Mark Harrison
Retired economic historian and author specializing in Russian and Soviet history; professor emeritus at the University of Warwick and author of Secret Leviathan: Secrecy and State Capacity Under Soviet Communism (Stanford University Press, 2023).
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Jan 31, 2026 • 1h 3min
Mark Harrison, "Secret Leviathan: Secrecy and State Capacity under Soviet Communism" (Stanford UP, 2023)
Mark Harrison, retired economic historian and author, unpacks Soviet secrecy and its effects. He traces the system’s pillars and Stalin’s role. He explains how secrecy sapped government capacity, warped everyday life and international bargaining, and why it persisted. He also compares Soviet reflexive secrecy with modern authoritarian information strategies.
