Soviet and Communist studies
Encyclopedia
Soviet and Communist studies is the field of historical studies
of the Soviet Union
and other Communist state
s, as well as of communist parties
, such as the Communist Party USA
, that existed or still exist in some form in many countries, inside or outside the former Soviet Bloc. It is a field rife with conflict and controversy.
While this area is now seldom offered as a field of study in itself, in which one might become a specialist, there are related fields emerging, as may be judged by the titles of academic journals, some of which have changed to reflect the passage of time since 1989 and the effect of the end of Soviet rule. These include: Communist and Post-Communist Studies, Europe-Asia Studies
, Post-Soviet Affairs, Communist Studies and Transition Politics, Communisme
, and Demokratizatsiya
: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization. The historiography
of strictly Communist studies is also changing, with some different models of its aims, as well as the major shift caused by access to archives.
According to John Earl Haynes
and Harvey Klehr
, writing in their book, In Denial: Historians, Communism & Espionage, the historiography of Soviet and Communist studies is characterized by a split between "traditionalists" and "revisionists". Traditionalists characterize themselves as objective reporters of the totalitarian nature of Communism and Communist states; they are criticized by their opponents as being anti-communist
, even fascist, in their benighted insistence on continuing to focus on the issues of the Cold War
. Alternative characterizations for traditionalists include: "orthodox", "Draperite" (after Theodore Draper
), "conservative", "right-wing" or "anti-Communist". Norman Markowitz, a prominent revisionist, referred to them as '"triumphalist", "romantics", "right-wing romantics", and "reactionaries" who belong to the "HUAC school of CPUSA scholarship"'.
Revisionists, characterized by Haynes and Klehr as historical revisionists, are more numerous and, furthermore, dominate academic institutions and learned journals
. A suggested alternative formulation is "new historians of American communism", but that has not caught on. They would describe themselves as unbiased and scholarly and contrast their work to the work of anti-Communist traditionalists whom they would term biased and unscholarly.
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and other Communist state
Communist state
A communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist-Leninist communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state...
s, as well as of communist parties
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
, such as the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
, that existed or still exist in some form in many countries, inside or outside the former Soviet Bloc. It is a field rife with conflict and controversy.
While this area is now seldom offered as a field of study in itself, in which one might become a specialist, there are related fields emerging, as may be judged by the titles of academic journals, some of which have changed to reflect the passage of time since 1989 and the effect of the end of Soviet rule. These include: Communist and Post-Communist Studies, Europe-Asia Studies
Europe-Asia Studies
Europe-Asia Studies is an academic peer-reviewed journal published 10 times a year by Routledge on behalf of the Institute of Central and East European Studies, University of Glasgow, and continuing the journal Soviet Studies , which was renamed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union...
, Post-Soviet Affairs, Communist Studies and Transition Politics, Communisme
Communisme
Communisme is a French multidisciplinary academic journal in the field of communist studies, focusing in particular on the history of communism, founded in 1982 by Annie Kriegel and Stéphane Courtois...
, and Demokratizatsiya
Demokratizatsiya (journal)
Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization is an international interdisciplinary quarterly journal devoted to changes in the late Soviet Union and post-Soviet states. It is published by the World Affairs Institute. It covers the processes in these countries since 1985...
: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization. The historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
of strictly Communist studies is also changing, with some different models of its aims, as well as the major shift caused by access to archives.
According to John Earl Haynes
John Earl Haynes
John Earl Haynes is an American historian who is a specialist in 20th century political history in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress...
and Harvey Klehr
Harvey Klehr
Harvey E. Klehr is a professor of politics and history at Emory University; he is known for his books on the subject of the American Communist movement, and on Soviet espionage in America ....
, writing in their book, In Denial: Historians, Communism & Espionage, the historiography of Soviet and Communist studies is characterized by a split between "traditionalists" and "revisionists". Traditionalists characterize themselves as objective reporters of the totalitarian nature of Communism and Communist states; they are criticized by their opponents as being anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
, even fascist, in their benighted insistence on continuing to focus on the issues of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Alternative characterizations for traditionalists include: "orthodox", "Draperite" (after Theodore Draper
Theodore Draper
Theodore H. "Ted" Draper was an American historian and political writer. Draper is best known for the 14 books which he completed during his life, including work regarded as seminal on the formative period of the American Communist Party, the Cuban Revolution, and the Iran-Contra Affair...
), "conservative", "right-wing" or "anti-Communist". Norman Markowitz, a prominent revisionist, referred to them as '"triumphalist", "romantics", "right-wing romantics", and "reactionaries" who belong to the "HUAC school of CPUSA scholarship"'.
Revisionists, characterized by Haynes and Klehr as historical revisionists, are more numerous and, furthermore, dominate academic institutions and learned journals
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
. A suggested alternative formulation is "new historians of American communism", but that has not caught on. They would describe themselves as unbiased and scholarly and contrast their work to the work of anti-Communist traditionalists whom they would term biased and unscholarly.
Account required for online access
The following journals can only be accessed through participating institutions such as libraries or institutions of higher learning which have paid a hefty fee:-
- Europe-Asia Studies, Vols. 45 - 52, 1993-2007 OR THROUGH ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS WEBSITE
- "JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY HISTORY", VOLS. 1-16, 1991-2007
- "SLAVIC REVIEW", 1941-2007, VOLS 1-66
- "RUSSIAN REVIEW, VOLS.1-66, 1941-2007
- "JOURNAL OF COLD WAR STUDIES, VOLS.1-9, 1998-2007
- "PROBLEMS OF POST-COMMUNISM", VOLS. 1-54, 1953-2007
- http://WWW.KRITKA.COM, "KRITKA
- [HTTP:WWW.UCHICAGO.EDU, "JOURNAL OF MODERN HISTORY, VOLS. 1-79, 1928-200O7]
Mostly free online access
The following journals are by subscription but most of the back-issue articles can be accessed free of charge online:Academic programs
See also
- KremlinologyKremlinologyKremlinology is the study and analysis of Soviet politics and policies based on efforts to understand the inner workings of an opaque central government. The term is named after the Kremlin, the seat of the Russian/Soviet government. Kremlinologist refers to academic, media, and commentary experts...
- Russian studiesRussian StudiesRussian studies is a field of study first developed during the Cold War. It is an interdisciplinary field crossing history and language studies. It is closely related to Soviet and Communist studies...
- Historiography of the Cold WarHistoriography of the Cold WarAs soon as the term "Cold War" was popularized to refer to postwar tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, interpreting the course and origins of the conflict became a source of heated controversy among historians, political scientists, and journalists. In particular, historians...