Unbreakable Union

In this episode of Unbreakable Union, we explore the Soviet Union’s National Question during the 1930s: how could a socialist state reconcile the right of nations to self determination with the ultimate goal of internationalist unity? From the national delimitation of Central Asia and the promotion of indigenous languages and cultures to the growing emphasis on Soviet patriotism under Stalin, we t...

By 1928, the Soviet Union had survived revolution, civil war, foreign intervention, and diplomatic isolation. But survival had not made the Soviet state feel secure. As Stalin and the Bolsheviks turned toward rapid industrialization at home, they also faced a world they believed remained fundamentally hostile to the revolution. Britain, France, Germany, Poland, Japan, and the United States all rep...

In part 2 of special episode "Life Has Become More Joyous" Jason and Matthew continue with a discussion on the Stalinist Cultural Revolution of the 1930s.

The Cultural Revolution signaled the "Great Break" that promised to generate a new Soviet society. The Communist Party set out to revolutionize Soviet culture. They attacked the old intelligentsia, smashed established hierarchies and sought to create a new socialist man. A few years later, the revolutionaries had built a bureaucracy, the workers and peasants had achieved social mobility, and Stali...

The 1930s transformed Soviet society. The state collectivized agriculture, built an enormous industrial economy, reshaped the cities, and established a political system that reached more deeply into everyday life than ever before. But these transformations did not happen through economic policy and political decrees alone. They also changed by law. In the 1920s, Soviet law had often been experimen...

From the launch of the First Five-Year Plan in 1928 to the eve of the German invasion in 1941, the Soviet Union underwent one of the most dramatic economic transformations in modern history. In little more than a decade, a predominantly agrarian country became one of the world's leading industrial powers, constructing vast steelworks, hydroelectric dams, railways, and entire new cities while mobil...

Beginning in 1928, the Soviet Union embarked on one of the most radical and thoroughgoing economic experiments in human history: to transform its agricultural base from a quasi-feudal to a comprehensively modern mode of production and management. This process, known as "collectivization" remains one of the defining moments of the soviet experience.    In this episode, hosts Matthew and Jason explo...

Matthew narrates the final clashes of the inner-party conflict that dominated soviet politics during its first decade and left Joseph Stalin and the marjoritist leadership in clear command of the USSR. 

Season Two is Here! From revolution to the consolidation of power - join us as we recap the first decade of Soviet history and examine how it set the stage for the turbulent and transformative USSR of the 1930s!

Send us Fan Mail In this first supplemental episode, Jason presents on the history of the revolutionary tradition in the Russian Empire, covering the Decemberist Coup, the Narodnik movement, the Revolution of 1905, and more.  Bibliography:

Send us Fan Mail Season Finale: In this special episode, Matthew dives in to the "Inner Party Conflict" that consumed the Communist Party of the USSR in the 1920's.  Bibliography:

Send us Fan Mail Matthew explores the diverse nationalites and ethnic groups that comprised the USSR and how the state organized, platformed and punished cultural groups during the Soviet State's first decade.  Bibliography

Send us Fan Mail Jason explores the two armed camps of the Soviet Revolution: the Red Army and the intelligence services of the Soviet Union in the 1920's.   Bibliography:   Poster image provided by Poster Plakat.com  

Send us Fan Mail Jason explores the Soviet Union's efforts to establish relations with other national governments and populations during the first decade of its existence. Bibliography:

Send us Fan Mail Matthew delves into the vibrant cultural scene of the 1920s Soviet Union, exploring the artists, writers, filmmakers, and visionaries who sought to create a new revolutionary culture. Bibliography :

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Matthew takes on the shifting relations between the vast Soviet Peasantry and the newly in-power (and not at all solidified) Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the sometimes frustrating, sometimes exciting, but ever-hopeful years of the New Economic Policy.  Bibliography:

Send us Fan Mail Matthew explores the complex relationship between the Soviet working class, the state, and the Communist Party, examining how workers fit into the vision and realities of the early USSR. Bibliography  Poster image provided by Poster Plakat.com   

Send us Fan Mail Jason presents on early communist efforts to reshape society in the USSR of the 1920's. Bibliography  Poster image provided by Poster Plakat.com 

Send us Fan Mail Matthew explores the New Economic Policy and its far-reaching impact on early Soviet society, examining how this bold experiment reshaped everyday life in the young Soviet state. Bibliography:  

From the failed uprising of the Decembrists in 1825 to the storming of the Winter Palace in 1917, the Russian revolutionary tradition evolved through nearly a century of struggle, sacrifice, debate, and transformation. Across those decades, generations of revolutionaries confronted one of Europe's most entrenched autocracies, experimenting with ideas that ranged from constitutional monarchy to pea...

In this first episode, Matthew introduces Season 1: Building the Socialist Order (1922–1927) and shares the story behind the podcast. Explore the motivations, questions, and historical themes that sparked this deep dive into Soviet history, and get a preview of the journey ahead.   Bibliography:  

In this second supplementary episode, Matthew takes listeners on a fast-paced journey through the Russian Revolution and Civil War, covering the key events, figures, and turning points that paved the way for the Soviet Union. Bibliography:  

Send us Fan Mail Jason and Matthew dive into the Soviet constitutions of 1918 and 1924, exploring how these foundational documents shaped the structure, ideals, and future of the emerging Soviet state. Bibliography :