In my continued exposure to leftist spaces and a leftist view on history it has become clear that all I understand about Stalin is the reactionary rhetoric I've been fed my whole life. I have only just started on reading theory and exposing myself to a leftist view, so Stalin as a topic isn't something I've reached yet.
But I have to ask, and I think this is the place to ask it, what is the deal with Stalin?
The vibe I get is that people at a minimum don't hate Stalin, but also maybe at most appricate Stalin. I'm aware that the efforts of the USSR during WW2, especially in regards to Nazi aggression are a credit to his administration and leadership, but is that really where the vibe starts and stops?
I'm not looking for a dissertation on the guy, but just the notes or primary points. I'll take reading suggestions too.
Thanks comrades.
Have you heard any of their accounts in any more detail than that? I know it's hard to poke family members for holocaust memories, but is there a chance that some of the story has been lost along the way?
Lots of Jews were sent to Siberia during the war in order to shield them from the German advance that would've executed them on the spot. It is true that in 1940 there was a mass deportation of Polish and Jewish people to Siberia. In Siberia, conditions were definitely harsh but they were harsh for everyone, and were the way they were out of necessity for the war on the doorstep. Many who lived through the Siberian camps note that they were allowed to observe the Sabbath, that they were fed within the means of what was available, and that they received adequate medical care.
As for a move from Auschwitz to a Siberian work camp - that is certainly unfortunate but a very fringe occurrence. In accounts that this is reported to have happened, it has been on account of misunderstandings of Nazi collaboration - some Jews survived by performing acts of service and skill to their Nazi masters - a moral choice I cannot judge, that was in some cases misconstrued by soviet commanders as criminal.
In those scenarios (which may or may not resemble your family's circumstances), I wouldn't say the root of their mistreatment was them being Jewish. The majority of Auschwitz survivors were of course not sent to Siberia. The Soviet Union did not practice wide scale antisemitic policies.
What do you think?
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Are there any resources you could recommend about Jewish Nationalism in Russia? Whenever I look it up I just get swamped with stuff about Stalins relationship to Zionism, I suppose because Zionism is a current issue so it dominates my search algorithm.
Thanks for your insight.
When you say Jewish nationalism are you talking about zionism? This is probably the most common liberal critique of Stalin, conflating antizionism and antisemitism. If anything, history has shown that the USSR should've been more aggressive and consistent when repressing zionism.
I think the experience of the holocaust made it pretty clear that rightwing ethnic nationalism is extremely dangerous and very damaging to the working class solidarity needed to fight racism.