Making Sense of War : the Second World War and the Fate of the Bolshevik Revolution

Annotation InMaking Sense of War, Amir Weiner reconceptualizes the entire historical experience of the Soviet Union from a new perspective, that of World War II. Breaking with the conventional interpretation that views World War II as a post-revolutionary addendum, Weiner situates this event at the crux of the development of the Soviet--not just the Stalinist--system. Through a richly detailed look at Soviet society as a whole, and at one Ukrainian region in particular, the author shows how World War II came to define the ways in which members of the political elite as well as ordinary citizens viewed the world and acted upon their beliefs and ideologies. The book explores the creation of the myth of the war against the historiography of modern schemes for social engineering, the Holocaust, ethnic deportations, collaboration, and postwar settlements. For communist true believers, World War II was the purgatory of the revolution, the final cleansing of Soviet society of the remaining elusive "human weeds" who intruded upon socialist harmony, and it brought the polity to the brink of communism. Those ridden with doubts turned to the war as a redemption for past wrongs of the regime, while others hoped it would be the death blow to an evil enterprise. For all, it was the Armageddon of the Bolshevik Revolution. The result of Weiner's inquiry is a bold, compelling new picture of a Soviet Union both reinforced and enfeebled by the experience of total war In Making Sense Of War, Amir Weiner Reconceptualizes The Entire Historical Experience Of The Soviet Union From A New Perspective, That Of World War Ii. Breaking With The Conventional Interpretation That Views World War Ii As A Post-revolutionary Addendum, Weiner Situates This Event At The Crux Of The Development Of The Soviet - Not Just The Stalinist - System. Through A Richly Detailed Look At Soviet Society As A Whole, And At One Ukrainian Region In Particular, The Author Shows How World War Ii Came To Define The Ways In Which Members Of The Political Elite A Well As Ordinary Citizens Viewed The World And Acted Upon Their Beliefs And Ideologies.--jacket. Machine Generated Contents Note: Part I: Delineating The Body Politic -- One -- Myth And Power: The Making Of A Postwar Elite -- Two -- Living Up To The Calling Of A Communist: Purification -- Of The Rank And File -- Part Ii: Delineating The Body Socioethnic -- Three -- Excising Evil -- Four -- Memory Of Excision, Excisionary Memory -- Part M: The Making Of A Postwar Soviet Nation -- Five -- Integral Nationalism In The Trial Of War -- Six -- Peasants To Soviets, Peasants To Ukrainians -- Afterword: A Soviet World Without Soviet Power, -- A Myth Of War Without War -- Bibliography -- Index. Amir Weiner. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [387]-410) And Index. "In making Sense of War, Amir Weiner reconceptualizes the entire historical experience of the Soviet Union from a new perspective, that of World War II. Breaking with the conventional interpretation that views World War II as a post-revolutionary addendum, Weiner situates this event at the crux of the development of the Soviet - not just the Stalinist - system. Through a richly detailed look at Soviet society as a whole, and at one Ukrainian region in particular, the author shows how World War II came to define the ways in which members of the political elite a well as ordinary citizens viewed the world and acted upon their beliefs and ideologies."--BOOK JACKET. List of Illustrations ix List of Tables xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction: Making Sense of War 7 PART I: DELINEATING THE BODY POLITIC 41 One Myth and Power: The Making of a Postwar Elite 43 Two "Living Up to the Calling of a Communist": Purification of the Rank and File 82 PART II: DELINEATING THE BODY SOCIOETHNIC 127 Three Excising Evil 129 Four Memory of Excision, Excisionary Memory 191 PART III: THE MAKING OF A POSTWAR SOVIET NATION 237 Five Integral Nationalism in the Trial of War 239 Six Peasants to Soviets, Peasants to Ukrainians 298 Afterword: A Soviet World without Soviet Power, a Myth of War without War 364 Bibliography 387 Index 411 ON 24 AUGUST 1942 the readers of Pravda were treated to a rather unusual literary event.