The Bolsheviks and the National Question, 1917–23

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xviii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 1-6

3. Marxists, Bolsheviks and the National Question

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 7-28

4. The Case for National Autonomy — Causes and Processes

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 29-65

5. Building Nationhood — Borders and State Structures

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 66-107

6. ‘Korenizatsiia’ — National Communist Leaderships

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 108-143

7. ‘Cultural Autonomy’ — Education, Language and Culture

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 144-171

8. The Georgian Crisis and the Formation of the Soviet Union

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 172-212

9. The Twelfth Party Congress and The Sultan-Galiev Affair

   • Jeremy Smith

   Pages 213-238

10. Conclusion

    • Jeremy Smith

    Pages 239-242

11. Back Matter

    Pages 243-281

    PDF

In a timely re-examination of the origins of the system which fell apart so dramatically in 1991, this book deals with the policies of the Soviets towards the non-Russian nationalities of the former Russian Empire. Making extensive use of previously unavailable material from the Soviet archives, Jeremy Smith explores the attempts of the Bolsheviks to promote the development of minority nationalities in the Soviet context, through a combination of political, cultural and educational measures, and looks at the disputes surrounding the creation of the Soviet Union.

• Bolsheviks
• communism
• empire
• Russia
• Soviet Union
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

"Jeremy Smith's valuable new book deals with the formulation of Soviet nationalities policy from the Bolsheviks' assumption of power in October 1917 to the definitive formulation of the policy of indigenization...." - The Russian Review

"This is a well-written study, solidly based on archival materials and the contemporary press. Smith adds significant details to the fascinating story of how Bolsheviks built expedient political alliances with the non-Communist nationalists who supported their program of cultural revival, while at the same time dealing with opposition to Moscow's centralizing program from "national Communists" in Georgia, Ukraine, and elsewhere." - American Historical Review

• Renvall Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland

  Jeremy Smith

Jeremy Smith is Lecturer in Soviet History at the Renvall Institute at the University of Helsinki.

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