Abstract
At some point in the summer or autumn of 1931, the debate about the Bolsheviks’ role in the pre-war International came to the attention of Stalin. As a result, he wrote a letter in October to the editors of Proletarskaya revolyutsiya, protesting against the publication, more than a year earlier, of Slutsky’s article. The effect of his letter on historians was cataclysmic.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
P. P. Postyshev, ‘Ocherednye zadachi marksistskogo-leniniskogo vospitaniya’, Pravda, 1 September 1931.
See J. P. Nettl, Rosa Luxemburg, vol. 2 (London, 1966), pp. 809–10. In the aftermath of Stalin’s letter, the journal of IKKI contained several references to Luxemburg’s sideas being used by oppositionists; see, for example, Kommunisticheskii internatsional, no. 35, 1931, p. 65.
Ibid., pp. 101–3. The books in question, Kurs istorii VKP (b), parts III and IV (Moscow, 1930–1), had been criticised for their assertion that the policy of socialism in one country had its origins in the failure of the world revolution to develop. See D. Baevsky, ‘Antipartiinaya vylazka pod flagom istorii partii’, Bolshevik, no. 16, 1931, pp. 90–5.
V. Knorin, ‘Za bol’shevistskuyu partiinost’ v istoricheskoi nauke’, BK, no. 1, 1932, pp. 23–4.
L. Kaganovich, ‘Za bol’shevistskoe izuchenie istorii partii’, TF, no. 14 (December 1931) pp. 1–2.
P. Postyshev, ‘Misinterpretations of Stalin’s letter to the “Proletarian Revolution”’, in J. Stalin, L. M. Kaganovich, P. Postyshev, Questions Concerning the History of Bolshevism, A Symposium (Moscow, 1932 ) pp. 35–7.
Copyright information
© 1981 John Barber
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Barber, J. (1981). Stalin’s Intervention. In: Soviet Historians in Crisis, 1928–1932. Studies in Soviet History and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-05239-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-05239-4_10
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-05241-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-05239-4
eBook Packages: Palgrave History CollectionHistory (R0)