Category Archives: A New Face in the Snakepit

A New Face in the Snakepit (15)

Posted on April 11, 2017 by David Roman

XV. Victory was an ambiguous concept, that Stalin always had trouble dealing with. He had been successful before: he had managed to escape deportation to Siberia for a second time, by becoming an informer and betraying his comrades; he had … Continue reading →

Posted in A New Face in the Snakepit | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A New Face in the Snakepit (14)

Posted on March 20, 2017 by David Roman

XIV. Everything had worked as Stalin expected, but Stalin was surprised by the fierceness of the German attack: in a matter of weeks, the Soviet forward armies, caught in their offensive stance and unprepared for defense, were surrounded and destroyed … Continue reading →

Posted in A New Face in the Snakepit | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A New Face in the Snakepit (13)

Posted on February 26, 2017 by David Roman

XIII. Trotsky’s grisly murder wasn’t the only commotion of the time for Communist fellow travelers. A few weeks before, the French had got what they had been expecting, and a lightning German offensive had tore through their much-hyped defenses, taking … Continue reading →

Posted in A New Face in the Snakepit | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A New Face in the Snakepit (12)

Posted on December 22, 2016 by David Roman

XII. The Spanish Civil War had been a curious sideshow since 1936. That year, a large and unruly left coalition in the “anti-fascist” mold had managed to squeeze a small victory in the polls. Then, it had proceeded to announce … Continue reading →

Posted in A New Face in the Snakepit | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A New Face in the Snakepit (11)

Posted on November 30, 2016 by David Roman

XI. Stalin wasn’t surprised by the international reaction to the “show trials,” which he gauged perfectly with the help of the press his diplomats bought for him. As the executions continued unabated, and the Trial of the Sixteen gave way … Continue reading →

Posted in A New Face in the Snakepit | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment