List of Illustrations List of Maps List of Tables and Charts Acknowledgements Introduction: Stalinism at War, 1937-49 1. Preparing for War 2. The War begins in the East, 1937-39 3. War in the West, 1939-40 4. Armageddon, 1941-42 5. Recovery, 1941-42 6. Triumph, 1943-45 7. War of Ideologies 8. The War after the War, 1944-49 9. Impact and Aftermath Appendix: Maps Notes Index
An authoritative history of the Soviet Union in World War Two.
Mark Edele is Professor and Hansen Chair in History at University of Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of The Soviet Union: A Short History (2019), Stalin's Defectors: How Red Army Soldiers became Hitler's Collaborators, 1941-1945 (2017) and Stalinist Society, 1928-1953 (2011), amongst others.
A vividly written account of the conflict that comes equipped with
a raft of compelling yet counterintuitive conclusions on the
conflict… It’s a refreshing break with tradition given — as Edele
is careful to note — the vast numbers who fought and died in these
otherwise neglected theaters of conflict… Edele writes with a
lively elegance that makes his narrative a genuine pleasure to
read. His reluctance to get bogged down in the minutiae of war or
to take sides in obscure historiographical debates keeps the text
fresh and readable… What [the chapters] deliver is the richly human
story of an inhuman conflict, masterfully told and compelling
reinterpreted.
*The Moscow Times*
Edele delivers plentiful bang for his reader’s buck – or rather,
ruble. And his work is recommended reading. For students of history
and strategy, Stalinism at War broadens our perspective of the
vastness and multiplicity of timelines and front lines the Soviets
fought over during the mightiest war, ever. For students of the
human condition, Edele’s saga of oppression, deportation, massacre
and battle makes clear how facile our Covid-era woes are compared
to the staggering sufferings endured by a generation whose last,
few survivors still share the earth with us.
*Asia Times*
A true tour de force, this single book weaves together Soviet grand
strategy; World War II era geopolitics; and social, economic, and
of course military history all together ... Mark Edele has made a
considerable contribution to scholarship regarding the Soviet Union
during World War II as well as the Stalinist period of Soviet
history. It is highly recommended for specialists in these areas,
as well as those seeking a decent introduction. Its comprehensive
weaving together of various strains of history of the time period
is a true model for future scholarship.
*Journal of Slavic Military Studies*
[A] superb account of the Soviet Second World War, one the present
reviewer will be assigning to classes for a long time to come.
*Russian Review*
Stalinism at War is a fine, detailed general history of the USSR in
1937–49. In particular, it successfully argues that the Soviet
participation in World War II included Asia, starting in the 1930s,
and was extremely destructive owing to the actions of both the Axis
and the Stalin regime. This longer and larger framework better fits
the domestic history of the USSR than do previous works on the
subject.
*Michigan War Studies Review*
Edele offers a provocative new interpretation of the central event
of Soviet history – and the greatest war in the historical record –
challenging the very chronology and geography that typically frame
it. He weaves a highly readable narrative that toggles between the
personal and epic without skipping a beat.
*Brandon Schechter, Visiting Assistant Professor of History,
Columbia University, USA*
This vivid, clear-eyed, and accessible new history reconceives
Soviet involvement in WWII as a Eurasian cataclysm that began the
east in 1937 and ended with the cessation of postwar insurgencies
only in 1949. Sure-footed in military, international, political,
and social history, Mark Edele incorporates his own landmark
contributions into a synthesis of a vast new body of scholarship.
This fresh vision, brought to life through a kaleidoscope of
biographical accounts, is essential for everyone interested in
Stalinism and World War II—both of which even today haunt Russia
and the post-Soviet world.
*Michael David-Fox, Professor of History, Georgetown University,
USA*
For a period we thought we knew so well, Edele's Stalinism at War
opens up a much broader conversation on Soviet military activity in
the Second World War. A delightfully accessible read, backed by
dense research and insightful judgements. Highly recommended.
*David Stahel, Researcher, University of New South Wales,
Australia*
This thought-provoking book, based on fresh sources, contributes
two important elements to our understanding of the conflict: it
shows how Soviet citizens were affected by developments, and it
provides a context which is broad, both geographically and in terms
of time.
*Evan Mawdsley, Honorary Professorial Research Fellow, University
of Glasgow, UK*
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