Lenin's Brain and Other Tales from the Secret Soviet Archives (Hoover Institution Press Publication) (Volume 555)

The secret world of the Soviet Union revealed The opening of the once-secret Soviet state and party archives in the early 1990s proved to be an event of exceptional significance. When Western scholars broke down the official wall of secrecy that had stood for decades, they gained access to intriguing new knowledge they had previously only had been able to speculate about. In this fascinating volume, Paul Gregory takes us behind scenes and into the archives to illuminate the dark inner workings of the Soviet Union. He reveals, for example, the bizarre story of the state-sponsored scientific study of Lenin's brain. Originally conceived to "prove" Lenin's genius, the plan was never revealed to the public--for to do so was more than the security-conscious Soviet leadership could have borne. Gregory also exposes the harsh features of Stalin's criminal justice system--in which the theft of state and collective property was punished far more severely than the theft of private property. Indeed, the theft of small amounts of grain was punishable by ten years in the Gulag or a death sentence. The author also illuminates the true story behind the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, telling how the ill-conceived incursion was ordered by a Politburo of aging and ill leaders who would not be around to deal with the long-term consequences of their decision. In addition, the book examines such topics as Stalin's Great Terror, the day-to-day life of Gulag guards, Lenin's repression of "noncommunist" physicians and his purge of intellectuals, the 1940 Soviet execution of 20,000 Poles, and other previously well-concealed tales. Paul Gregory, a Hoover Institution research fellow, holds an endowed professorship in the Department of Economics at the University of Houston, Texas, and is a research professor at the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin. Taken Together, These Fourteen Short Stories Give The Reader A Surprisingly Deep Understanding Of Totalitarianism.--jacket. Scurrilous Provocation: The Katyn Massacre -- The Four Faces Of Stalin -- Lenin's Brain -- Marginals And Former People -- The Great Terror: Directive 00447 -- A Tale Of Two Sons: Yakov And Vasilii Dzhugashvili (stalin) -- Relatives And Falsifying Death Certificates -- The Ship Of Philosophers -- Who Is The Prisoner Here? -- Reasoning With Stalin On Zero Tolerance -- Bolshevik Discourse: Before And After -- Invading Afghanistan -- Arbeit Macht Frei Soviet Style -- Vladimir Moroz: Stalin's Orphans. By Paul R. Gregory. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 147-154) And Index. Contents List of Illustrations Foreword Acknowledgments 1. “Scurrilous Provocation”, The Katyn Massacre 2. The Four Faces of Stalin 3. Lenin’s Brain 4. Marginals and Former People 5. The Great Terror, Directive No. 00447 6. A Tale of Two Sons, Yakov and Vasilii Dzhugashvili (Stalin) 7. Relatives and Falsifying Death Certificates 8. The Ship of Philosophers 9. Who Is the Prisoner Here? 10. Reasoning with Stalin on Zero Tolerance 11. Bolshevik Discourse, Before and After 12. Invading Afghanistan 13. “Arbeit Macht Frei”, Soviet Style 14. Vladimir Moroz, Stalin’s Orphans Notes Abbreviations of Russian Archival Sources Illustration Source Notes Index About the Author An enlightening look into the once-secret Soviet state and party archives that Western scholars first gained access to in the early 1990s. Paul Gregory breaks down a decades-old wall of secrecy to reveal intriguing new information on such subjects as Stalin's Great Terror, the day-to-day life of Gulag guards, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the scientific study of Lenin's brain, and other fascinating tales.