National Identities in Soviet Historiography

National Identities in Soviet Historiography PDF

Author: Harun Yilmaz

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-02-20

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 1317596633

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Under Stalin’s totalitarian leadership of the USSR, Soviet national identities with historical narratives were constructed. These constructions envisaged how nationalities should see their imaginary common past, and millions of people defined themselves according to them. This book explains how and by whom these national histories were constructed and focuses on the crucial episode in the construction of national identities of Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan from 1936 and 1945. A unique comparative study of three different case studies, this book reveals different aims and methods of nation construction, despite the existence of one-party rule and a single overarching official ideology. The study is based on work in the often overlooked archives in the Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan. By looking at different examples within the Soviet context, the author contributes to and often challenges current scholarship on Soviet nationality policies and Stalinist nation-building projects. He also brings a new viewpoint to the debate on whether the Soviet period was a project of developmentalist modernization or merely a renewed ‘Russian empire’. The book concludes that the local agents in the countries concerned had a sincere belief in socialism—especially as a project of modernism and development—and, at the same time, were strongly attached to their national identities. Claiming that local communist party officials and historians played a leading role in the construction of national narratives, this book will be of interest to historians and political scientists interested in the history of the Soviet Union and contemporary Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Globalisation and National Identity in History Textbooks

Globalisation and National Identity in History Textbooks PDF

Author: Joseph Zajda

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-07-06

Total Pages: 139

ISBN-13: 9402409726

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Globalisation and National Identity in History Textbooks: The Russian Federation, the 16th book in the 24-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, discusses trends in dominant discourses of identity politics, and nation-building in school history textbooks in the Russian Federation (RF). The book addresses one of the most profound examples of the re-writing of history following a geo-political change. Various book chapters examine debates pertaining to national identity, patriotism, and the nation-building process. The book discusses the way in which a new sense of patriotism and nationalism is documented in prescribed Russian history textbooks, and in the Russian media debate on history textbooks. It explores the ambivalent and problematic relationship between the state, globalisation and the construction of cultural identity in prescribed school history textbooks. By focusing on ideology, identity politics, and nation-building, the book examines history teachers’ responses to the content of history textbooks and how teachers depict key moments in modern Russian history. This book, an essential sourcebook of ideas for researchers, practitioners and policymakers in the fields of globalisation and history education, provides timely information on history teachers’ attitudes towards historical knowledge and historical understanding in prescribed Russian history textbooks.

National Bolshevism

National Bolshevism PDF

Author: David Brandenberger

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 9780674009066

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During the 1930s, Stalin and his entourage rehabilitated famous names from the Russian national past in a propaganda campaign designed to mobilize Soviet society for the coming war. In a provocative study, David Brandenberger traces this populist "national Bolshevism" into the 1950s, highlighting the catalytic effect that it had on Russian national identity formation.

The Fall of an Empire, the Birth of a Nation

The Fall of an Empire, the Birth of a Nation PDF

Author: Chris J Chulos

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-12-01

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 1351778927

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This title was first published in 2000: A collection of articles by Russian and Western experts on nationalism. The objective of the work is to give an overview of the new Russian identity-building and of the historical continuities that lie behind this ongoing process. The main theme is the shift from empire and imperial consciousness, characteristic both of the imperial Russia and the Soviet Union, towards a new identity as a nation state. Ultra-nationalism and the threat posed by ultra-right extremists groups is also among the most important themes in the book. The rising nationalist extremism is one of the several major projects that seek to redefine the Russion nationhood. The ultra-nationalist challenge is examined in several articles; the anatomy of extreme Russian nationalism is also examined through a case study of a small militant group of extremists.

Khrushchev's Thaw and National Identity in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1954–1959

Khrushchev's Thaw and National Identity in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1954–1959 PDF

Author: Jamil Hasanli

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2014-12-18

Total Pages: 483

ISBN-13: 1498508146

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On February 25, 1956, Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev delivered the so-called “secret speech” in the Twentieth Party Congress of the CPSU in which he denounced Stalin’s transgressions and the cult of personality around the deceased dictator. Replete with sharp criticism of the Terror of the late 1930s, the unpreparedness of the USSR for the Nazi invasion, numerous wartime blunders, and the deportation of various nationalities, the speech reverberated throughout the subordinate Soviet republics. For republics such as Azerbaijan, the speech was an unmistakable signal to readjust the entire political orientation and figure out ways to redefine governance in post-Stalin era. Previously frozen under the mortal threat of Stalinist persecution, various forms of national self-expression began to experience rapid revival under the Khrushchev thaw. Encouraged by the winds of change at the Center, the Azeris cautiously began to reclaim possession of their administrative domain. Among other local initiatives, the declaration of the Azerbaijani language as the official language was one step that stood out in its audacity, for it was not pre-arranged with the Kremlin and defied the modus operandi of the Soviet leadership. Somewhat reformist in his intentions yet ignorant of the non-Slavic peripheries, Mr. Khrushchev had not foreseen the scenarios that would unfold as a result of its new tone and the developments that would come to be interpreted as the rise of nationalism in the republics. Jamil Hasanli’s research on 1950s’ Azerbaijan sheds light on this watershed period in Soviet history while also furnishing the reader with a greater understanding of the root causes of the dissolution of the USSR.

Nature and National Identity After Communism

Nature and National Identity After Communism PDF

Author: Katrina Z. S. Schwartz

Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre

Published: 2006-11-26

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 0822973146

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In this groundbreaking book, Katrina Schwartz examines the intersection of environmental politics, globalization, and national identity in a small East European country: modern-day Latvia. Based on extensive ethnographic research and lively discourse analysis, it explores that country's post-Soviet responses to European assistance and political pressure in nature management, biodiversity conservation, and rural development. These responses were shaped by hotly contested notions of national identity articulated as contrasting visions of the "ideal" rural landscape.The players in this story include Latvian farmers and other traditional rural dwellers, environmental advocates, and professionals with divided attitudes toward new European approaches to sustainable development. An entrenched set of forestry and land management practices, with roots in the Soviet and pre-Soviet eras, confront growing international pressures on a small country to conform to current (Western) notions of environmental responsibility—notions often perceived by Latvians to be at odds with local interests. While the case is that of Latvia, the dynamics Schwartz explores have wide applicability and speak powerfully to broader theoretical discussions about sustainable development, social constructions of nature, the sources of nationalism, and the impacts of globalization and regional integration on the traditional nation-state.

Modern Russian History

Modern Russian History PDF

Author: Mauricio Borrero

Publisher:

Published: 2015-12-31

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 9781516502721

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Modern Russian History: The Search for National Identity and Global Power exposes readers to the rich history of Russia, emphasizing the major forces and factors that shaped its development as a nation and an empire. Students are encouraged to draw connections between influential forces and factors, both historical and contemporary, to better understand Russia's past and current strategic goals, as well as the Russian sense of identity and place in global society. The opening chapter introduces key themes and factors of Russian history, including the physical setting; the role of the autocratic state; the institution of serfdom; the multinational empire; and the West, each of which represent challenges and opportunities the Russian people and the nation's rulers have encountered over time. The book features five distinct parts, which proceed in chronological order and cover late imperial Russia, the 1917 Russian revolutions, the creation of the USSR, the Cold War and tensions with the United States, and post-Soviet Russia and modern events. Modern Russian History is part of the Cognella History of Europe Series, a collection of textbooks that help students discover the power, influence, and dynamic nature of European countries and their histories. Roxanne Easley is a professor of history at Central Washington University. She holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Russian history from the University of Oregon. Mark Davis Kuss is a professor of history and political science at the University of Holy Cross. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Louisiana State University, J.D. from the Tulane University School of Law, and M.A. in history from the University of New Orleans. Thomas Pearson is a professor of history at Monmouth University. He holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Russian history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.