deaths of millions of people, leading to some of the darkest days in russian
Bardach, Janusz, and Kathleen Gleeson. Man Is Wolf to Man: Surviving the Gulag. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1998. Print.
Solzhenitsyn believed that it was nearly impossible to have truly free thoughts under the prison camp conditions described in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, or in any situation where there is an authoritarian ruler. In a pris...
To further transform the Soviet Union, state officials encouraged citizens to help improve the literacy rate and recognize the many heroes of the socialist state. These heroes, including Joseph Stalin, “received huge amounts of fan mail and were lionized on appearances throughout the country” (72). They also encouraged the remaking of individuals, particularly through work. Before the transformation, many did not enjoy working, but “under socialism, it was the thing that filled life with meaning” (75). Numerous interviews an author had with “transformed” felons, illustrated that even criminals could be transformed into good citizens through work (76). However, Sheila Fitzpatrick argues that these interviews were “clearly a propaganda project.”
Ironically, Communism has never existed anywhere. There has never been a system implemented in our entire history by which a society has been utterly classless. Communism would be a type of egalitarian society with no state, no privately owned means of production and no social class (Wikipedia). Today there is a selection of “Communist” states that exist in a variety of locations on our globe. Sadly, all of the claimed Communist states including the late Soviet Union were and are despicable and corrupted examples of the idea of Communism. By using Stalin as an example it is quite possible to portray to the reader a simple and effective example of the flip side of attempted Communism. Stalin took control of a weak government and crafted an illusionary Communist state. Ironically, Stalin had set himself up as the dictator of a completely totalitarian society. By using the people of Russia, he was able to harness the government and use it for his own needs. This is quite similar to 1984 with the concept of Big Brother. Although Big Brother is not a person, the inner society that controls “him” creates a Stalinist nation; this was quite purposefully included by Orwell.
Darkness At Noon presents an intellectual confrontation between two generations of revolutionists, and offers a detailed examination of the differences existing between these two groups. Rubashov and Ivanov are representatives of the older generation of revolutionary philosophers and activists, who believed in the Marxist doctrine to the very end. They can be compared to such historical figures, as Lew Trotsky, Nikolai Bukharin, Christian Rakovsky, or “some other relatively civilized figure among the Old Bolsheviks.” (Orwell n.pag.) Both characters contrast sharply in comparison with the second interrogator, Gletkin, who is the true child of the revolution, a mindless creature of the Party, and an embodiment of the G.P.U.’s of the Stalinist
The Great Terror, an outbreak of organised bloodshed that infected the Communist Party and Soviet society in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), took place in the years 1934 to 1940. The Terror was created by the hegemonic figure, Joseph Stalin, one of the most powerful and lethal dictators in history. His paranoia and yearning to be a complete autocrat was enforced by the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD), the communist police. Stalin’s ambition saw his determination to eliminate rivals such as followers of Leon Trotsky, a political enemy. The overall concept and practices of the Terror impacted on the communist party, government officials and the peasants. The NKVD, Stalin’s instrument for carrying out the Terror, the show trials and the purges, particularly affected the intelligentsia.
During Stalin’s regime, the individual Russian was the center of his grand plan for better or worse. Stalin wanted all of his people to be treated the same. In the factory the top producer and the worst producer made the same pay. He wanted everyone to be treated as equals. His goal to bring the Soviet Union into the industrial age put tremendous pressure on his people. Through violence and oppression Stalin tried to maintain an absurd vision that he saw for the Soviet Union. Even as individuals were looked at as being equals, they also were viewed as equals in other ways. There was no one who could be exempt when the system wanted someone imprisoned, killed, or vanished. From the poorest of the poor, to the riches of the rich, everyone was at the mercy of the regime. Millions of individuals had fake trumped up charges brought upon them, either by the government or by others who had called them o...
The Communist Party was one of the main sections in Soviet society that was impacted profoundly by Stalin’s terror. In 1935, the assassination of Sergei Kirov, a faithful Communist and Bolshevik party member that had certain popularity, threatening Stalin’s consolidation of power, initiated The Great Purge. His death, triggering three important, widely publicised ‘show trials’ in Moscow, ultimately encouraged the climate of terror during the Great Purge. Bolsheviks Zinoviev, Kamenev and their associates were accused of conspiring against Stalin and the government, with each confessing to their supposed crimes, which were then broadcast around the world. It was later discovered that these confessions were forced after long months of psychological abuse and cruel acts of torture. As Stalin...
In the article, “The Torture Myth,” Anne Applebaum explores the controversial topic of torture practices, focused primarily in The United States. The article was published on January 12, 2005, inspired by the dramatic increase of tensions between terrorist organizations and The United States. Applebaum explores three equality titillating concepts within the article. Applebaum's questions the actual effectiveness of using torture as a means of obtaining valuable information in urgent times. Applebaum explores the ways in which she feels that the United States’ torture policy ultimately produces negative effects upon the country. Applebaum's final question is if torture is not optimally successful, why so much of society believes it works efficiently.
This book is very educating about the history of the concentration camps and Holocaust. “…The spectators observed these emaciated creatures ready to kill for a crust of bread...the old man was crying, ‘Meir, my little Meir! Don’t you recognize me…you’re killing your father…I have bread…for you too…for you too’ He collapsed…there were two dead bodies next to (Elie), the father and the son.” (Page 101 of Night) Concentration camps were terrible. The prisoners/Jews were so underfed that they were willing to kill their own family members for a slice of bread. The Jews would go to extremes in order to get a bit more food to line their stomachs. Concentration camps, Gestapo, and SS transform the prisoners’ morals and their lives. “My father suddenly had a colic attack. He got up and asked politely, in German, ‘Excuse me…could you tell me where the toilets are located?’ (Night page 39) …Then, he slapped my father with such force that he fell down and then crawled back to his place on all fours.” This also shows the brutality of the German Kapos and the Nazi Staff. This is very educational for the world about the brutality and unpleasantness of the concentration camps. Educating people about the holocaus...
Introduction “The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent them.” While Marx did not delve deeply into crime and criminal activity, he argued that laws were put in place by the upper classes of society to serve their needs, most important being the suppression of other classes. His influence has been prodigious where governments, including the Chinese and the Soviet Union, and a movement that call themselves Marxists who at some point were more than the number of Christians in the world (Rader, 1979). This illustrates his conventional yet controversial way of thinking that has reverberated across societies and institutions. The opening statement that was made by Karl Marx will be resonated throughout this analysis into the Marxist theories, giving an in-depth scrutiny of the history and background of this theory, highlighting the critics of the theory and providing an example of the theory.
Love is the foundation and the weakness of a totalitarian regime. For a stable totalitarian society, love between two individuals is eliminated because only a relationship between the person and the party and a love for its leader can exist. The totalitarian society depicted throughout the Orwell’s novel 1984 has created a concept of an Orwellian society. Stalin’s Soviet state can be considered Orwellian because it draws close parallels to the imaginary world of Oceania in 1984. During the twentieth century, Soviet Russia lived under Stalin’s brutal and oppressive governments, which was necessary for Stalin to retain power.