description Stephen Kotkin Overview
Stephen Kotkin is an American historian whose research concerns Russia, the Soviet Union, authoritarianism, and geopolitics. He is known for a planned multivolume biography of Joseph Stalin, based on archival research and political history. The first volume, Stalin: Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928, appeared in 2014, followed by Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941, in 2017.
help Stephen Kotkin FAQ
What is Stephen Kotkin's Stalin biography called?
The project is titled Stalin and was planned as a multi-volume biography of Joseph Stalin. Its first volume, Stalin: Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928, appeared in 2014.
What period does Stalin: Waiting for Hitler cover?
The second published volume, Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941, covers collectivization, the Great Terror, and Stalin's consolidation of power before Germany invaded the Soviet Union. It follows the first volume's coverage through 1928.
What does Kotkin mean by studying Stalin through power and institutions?
Kotkin places Stalin's decisions inside the structures of the Soviet Communist Party, state administration, police, economy, and international politics. This makes the biography about how a political system operated, not just about Stalin's personality.
Is Stephen Kotkin's Stalin biography a short introduction?
No. The first two volumes are large scholarly works built from extensive archival research and political context. Readers looking for a shorter introduction may prefer a concise Stalin biography before tackling Kotkin's detailed volumes.
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