Terror by Quota: State Security from Lenin to Stalin (an Archival Study) (The Yale-Hoover Series on Stalin, Stalinism, and the Cold War) [Hardcover]

Prof. Paul R. Gregory (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300134258 | ISBN-13: 978-0300134254 | Publication Date: January 6, 2009 | Edition: First Edition

This original analysis of the workings of Soviet state security organs under Lenin and Stalin addresses a series of questions that have long resisted satisfactory answers. Why did political repression affect so many people, most of them ordinary citizens? Why did repression come in waves or cycles? Why were economic and petty crimes regarded as political crimes? What was the reason for relying on extra-judicial tribunals? And what motivated the extreme harshness of punishments, including the widespread use of the death penalty?

 

Through an approach that synthesizes history and economics, Paul Gregory develops systematic explanations for the way terror was applied, how terror agents were recruited, how they carried out their jobs, and how they were motivated. The book draws on extensive, recently opened archives of the Gulag administration, the Politburo, and state security agencies themselves to illuminate in new ways terror and repression in the Soviet Union as well as dictatorships in other times and places.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book, the first to focus on the ''working arrangements'' of security agencies under Stalin, unlocks a number of issues in Soviet history that have until now been classified as instances of the dictator''s irrationality or excess."—Mark Harrison, University of Warwick

(Mark Harrison )

"In the vast and growing literature on Stalinism, this text stands out not only due to the extensive coverage of a complex subject matter but also due to its unique methodology. Paul Gregory applies the rational-choice paradigm to the policies, and, in particular, the infamous Great Terror of 1937-1938. This important study improves our understanding of dictatorship and broadens the scope of historical economic analysis in general."—Valery Lazarev, University of Houston and Hoover Institution

(Valery Lazarev )

About the Author

Paul Gregory is Cullen Distinguished Professor of Economics, University of Houston. As a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, he directs the Soviet Archives Working Group. He lives in Bellaire, TX.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; First Edition edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300134258
• ISBN-13: 978-0300134254
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,418,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terror by Quota, January 6, 2009

By 

T. Kunikov (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Terror by Quota: State Security from Lenin to Stalin (an Archival Study) (The Yale-Hoover Series on Stalin, Stalinism, and the Cold War) (Hardcover)

This is undoubtedly one of the best books I've had a chance to read on the Soviet Union in the past decade. As an avid reader of Soviet times, especially the Stalinist period, I try to keep up to date on the newest releases. I fought over how many "stars" to give this book because the author presents a 'model' which we follow throughout the book about Stalin, the Cheka/OGPU/NKVD/MVD, and the repressions/purges. This 'model' tries to show in a rational sense what Stalin did, how he did it, and the success or failure that was achieved in the process. The backbone for this 'model' is rationality. I honestly think that the author has a good point in this regard, much of Stalin's behavior as well as the NKVD is rational when put into correct context. This obviously doesn't make it right, but following Stalin's thought process, it makes sense. Sadly, in the end I can't say I'm a fan of such 'models,' I'd rather have the information presented to me and then decide if it might fit into a certain 'model.'

What I was most interested in when reading through the book was the information and the structure/contextualization that information was put into. The author undoubtedly has a good, in fact a very good, grasp of the Soviet period and the purges that took place from the time of Lenin to even after Stalin. He's done the archival research and leans on current Russian primary/secondary literature to give a good narrative of the time and events in question. Again and again I found myself looking up end notes trying to figure out where various bits of information were coming from.

While Stalin indeed deserves a large portion of the blame for what occurred throughout his reign, in the end he was not the only one responsible for what befell the Soviet Union. He can be blamed for the atmosphere that was created, but he was not the only one approving and issuing death sentences or prison terms. Indeed, few if any of those who achieved high status/rank within the USSR can say they did so with "clean hands." Aside from the 'model' that the author presents I'd say the fact that much of the 'bottom-up' relationship - not that of the NKVD personnel to Stalin but the citizens and their complaints against one another - is never really mentioned or contextualized. Obviously Stalin and the NKVD as well as other party functionaries deserve much of the blame for what occurred, if not the majority, but all those people who complained about their neighbors for one reason or another (greed, revenge, etc) also took part in the development of the Soviet state. In the end an interesting read and a worthwhile investment, very much recommended.