All topics / Stalinism
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Stalinism
2
episodes
2
thinkers
5h
of conversation
12
books & papers
5
terms defined
The neighbourhood: Stalinism and the ideas it travels with. Drag to roam, click a star for the episode, click a neighbour to travel.
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The lexicon
Every term the guests lean on, in plain language. Read one in full, or filter to find it.
What the corpus says
The throughline across every conversation that touches this idea.
Marx's historical materialism posits that history follows a purposeful direction towards communism, challenging earlier utopian socialism.
Vejas Liulevicius · Vejas Liulevicius: Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler
Bakunin's anarchist vision contrasted with Marx's structured approach, advocating for a decentralized, non-hierarchical revolution.
Vejas Liulevicius · Vejas Liulevicius: Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler
The Soviet famine was man-made, driven by state policies rather than natural causes, highlighting the destructive potential of enforced collectivization.
Vejas Liulevicius · Vejas Liulevicius: Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler
Stalin's collectivization policies led to vast human suffering and economic failure, culminating in the Soviet Union importing grain despite its vast farmlands.
Vejas Liulevicius · Vejas Liulevicius: Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler
Mao's adaptation of Marxism to prioritize peasants over industrial workers resulted in catastrophic policies like the Great Leap Forward, causing millions of deaths.
Vejas Liulevicius · Vejas Liulevicius: Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler
Stalin's power was facilitated by Lenin's creation of the general secretary position, tailored for Stalin's skills.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
Putin's popularity in Russia is partly due to a lack of viable alternatives and economic growth during his early terms.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
The American system's constraints on executive power prevent the kind of unchecked authority seen in authoritarian regimes.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
Stalin's appeal was driven by his commitment to communism and Russian state interests, not just personal power.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
The potential casualties in a hypothetical World War III could reach 555 million, far surpassing World War II's toll.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
Voices on Stalinism
8 standout quotes from across the corpus.
Go read
12 books and papers cited across these episodes.
For the specialist
What experts find new
7 expert-level takeaways for a specialist reader.
At the frontier
Still unresolved
3 open questions flagged across these conversations.
The thinkers
Who takes this idea on, by how often they return to it.
