In the narrative for Part 4.0 of "The Stalin Eras”, we detail Joseph Stalin’s life within the context of Soviet history through the years 1939-1942.

This narrative, titled “Enemy at the Gates" highlights the pivotal years leading to the Nazi invasion of the USSR: the invasion of Poland, Soviet influence over the Baltics, the death of Leon Trotsky, and the start of Operation Barbarossa! 

Stay tuned for the next episode which will continue the narrative through from 1943-1953, Stalin's final years. 

The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective,  mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone. 

Support the show at www.patreon.com/prolespod

 

Recommended Supplemental Reading

Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn by Domenico Losurdo 

For a Few Canards More: Counter Inquiry on Stalin and the Soviet Union by Aymeric Monville

 

Recommended Supplemental Listening

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic 101: Pre-history to World War II w/ Iskolat

How Stalin Tried to Prevent World War II w/ Michael Jabara Carley

Was the Soviet Union Totalitarian w/ Robert Thurston

Understanding Siege Socialim w/ Gabriel Rockhill 

The American Ambassador Who Supported Stalin w/ Dominique Petit-Wagner

Stalin's Constitution & Life in 1930s Soviet Union w/ Samantha Lomb

 

Sources

Stalin's Wars: From World War to Cold War, 1939-1953 by Geoffrey Roberts

Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, 1941-45: A Documentary Reader by Alexander Hill

Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin by Christopher Read

The Boy in the Woods: A True Story of Survival During the Second World War by Maxwell Smart

Soviet Russia and the Baltic Republics by Philip Farr

The Baltic Riddle: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania—Key Points of European Peace by Gregory Meiksins

Russia, Finland and the Baltic W.P. and Zelda K. Coates