Purity and Compromise in the Soviet Party-State

The Struggle for the Soul of the Party, 1941–1952

Nonfiction, History, Asian, Russia, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International
Cover of the book Purity and Compromise in the Soviet Party-State by Daniel Stotland, Lexington Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Daniel Stotland ISBN: 9781498540636
Publisher: Lexington Books Publication: November 15, 2017
Imprint: Lexington Books Language: English
Author: Daniel Stotland
ISBN: 9781498540636
Publisher: Lexington Books
Publication: November 15, 2017
Imprint: Lexington Books
Language: English

This work offers new ways of conceptualizing the decision-making paradigm of the Soviet party-state that was defined by the persistent shortage of qualified manpower that afflicted the Russian elite. The traditional Russian problems of under administration, combined with the unique features of the Soviet political system, resulted in a dichotomy between practical and ideological demands. The WWII era, examined in this book, provides a microcosm of pressures facing the Kremlin and illustrates the cyclical nature of policy formation forced on it by the paradoxes of the system.

As the party’s responsibilities expanded into specialized economic and military areas, political experts increasingly depended on the specialized professionals. These trends grew increased drastically during the war. An unexpected consequence of the party’s expansion into economic or military professions was the discovery that cooptation worked both ways and many party members become managers rather than ideological overseers. Throughout the existential crisis of the system—the war and its aftermath—the party would find itself in a fundamental conflict over its identity, challenged over its role both vis-a-vis the state and its own priorities.

After an abortive attempt to reverse the wartime trends, a new paradigm was articulated by the party during the last five years of Stalin's reign. This resulted in the emergence of a new elite consensus which envisioned the party as integral and invasive economic actor. This shift in the party’s identity was the price of maintaining centralized political power and came at the expense of the focus on ideological purity.

In the long term, however, the diminished role of ideology robbed the party of its core value system and steadily eroded its legitimizing and self-energizing power. Over time, the new consensus would undermine the very foundations of the party-state construct. Yet if the USSR was to survive as a modern, industrialized state, the accommodation with the technocrats was necessary. The contradiction between ideological and pragmatic aims was inherent to the system, and demanded an eventual choice between the long-term health of the state and that of the party.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This work offers new ways of conceptualizing the decision-making paradigm of the Soviet party-state that was defined by the persistent shortage of qualified manpower that afflicted the Russian elite. The traditional Russian problems of under administration, combined with the unique features of the Soviet political system, resulted in a dichotomy between practical and ideological demands. The WWII era, examined in this book, provides a microcosm of pressures facing the Kremlin and illustrates the cyclical nature of policy formation forced on it by the paradoxes of the system.

As the party’s responsibilities expanded into specialized economic and military areas, political experts increasingly depended on the specialized professionals. These trends grew increased drastically during the war. An unexpected consequence of the party’s expansion into economic or military professions was the discovery that cooptation worked both ways and many party members become managers rather than ideological overseers. Throughout the existential crisis of the system—the war and its aftermath—the party would find itself in a fundamental conflict over its identity, challenged over its role both vis-a-vis the state and its own priorities.

After an abortive attempt to reverse the wartime trends, a new paradigm was articulated by the party during the last five years of Stalin's reign. This resulted in the emergence of a new elite consensus which envisioned the party as integral and invasive economic actor. This shift in the party’s identity was the price of maintaining centralized political power and came at the expense of the focus on ideological purity.

In the long term, however, the diminished role of ideology robbed the party of its core value system and steadily eroded its legitimizing and self-energizing power. Over time, the new consensus would undermine the very foundations of the party-state construct. Yet if the USSR was to survive as a modern, industrialized state, the accommodation with the technocrats was necessary. The contradiction between ideological and pragmatic aims was inherent to the system, and demanded an eventual choice between the long-term health of the state and that of the party.

More books from Lexington Books

Cover of the book The Rhetorical Invention of Man by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Embracing Epistemic Humility by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Life in the Market Ecosystem by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book The Role of Intelligence in Ending the War in Bosnia in 1995 by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Prince George E. L'vov by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Colombia's Political Economy at the Outset of the Twenty-First Century by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Magyars and Political Discourses in the New Millennium by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Classify and Label by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Spoil Island by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book When Architecture Meets Activism by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Frantz Fanon and the Future of Cultural Politics by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Toward More Family-Centered Family Sciences by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book The Kyoto School's Takeover of Hegel by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book China's Quest for Political Legitimacy by Daniel Stotland
Cover of the book Wilbur Schramm and Noam Chomsky Meet Harold Innis by Daniel Stotland
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy