[PEN-L:32407] Stallin Stalin

["Devine, James" <jdevine@xxxxxxx>]

Title: Stallin Stalin

[was: RE: [PEN-L:32406] Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Joanne- re 2WW - I almost forgot]

Gar writes: >I just want to note that someone who very anti-Stalin can recognize that he made the right choice
in Poland.<

two points:

1) while it makes sense for Stalin to make a deal with Hitler from a nationalist perspective given the circumstances, does it make sense on the basis of socialist principles? probably not, which suggests that socialist principles had long before been subordinated to those of Russian nationalism, just as the Comintern became subordinated to Russia's foreign policy needs.

2) while Stalin's stallin may make sense in terms of nationalist military strategy, we should look at other elements of his strategy at about the same time. did invading Finland make sense? maybe. But did purging the military? no. There was an element of irrationality in Stalin's policy, even from a nationalist perspective.

------------------------
Jim Devine jdevine@xxxxxxx &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine