Being Soviet: Identity, Rumour, and Everyday Life under Stalin, 1939-53 (Oxford Historical Monographs)

Being Soviet adopts a refreshing and innovative approach to the crucial years between 1939 and 1953 in the USSR. It addresses two of the key recent debates concerning Stalinism: 'what was the logic and language of Soviet power?' and 'how did ordinary citizens relate to Soviet power?' In relation to the first debate, Timothy Johnston shifts the focus away from Russian nationalism onto Soviet identity which, in relation to the outside world, provided a powerful frame of reference in the late-Stalin years. 'Sovietness' is explored via the newspapers, films, plays, and popular music of the era. Johnston's most significant contribution lies in his novel answer to the question 'How did ordinary citizens relate to Soviet power?' He avoids the current Foucault-inspired emphasis on 'supporters' and 'resistors' of the regime. Instead, he argues that most Soviet citizens did not fit easily into either category. Their relationship with Soviet power was defined by a series of subtle 'tactics of the habitat' (Kotkin) that enabled them to stay fed, informed, and entertained in these difficult times. Being Soviet offers a rich and textured discussion of those everyday survival strategies via the rumours, jokes, hairstyles, music tastes, sexual relationships, and political campaigns of the era. Each chapter finishes by exploring what this everyday behaviour tells us about the collective mentalite of Stalin-era society. Being Soviet focuses on the place of Britain and America within Soviet identity; their evolution from wartime allies to Cold War enemies played a vital role in redefining what it meant to be Soviet in Stalin's last years. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 12 Illustrations......Page 14 List of Abbreviations......Page 15 The historiography of the Stalin era: where have we got to?......Page 18 Official Soviet Identity and the ‘tactics of the habitat’......Page 26 Mentalité and sources......Page 44 Chronology......Page 48 I. BEING SOVIET IN THE PRE-WAR ERA......Page 54 1. The Liberator State? The Crisis of Official Soviet Identity during the Pact Period 1939–1941......Page 56 Official Soviet Identity in the Pact Period......Page 58 The diplomatic identity of the USSR......Page 60 The identity of the USSR as a Civilization......Page 69 Being Soviet in the ‘Pact Period’: ordinary citizens and the ‘little tactics of the habitat’ 1939–1941......Page 73 Conclusion......Page 94 II. BEING SOVIET DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR......Page 96 2. Perfidious Allies? Britain, America, and Official Soviet Diplomatic Identity 1941–1945......Page 98 Official Soviet Identity and the image of the Allies 1941–1945......Page 100 The Grand Alliance in the Soviet collective imagination......Page 114 Soviet wartime mentalité: the allied states and the rumour network......Page 131 3. Patrons or Predators? Foreign Servicemen, Technology, and Art within Official Soviet Cultural Identity, 1941–1945......Page 136 Official Soviet Identity and Western science and culture......Page 137 Lend Lease: gift or payment?......Page 144 Lend Lease within the Soviet wartime imagination......Page 148 Anglo-American servicemen in the wartime USSR......Page 153 Soviet wartime mentalité: the glamour of the outside world......Page 174 Conclusion......Page 176 III. BEING SOVIET IN THE POST-WAR YEARS......Page 178 4. Panics, Peace, and Pacifism: Official Soviet Diplomatic Identity in the late-Stalin Years 1945–1953......Page 180 From allies to enemies: Britain and America, May 1945–September 1947......Page 182 A peace-loving superpower: Soviet diplomatic identity in the early Cold War: 1947–1953......Page 194 ‘Struggling for peace’ or pacifism? Popular participation in the peace campaigns......Page 202 Soviet mentalité during the early Cold War: the outside world as a threatening place......Page 213 Conclusion......Page 218 5. Subversive Styles? Official Soviet Cultural Identity in the late-Stalin Years 1945–1953......Page 220 The Cold War attack on capitalist life......Page 222 Jazz, style, and science: interacting with post-war Soviet identity as a civilization......Page 234 Soviet mentalité during the early Cold War: foreign chic and foreign quality......Page 258 Conclusion......Page 260 Conclusion......Page 262 Appendix: Interview Technique and Questions Used......Page 266 Bibliography......Page 270 F......Page 290 O......Page 291 S......Page 292 Z......Page 293 Cover 1 Contents 12 Illustrations 14 List of Abbreviations 15 Introduction 18 The historiography of the Stalin era: where have we got to? 18 Official Soviet Identity and the ‘tactics of the habitat’ 26 Mentalité and sources 44 Chronology 48 I. BEING SOVIET IN THE PRE-WAR ERA 54 1. The Liberator State? The Crisis of Official Soviet Identity during the Pact Period 1939–1941 56 Official Soviet Identity in the Pact Period 58 The diplomatic identity of the USSR 60 The identity of the USSR as a Civilization 69 Being Soviet in the ‘Pact Period’: ordinary citizens and the ‘little tactics of the habitat’ 1939–1941 73 Conclusion 94 II. BEING SOVIET DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 96 2. Perfidious Allies? Britain, America, and Official Soviet Diplomatic Identity 1941–1945 98 Official Soviet Identity and the image of the Allies 1941–1945 100 The Grand Alliance in the Soviet collective imagination 114 Soviet wartime mentalité: the allied states and the rumour network 131 3. Patrons or Predators? Foreign Servicemen, Technology, and Art within Official Soviet Cultural Identity, 1941–1945 136 Official Soviet Identity and Western science and culture 137 Lend Lease: gift or payment? 144 Lend Lease within the Soviet wartime imagination 148 Anglo-American servicemen in the wartime USSR 153 Soviet wartime mentalité: the glamour of the outside world 174 Conclusion 176 III. BEING SOVIET IN THE POST-WAR YEARS 178 4. Panics, Peace, and Pacifism: Official Soviet Diplomatic Identity in the late-Stalin Years 1945–1953 180 From allies to enemies: Britain and America, May 1945–September 1947 182 A peace-loving superpower: Soviet diplomatic identity in the early Cold War: 1947–1953 194 ‘Struggling for peace’ or pacifism? Popular participation in the peace campaigns 202 Soviet mentalité during the early Cold War: the outside world as a threatening place 213 Conclusion 218 5. Subversive Styles? Official Soviet Cultural Identity in the late-Stalin Years 1945–1953 220 The Cold War attack on capitalist life 222 Jazz, style, and science: interacting with post-war Soviet identity as a civilization 234 Soviet mentalité during the early Cold War: foreign chic and foreign quality 258 Conclusion 260 Conclusion 262 Appendix: Interview Technique and Questions Used 266 Bibliography 270 Index 290 A 290 B 290 C 290 D 290 E 290 F 290 G 291 H 291 I 291 J 291 K 291 L 291 M 291 N 291 O 291 P 292 R 292 S 292 T 293 U 293 V 293 W 293 Z 293 9780199604036 Oxford University Press Premium Being Soviet adopts a refreshing and innovative approach to the years between the Nazi-Soviet Pact and Stalin's death in the USSR. Timothy Johnston draws on newspapers, films, plays, and popular music in order to examine the changing nature of Soviet identity in this era. He pays particular attention to the evolution of Britain and America from wartime allies to Cold War enemies. Being Soviet then explores how ordinary citizens related to this official version of Soviet identity. It examines that question via the rumours, jazz music, hairstyles, jokes, anti-war campaigns, and sexual relationships of the time. Johnston argues that these'everyday'activities defined Soviet identity for the man on the street in the USSR. At the heart of the book is a sustained critique of the current emphasis on'supporters'or'resistors'of the regime. Johnston suggests that the shadow of Foucault looms too large in the history of Stalinism. The relationship between Soviet citizens and Soviet power was defined by the subtle tactics of everyday living. For many, life was not defined by'belief'or'unbelief'but rather the constant struggle to stay fed, informed, and entertained. This more nuanced approach offers a rich and textured image of what it meant to be Soviet in Stalin's least years. 'being Soviet' Adopts A Refreshing And Innovative Approach To The Crucial Years Between 1939 And 1953 In The Ussr. It Examines How The Language Of Soviet Identity Evolved In This Period, And How Ordinary Citizens Responded To That Shift. Timothy Johnston. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [217]-236) And Index.