History Off the Page

In the second episode of our series on Stalinism, we try to get a better sense of what everyday life was like outside of repression.  In particular, we'll focus on Stalin's attempt to industrialize the Soviet Union, to transform it in the span of five to ten years from a backwards country to a futuristic society through central planning and collectivization.  The episode argues that it was this push for modernity that led ordinary citizens to justify/accept the extraordinary violence and repression of the 1930s.  Topics discussed include: the Moscow Metro (9:53), the Soviet Economy (17:15), the Five Year Plans (25:10), Alexei Stakhanov (30:13), Soviet work culture (32:02), Magnitogorsk (35:49), shortages (55:07),  and the (Soviet) civilizing mission (102:01).

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Born as Ioseb Jughashvili, this son of a cobbler would strike fear in the hearts of millions as the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In the first episode of this two part series, learn how Stalin built perhaps history’s most ruthless dictatorship, why it became a living nightmare for those who lived through it (especially for members of the Communist Party).  Among other topics, the episode discusses the leadership battle to succeed Lenin (20:39), the Great Purges of  1930s (43:00), the establishment of GULAGs (1:05:30), Collectivization (1:17:23) and the Holodomor – a Holocaust-like planned famine that targeted Soviet Ukraine (1:21:21).

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As previously discussed, the Enlightenment envisioned a future where reason could be used to stamp out the imperfections of human society, creating lasting peace and prosperity. But can reason go too far? In this episode we examine some of the contradictions of the Enlightenment, noting how they led to an artistic and cultural revolution known as Romanticism. Among other topics, we'll discuss: Frankenstein, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Notre Dame, French fashion during the Napoleonic period and the painters Jacques-Louis David and Caspar David Friedrich.

Contradictions of the Enlightenment: Toleration, Jewish Emancipation (11:01); Race (23:13); Jean-Jacques Rousseau (26:06); Immanuel Kant (33:25); Johann Gottfried Herder (35:50); Neo-classicism (39:39); Romanticism (51:52); Architecture: Gothic, Notre Dame (Paris) (54:04); Literature: Frankenstein (56:57); Painting: Goya, Caspar David Friedrich, (1:02:28)

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In our last episode, we saw how Christmas by the early modern period (c. 1600) had become a raucous affair, a time when social relations inverted and moral standards were  usually relaxed.  This is a far cry from our modern, family-centered Christmas.  This episode charts the reforms in the 18th and 19th century that gave birth to the modern version Christmas we all know and love.  Topics covered include the origins of Santa Claus and Christmas Trees, Dickens' Christmas Carol and Hoffmann's Nutcracker, the evolution of Christmas presents and more!

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Christmas: perhaps the most anticipated day of the year. A time for faith and family, for Santa Claus, Christmas Trees and a warm glass of eggnog or glühwein consumed whilst listening to carolers sing classic songs. This is the modern Christmas celebrated around the globe on Dec. 25th each year. But it was not always this way. Over its long life span, Christmas has been many things - not all of them what you might expect. In this - the first of two episodes on the history of Christmas, we examine the origins of this wonderful holiday - both its pagan and early Christian roots. In addition, we'll discuss how Christmas evolved into a raucous time for debauchery and mischief during the medieval period - so much so that it was actually banned by the Puritans several centuries later.

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In the winter of 1917, Lenin and the Bolsheviks set out on a bold project: the construction of the world’s first socialist society.  Although much ink had been spilled on this topic over the previous century, the reality was that much work had to be done to transform these vague ideals and aspirations into lived reality.  In this episode, we examine the first steps taken by the new Soviet State in implementing Communism, highlighting in particular Lenin and the Bolsheviks’ use of violence as a tool to achieve social harmony.  We also try to understand what life in the USSR was like in the early 1920s for ordinary people, answering why they found such a violent and dictatorial regime appealing.  Along the way we’ll discuss things like the Checka, the New Economic Policy (NEP), Soviet policy towards farmers, the rise of the Red Army, and experimentation in the arts.

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 In the spring of 1917, the Bolshevik Party was an important, though not dominant player in Russian politics. With a narrow political base in cities and leaders who had long lived in exile, their prospects for carrying out Marx' dream of a proletarian revolution seemed dim. And yet, six months later, their actions would shake the world, launching the world's first Communist society and arguably laying the political foundations of 20th century Europe. How did they accomplish such a dramatic feat? In this episode we explore the breakdown of Russian democracy, while highlighting the ways Lenin and his fellow conspirators consolidated power and seized control of the world's largest country.  This is the story of the October revolution.

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 One of the seminal events of the twentieth century was the Bolshevik seizure of the world's largest country and their subsequent attempts to transform Communism from a vague ideal into a practical reality. But before they could build, they first had to destroy existing authorities and political rivals. In this episode - the first in a four part series on the rise of Communism, we explore the failures of the Romanov monarchy and its democratic successor. Among other things, we'll discuss the role of World War I, Rasputin, Nicholas II, Alexander Kerensky,the Provisional Government and more. Perhaps most importantly, we'll highlight how idealistic views of democratic ideals and a lack of understanding of mass politics led to the failure of the first democratic experiment in Russian history. 

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In the second part of our examination of World War I, we focus on the experiences of ordinary people.  The episode begins with a discussion of the life of soldiers, from the moment of mobilization in 1914 to the long days spent in the trenches in between battles.  Find out what their major challenges were, and some of the things they did to overcome them.  The second half of the episodes switches focus to the war behind the lines - i.e. the "Home-front," showing how ordinary Germans, Britons and Frenchmen (among others) dealt with the hardships and consequences caused by the conflict.  We end with a discussion of the optimism generated in the Central Powers in the spring of 1918, and the crushing defeats and collapses that followed in the late summer and fall.

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While the Second World War tends to get more attention, this episode argues World War I was actually more historically significant.  Simply put, the Great War exhausted the nations of Europe, thoroughly discrediting traditional authorities, values and institutions.  This episode - the first of a two part series on the conflict - provides a general overview of the war itself, from its causes to its conclusion to the new weapons and great battles that made it so devastating.  Find out how a wrong turn literally led to the start of the war, how French taxi drivers saved the Third Republic, why poison gas was largely ineffective, the secrets to the Red Baron's rapid rise and literal fall and so much more!

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For more information on History Off the Page, check out our website www.historyoffthepage.com!   Or you can support the  show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepage?fan_landing=true.