Ref:Review by Ursula Gurney, A Failed Empire- The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev. by Vladislav M. Zubak. (Origins. osu.edu?review/failed-empire-)…
For Stalin, security and regime building were a two sides of the same coin. He didn’t want to antagonize the U.S, but that was impossible. Khrushchev’s wanted peaceful co-existence which was not reflected by Moscow’s action abroad, which signaled the commitment to the revoluntionary paradigm- Russia threatened nuclear war with the U.S. Is this still possible with Putin in power. Is there still killing going on in Ukraine? With that type of mentality, I would say “yes” I understand that a great percentage of Ukraine are Christians, and under Stalin many were killed, also many of other faiths, Muslims, and Jews. At age 70, Stalin’s health was failing along with what was left of his sanity. He became less involved with running the soviet Union. In l953, he ordered the arrest of many Moscow’s doctors, mostly Jews, charging them with medical assassination of several high ranking Soviet Officials. This brought back memories of the purge of the 1930’s Many speculated that Stalin was gearing up for another purge aimed at persons such as Molotov and secret police chief Lavrenti Feria. What might have been another “blood letting” was avoided by Stalin’s sudden and mysterious death on March 5, 1953. This doesn’t sound like much of any type of rehabilitation to me. I didn’t read of any involvement of Putin’s administration, maybe I missed something.
After his death and the end of the reign of terror, Stalin’s name and regime was inevitably criticized by Soviet Authorities and people. He is remembered as a terrorist against his own people( like some others we know). His supporters believed he saved his country from European domination, and that lives were necessary casualties for the good of the nation. Russia rose from behind the times under his reign, achievements were impressive, but how he did it were deplorable. Death and oppression were the hallmarks of his regime. Stalin’s successors were left with the task of how to manage the Soviet Union, the abject fears and distrust of the West, and their tenuous relationships with China, without using Stalin’s tactics of terror.
So the country’s improvement or success at the price of many innocent lives was the inhumane cost, man’s inhumanity to man. How can anyone approve of such actions? These men are losers no matter how brilliant they are, or successful in achieving their inhumane goals. I would greatly question Putin’s motives for helping Syria’s president, is it in his own country’s well-being, fear of the radical Muslims, or religion of any sort, is it oil etc. He is not transparent, although what he is doing in some ways is obvious, and like Stalin. I am not saying we are completely innocent either, we suffer from much corruption as well. As I stated before corruption is endemic, and humanity needs real help that only God can give, but often humanity must be humbled first before it receives it.
Perhaps for you and Moscow. Perhaps thats true of all tyrants. However, lets be clear its your opinion tens of millions is “concocted” and frankly isn’t consistent with any scholarly work of history and is based on and supported by one fringe voice-Grover Burr. Which is where we disagree and why I posted the articles.