Proles Pod Ep 71 - The Stalin Eras, Part 3: Discussion (1935-1939)
Dec 9, 2024
Dive into the intriguing complexities of the Moscow Trials, debunking the myth of them being mere show trials through internal documents. Explore the strategic espionage maneuvers between Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union. Unravel the duality of Stalin's leadership—expanding democratic practices while orchestrating brutal purges. Delve into Stalin's nuanced role in the Spanish Civil War, challenging oversimplified narratives, and examine the historical ties of wartime alliances, including the significant Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
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Moscow Trials Were Not Mere Show Trials
- Recent archival evidence undermines the claim that the Moscow Trials were simple show trials with fabricated confessions.
- The hosts argue leadership truly believed in conspiracies and that non-Soviet sources corroborate genuine subversion.
Confessions Backed By Hidden Evidence
- Interrogations presented hidden documentary evidence to defendants to secure confessions without revealing intelligence methods publicly.
- The hosts say many key documents were kept from courts or later purged, so public trials lacked visible evidence but had private proof.
Multiple States Ran Subversion Inside USSR
- Germany, Japan, Poland, Britain and France ran active subversion and sabotage networks inside the USSR during the 1930s.
- The hosts present diplomatic and intelligence records to show the USSR faced credible external conspiracies.
