Building Socialism: The Communist Party and the Making of the Soviet System, 1921-1941

by Yiannis Kokosalakis

Overview

By placing the party grassroots at the centre of its focus, Building Socialism presents an original account of the formative first two decades of the Soviet system. Assembled in a large network of primary party organisations (PPO), the Bolshevik rank-and-file was an army of activists made up of ordinary people. While far removed from the levers of power, they were nevertheless charged with promoting the Party's programme of revolutionary social transformation in their workplaces, neighbourhoods, and households. Their regular meetings, conferences and campaigns have generated a voluminous source base. This rich material provides a unique view of the practical manifestation of the Party's revolutionary mission and forms the basis of this insightful new narrative of how the Soviet republic functioned in the period from the end of the Russian Civil War in 1921 to its invasion by Nazi Germany in 1941.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009218894
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/25/2023
Series:	New Studies in European History
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Yiannis Kokosalakis is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of History, Philosophy and Theology at Bielefeld University. His research focuses on the history of the socialist states of the twentieth century and the experience of revolutionary movements in government and has published a number of articles on Soviet labour relations, ideological instruction, and political reform. He has held a European Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship and received a National University of Ireland Early Career Award for his work.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments; List of abbreviations and Russian terms; Introduction: the Communist Party in Leninist theory, Soviet practice and historical scholarship; 1. Building a workers' party; 2. Which way to socialism? NEP and the struggle for power; 3. Laying the foundations: the rank-and-file and rapid industrialisation; 4. Marxism and clean canteens: cultural activism between ideology and practice; 5. Democratisation and repression; 6. Party activism on the road to war; 7. Conclusion: the vanguard concept as a promising category for historical research; Bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

‘A seminal work that significantly contributes to our understanding of the Soviet Union. It offers a fresh perspective on the Communist Party’s role in Soviet society, emphasising the importance of grassroots activism and challenging conventional narratives about the nature of Soviet governance. Kokosalakis’ thorough research, insightful analysis and compelling narrative make this book an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Soviet history and socialism …’ Giannis Lainas, Europe-Asia Studies

‘… the thesis is novel and well argued.’ Jonathan Daly, SEER

From the Publisher