Our longest and most controversial episode. This narrative, titled “War Is Already Here” (using the latest archival scholarship) details the legitimacy of the controversial Moscow Trials, the origins of the “Great Terror”,  the climax of the Spanish Civil War, war with Japan and apocalyptically - the beginning of a second globe spanning conflict!  The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective",  mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format. Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.  Support the show at www.patreon.com/prolespod   Recommended Supplemental Reading Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend  by Domenico Losurdo Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn by Domenico Losurdo  For a Few Canards More: Counter Inquiry on Stalin and the Soviet Union by Aymeric Monville   Recommended Supplemental Listening How Stalin Tried to Prevent World War II w/ Michael Jabara Carley Was the Soviet Union Totalitarian w/ Robert Thurston Understanding Siege Socialim w/ Gabriel Rockhill  The American Ambassador Who Supported Stalin w/ Dominique Petit-Wagner Stalin's Constitution & Life in 1930s Soviet Union w/ Samantha Lomb   Sources Stalin's Failed Alliance: The Struggle for Collective Security, 1936-1939 by Michael Jabara Carley Nomonhan, 1939: The Red Army's Victory That Shapped World War II by Stuart D. Goldman Stalin and War, 1918-1953: Patterns of Repression, Mobilization, and External Threat by David Shearer  International Communism and the Origins of World War II by Jonathan Haslam Marshal of Victory: The Autobiography of General Georgy Zhukov The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Spanish Civil War ed. Antonio Cazorla-Sanchez, Alison Ribeiro De Menezes, Adrian Shubert Reflections on Stalinism ed. J.Arch Getty, Lewis Siegelbaum  How Russia Blasted Hitler's Spy Machine by Joseph E. Davies Soviet Archives 

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.

In the narrative for Part Three of "The Stalin Eras”, Tony and Jeremy detail Joseph Stalin’s life within the context of Soviet history through the years 1935-1936. This narrative, titled “Triumph and Tribulations” highlights the USSR as a rising star to both the global proletariat and colonized peoples, the utter triumph of socialist construction during the Great Depression, the highly progressive 1936 Soviet Constitution, and finally the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War! Stay tuned for the next episode which will continue the narrative through from 1936-1939 focusing mostly on the controversial Moscow Trials, the Great Purge, the climax of the Spanish Civil War, and apocalyptically - the beginning of World War II.  The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective,  mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format. Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.  Support the show at www.patreon.com/prolespod Recommended Additional Reading Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend  by Domenico Losurdo Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn by Domenico Losurdo  Recommended Additional Listening  Stalin's Constitution & Life in 1930s Soviet Union w/ Samantha Lomb How Stalin Tried to Prevent World War II w/ Michael Jabara Carley Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective  Foundations of Leninism  Sources Stalin’s Constitution: Soviet Participatory Politics and the Discussion of the 1936 Draft Constituion by Samantha Lomb The New Soviet Constitution: A Study in Socialist Democracy by Anna Louise Strong Stalinist Values: The Cultural Norms of Soviet Modernity, 1917–1941 The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Spanish Civil War Broué, P. (1990). Party opposition to Stalin (1930-1932) and the first Moscow trial. In J. W. Strong (Ed.), Essays on revolutionary culture and Stalinism. Selected papers from the Third World Congress for Soviet and East European studies. Craig, G. A. (1951). Documents on German Foreign Policy 1918–1945. Series D (1937–1945). Volume III. Germany and the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. Volodarsky, B. (2015). Stalin's agent. The life and death of Alexander Orlov. London and New York: Oxford University Press.  

Comrades! We are hard at work on the Stalin Eras, as you all know. Part 3 in particular, given the Moscow Trials, The Military Trial, Ezhovchina, and other major topics, this episode in particular has taken a LOT of work. We have also uncovered a bunch of archival material that we hope will create context that we believe has never been presented in the English language.  On top of that, a few listeners have given us feedback that, particularly given the very dense nature of the material, that they feel like they are falling behind and thus unable to engage with the discussion online and participate in the live-listens we do for every new Stalin Eras episode on the Patreon.  As such, we are taking an intermission of sorts (still slaving away in the podcast mines) to give people time to catch up and to give us the time to properly represent our vision in Part 3 as the DEFINITIVE collection of materialist analysis and historiography on the Stalin Era of Soviet History.  We didn't want to leave you hanging, so, here is a peek behind the Iron Curtain of the paywall, featuring our two most recent Q & Rae episodes. We hope you enjoy. Please consider subscribing so that we may continue to put the effort that we have put into the Stalin Eras into all of our future episodes. We hope you're enjoying it, and solidarity forever.   

In the discussion for Part Two of “The Stalin Eras”, the gang responds to questions from Jen (aka Big Nasty), host of How the Red Was Won and overall badass comrade. The years in focus are, again, 1930-1934, and based upon the previous episode (which you should listen to if you haven't already). We talk Stalin's sigma male grindset, writing letters to the man himself, the rise of fascism, and the contradictions facing the USSR at this time. The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective,  mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format. Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.  Support the show and get bonus content at patreon.com/prolespod Recomended Resources on "Holodomor" as Genocide Question Academics who do not consider the Ukraine famine of 1932-1933 to be a genocide include: J. Arch Getty, Stephen Wheatcroft, Mark Tauger, R.W Davies, Hiroaki Kuromiya, Ronald Grigor Suny, Stephen Kotkin to name a few. Recommended Additional Reading Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend  by Domenico Losurdo Another View of Stalin by Ludo Martens  Recommended Additional Listening Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective  Foundations of Leninism  Episode Sources The Lesser of Two Hells by Alvin D Coox Practicing Stalinism by J Arch Getty Excesses Are Not Permitted byJ Arch Getty Origins of the Great Purges by J Arch Getty I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong I Was Stalin's Bodyguard by Achmed Amba The Pattern Of Soviet Power by Edgar Snow Revolution on my Mind by Jochen Hellbeck Stalin's Library by Geoffrey Roberts The Great Conspiracy by Michael Sayers & Albert E Kahn Conjuring Hitler by Guido Giacomo Preparata Molotov Remembers, Conversations with Felix Chuev Black Bolshevik by Harry Haywood Teachers of Stalinism by E Thomas Ewing Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin, Christopher Read, 2017, Routledge Publishing  Next to Stalin by A.T. Rybin Betrayal of an Ideal by G.A. Tokaev Soviet Famine 1930–1933: "The Law of Spikelets" Myth Explained by Polistrum In Search of New Facts: Interwar Japanese Military Intelligence Activities in the Baltic States and Finland: 1918–1940 by Shingo Masunaga, Wrestling with Aspects of Interwar Stalinism by William J. Chase, Why I resigned from the Trotsky Defense Committee by Mauritz Alfred Hallgren, 1937, International Publishers Muder at the Kemerovo Mines by Ernst Fischer Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg, 1949), Vol. 29 The Goebbels Diaries: 1942-1943 by Joseph Goebbels, “Secret Hitler-Benes Negotiations in 1936-37.” bt Gerhard L. Weinberg The Road to Terror. Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks by  J. Arch Getty and Oleg V. Naumov Russian Soviet Archives U.S. Archives, Library of Congress Czech Republic Archives Vienna Bureau of the Austrian Chancellor The Red Book, Leon Sedov, 1936, Byulletin Oppositsii, Nos.52-53, October 1936 The Prophet Outcast: Trotsky, (1929–1940), Isaac Deutscher, 1963, Vintage Russian Library The Russian Enigma, Ante Ciliga, 1940, Pluto Press “Red Wreckers in Russia.”,by John D Littlepage My Life,  byLeon Trotsky Leon Sedov: Son, Friend, Fighter, Leon Trotsky Harvard Trotsky Archive, Houghton Library, Harvard University The Great Terror. A Reassessment by Robert Conquest Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution 1888-1938 by Stephen Cohen The Kirov Murder and Soviet History by Matthew Lenoe Many, many diaries published on https://prozhito.org/

In the narrative for Part Two of “The Stalin Eras”, Justin and Jeremy detail Soviet society and all that comes with it under Stalin’s leadership from 1930-1934. This narrative, titled “Stewards of the Human Soul”, covers the varied personal experiences of Soviet citizens from the center to the periphery of the USSR, the winding down of rapid industrialization and collectivization, the controversial anti-religious and anti-kulak campaigns, the so called “show trials” on industrial sabotage, the true nature of internal opposition, and the astonishing results of the first five year plan. Stay tuned for the next episode which will feature a full length discussion with guest host Jen of How the Red Was Won. Jen joins to guide an in-depth discussion about the era covered in this narrative episode.  The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective,  mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format. Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.  Support the show and get bonus content at patreon.com/prolespod Recomended Resources on "Holodomor" as Genocide Question Academics who do not consider the Ukraine famine of 1932-1933 to be a genocide include: J. Arch Getty, Stephen Wheatcroft, Mark Tauger, R.W Davies, Hiroaki Kuromiya, Ronald Grigor Suny, Stephen Kotkin to name a few. Recommended Additional Reading Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend  by Domenico Losurdo Another View of Stalin by Ludo Martens  Recommended Additional Listening Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective  Foundations of Leninism  Episode Sources The Lesser of Two Hells by Alvin D Coox Practicing Stalinism by J Arch Getty Excesses Are Not Permitted byJ Arch Getty Origins of the Great Purges by J Arch Getty I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong I Was Stalin's Bodyguard by Achmed Amba The Pattern Of Soviet Power by Edgar Snow Revolution on my Mind by Jochen Hellbeck Stalin's Library by Geoffrey Roberts The Great Conspiracy by Michael Sayers & Albert E Kahn Conjuring Hitler by Guido Giacomo Preparata Molotov Remembers, Conversations with Felix Chuev Black Bolshevik by Harry Haywood Teachers of Stalinism by E Thomas Ewing Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin, Christopher Read, 2017, Routledge Publishing  Next to Stalin by A.T. Rybin Betrayal of an Ideal by G.A. Tokaev Soviet Famine 1930–1933: "The Law of Spikelets" Myth Explained by Polistrum In Search of New Facts: Interwar Japanese Military Intelligence Activities in the Baltic States and Finland: 1918–1940 by Shingo Masunaga, Wrestling with Aspects of Interwar Stalinism by William J. Chase, Why I resigned from the Trotsky Defense Committee by Mauritz Alfred Hallgren, 1937, International Publishers Muder at the Kemerovo Mines by Ernst Fischer Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg, 1949), Vol. 29 The Goebbels Diaries: 1942-1943 by Joseph Goebbels, “Secret Hitler-Benes Negotiations in 1936-37.” bt Gerhard L. Weinberg The Road to Terror. Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks by  J. Arch Getty and Oleg V. Naumov Russian Soviet Archives U.S. Archives, Library of Congress Czech Republic Archives Vienna Bureau of the Austrian Chancellor The Red Book, Leon Sedov, 1936, Byulletin Oppositsii, Nos.52-53, October 1936 The Prophet Outcast: Trotsky, (1929–1940), Isaac Deutscher, 1963, Vintage Russian Library The Russian Enigma, Ante Ciliga, 1940, Pluto Press “Red Wreckers in Russia.”,by John D Littlepage My Life,  byLeon Trotsky Leon Sedov: Son, Friend, Fighter, Leon Trotsky Harvard Trotsky Archive, Houghton Library, Harvard University The Great Terror. A Reassessment by Robert Conquest Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution 1888-1938 by Stephen Cohen The Kirov Murder and Soviet History by Matthew Lenoe Many, many diaries published on https://prozhito.org/

Breht O’Shea, host of Revolutionary Left Radio, joins to guide a discussion based on the events covered in the narrative for Part One (which you should listen too first, if you haven’t already!).  In this discussion, the gang led by Rae and Jeremy answer wide ranging questions about the nature of Stalin’s rise to prominence in the party, Lenin’s death, the dreaded NEP Men, the first five year plan, and the trials, tribulations, and triumphs in everyday life of Soviet citizens. The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective,  mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format. Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.  Support the show here: www.patreon.com/prolespod Thematic Introduction Source: "Forword" of Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse Episode Sources  I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse The Great Conspiracy: The Secret War Against Soviet Russia  The Great Soviet Encyclopedia Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin by Christopher Read  Small Comrades: A Revolutionizing Childhood in Soviet Russia 1917-1932.    Recommended Additional Reading Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend  by Domenico Losurdo Silencing the Past by Michel-Rolphe Trouillot   Recommended Additional Listening  The Indigenous Peoples of the Soviet Union w/ Alice and Dennis Bartels Foundations of Leninism  Soviet Cinema  Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective   

In the narrative for Part One of “The Stalin Eras”, Rae and Jeremy detail Joseph Stalin’s life within the context of Soviet history through the monumental years of 1917-1929.  This narrative, titled “Reconstruction In One Country”, covers Soviet history from the early days of the October Revolution, through the Civil War and Imperialist interventions, the Volga Famine, Stalin’s rise in party leadership, the New Economic Program, ultimately ending with the start of rapid industrialization/collectivization, and the of Soviet Union’s first five year plan.  Stay tuned for the next episode which will feature a full length discussion with guest host Breht O’Shea of Revolutionary Left Radio. Breht joins to guide an in-depth discussion about the era covered in this narrative episode. The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective,  mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format. Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone. Support the show here: www.patreon.com/prolespod Thematic Introduction Source: "Forword" of Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse Episode Sources  I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse The Great Conspiracy: The Secret War Against Soviet Russia  The Great Soviet Encyclopedia Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin by Christopher Read  Small Comrades: A Revolutionizing Childhood in Soviet Russia 1917-1932.    Recommended Additional Reading Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend  by Domenico Losurdo Silencing the Past by Michel-Rolphe Trouillot   Recommended Additional Listening  The Indigenous Peoples of the Soviet Union w/ Alice and Dennis Bartels Foundations of Leninism  Soviet Cinema  Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective 

Joseph Stalin, the influential leader of the Soviet Union, shares insights into his early life from his humble beginnings in 1878 to his revolutionary pursuits. He discusses his education in church school and seminary, pivotal in shaping his ideology. The conversation also covers his daring bank robbery that showcased his audacity. Stalin's evolution into a labor leader and journalist leading up to the October Revolution is examined, revealing the complexities behind his notorious reputation and the ideological groundwork that influenced his leadership.

As we are VERY busy working on the Stalin Eras series which premiers as early release for paid Patreon subscribers on September 18, and for the main feed September 23, we did not feel that we could do a typical episode justice. Instead, we decided to put together an episode of short clips from almost all of our bonus content that is available to paid subscribers over on the Patreon page. There are timestamps below in case you have already heard some of the content or want to easily reference/skip something. The bits on media (particularly the X-Men 97 episode) contain spoilers, so be mindful of that also. We tried to collect a mixture of humorous clips, serious clips, and thoughtful clips. Some of this content was recorded before Rae and Martín got decent microphones, so many apologies for the terrible audio quality on some of their parts.  We have all dedicated a lot of time and energy to this podcast and first and foremost we hope that you are enjoying it and finding it helpful in your lives. It takes a lot to bring bi-weekly content, as well as a constant stream of bonus content, and our hope is that we can eventually move away from full-time wage labor toward full-time revolutionary education and entertainment but we cannot do that without your help.  If it is within your means, please find a tier that interests you over at the ProlesPod Patreon page and smash that subscribe button. If you are unable to support financially, that's okay. We get it! We also have a free tier with study guides to accompany the main feed episodes, as well as occasional exclusive content and announcements. If you're an absolutely dedicated comrade, it really helps us reach more people if you post reviews on any of the sites like Spotify, Apple, or any other place that it might be available, and comment on our YouTube episodes!  Check out the Stalin Eras trailer, which drops today, and make sure to follow so that you can get notifications when the genre-bending episodes premier! It will be Soviet history as you've never heard it before... 0:35.5 - 3:11.5 Introduction 3:17.8 - 4:56.3 The Secret Speech Ep 6 - Ukraine: Birth of Nationalism 5:10.7 - 6:47.1 The Non-Politics of HBO's The Sympathizer (2024) 6:54.4 - 9:39.7 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy 9:53.2 - 13:56.8 The Secret Speech Ep 8 - Foundations of Leninism (Theory Explained)  14:03.5 - 15:35.6 The Secret Speech Ep 2: Latvia's Red Partisans of World War II 15:44.8 - 17:28.7 The Secret Speech Ep 7 - Ukraine: Descent to Fascism 17:40.9 - 19:18.6 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy 19:29.7 - 23:13.0 The Non-Politics of HBO's The Sympathizer (2024) 23:31.5 - 24:46.9 The Secret Speech Ep 1 - X-Men 97: A Marxist Perspective 25:04.0 - 28:03.0 Kids Who Die by Langston Hughes 28:04.8 - 28:48.4 The Sadistic Exploitation of America's Sweethearts 29:12.6 - 32:25.8 The Secret Speech Ep 8 - Foundations of Leninism (Theory Explained)  32:42.6 - 36:04.7 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy 36:33.3 - 37:22.4 The Secret Speech Ep 6 - Ukraine: Birth of Nationalism 37:42.3 - 40:38.8 *SPOILERS* The Secret Speech Ep 1 - X-Men 97: A Marxist Perspective 40:54.0 - 48:36.8 Q & Rae #1: Family, Ethics of Socialist Content Creation, and Life Abroad 49:08.0 - 57:28.7 The Secret Speech Ep 4 - Taiwan: A Short Long History 57:49.4 - 1:00.1 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy