The long war : the intellectual people's front and anti-Stalinism, 1930-1940

In the early 1930s, the American Communist Party attracted support from a wide range of liberal and radical intellectuals, partly in response to domestic politics, and also in opposition to the growing power of fascism abroad. The Long War , a social history of these intellectuals and their political institutions, tells the story of the rift that developed among the groups loosely organized under the umbrella of the Party—representing communist supporters of the People’s Front and those who would become anti-Stalinists—and the evolution of that rift into a generational divide that would culminate in the liberal anti-communism of the post-World War II era. Judy Kutulas takes us into the debates and outright fights between and within the ranks of organizations such as the League of American Writers, the John Reed Clubs, the Committee for Cultural Freedom, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners. Showing how extremist views about the nature and value of communism triumphed over more moderate ones, she traces the transfer of the left’s leadership from one generation to the next. She describes how supporters of the People’s Front were discredited by the time of the Nazi-Soviet Pact and how this opened the way for a new generation of leaders better known as the New York intellectuals. In this shift, Kutulas identifies the beginnings of the liberal anti-communism that would follow World War II. A book for students and scholars of the intersection of politics and culture, The Long War offers a new, informed perspective on the intellectual maneuvers of the American left of the 1930s and leads to a reinterpretation of the time and its complex legacy. Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction One. “Leftbound Local”: The Lost Generation, Social Activists, Communists, and the Depression Two. “The Disinherited”: The Emergence of a Left-wing Opposition, 1932—1935 Three. Becoming “More Liberal”: Constructing the People’s Front, 1935-1937 Four. Challenging “The Writers Congress Creed”: Left-wing Opposition to the People’s Front, 1937-1938 Five. “The More Developed Writers”: Managing the People’s Front, 1937-1938 Six. “Bystanders” and the “Tit for Tat Front”: The Emergence of Extremism on Either Side of the Front Barrier, 1939 Seven. “A Pretty Pickle”: The Nazi-Soviet Pact and the Breakup of the Intellectual People’s Front, 1939-1940 Eight. Countering “Totalitarian Liberalism”: The Demise of Anti-Stalinism and the Emergence of Liberal Anticommunism, 1939-1940 Nine. The “Official Creed”: The Legacy of the 1930s Intellectual Left “Newcomers... Forcing Themselves toward the Fore”: Some Conclusions Notes Selected Bibliography Index 1. Leftbound Local: The Lost Generation, Social Activists, Communists, And The Depression -- 2. The Disinherited: The Emergence Of A Left-wing Opposition, 1932-1935 -- 3. Becoming More Liberal: Constructing The People's Front, 1935-1937 -- 4. Challenging The Writers Congress Creed: Left-wing Opposition To The People's Front, 1937-1938 -- 5. The More Developed Writers: Managing The People's Front, 1937-1938 -- 6. Bystanders And The Tit For Tat Front: The Emergence Of Extremism On Either Side Of The Front Barrier, 1939 -- 7. A Pretty Pickle: The Nazi-soviet Pact And The Breakup Of The Intellectual People's Front, 1939-1940 -- 8. Countering Totalitarian Liberalism: The Demise Of Anti-stalinism And The Emergence Of Liberal Anticommunism, 1939-1940 -- 9. The Official Creed: The Legacy Of The 1930s Intellectual Left -- Newcomers . . . Forcing Themselves Toward The Fore: Some Conclusions. Judy Kutulas. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [299]-314) And Index.