Power Dynamics in the Cheka

This chapter explores the influential roles of Solomon Mogilevsky, Ignacy Visner, and Matvei Berman within the Cheka during early Soviet Russia, highlighting their lack of battlefield experience contrasted with their significant political authority. It also discusses the chaotic opposition to Bolshevik power, the strategic organizational shifts within the Cheka, and critiques surrounding the ethnic origins of Soviet leadership against the backdrop of the Red Terror.