Introduction

Abstract

Generally speaking, Soviet historical scholarship of the 1920s is highly regarded. This is less true of material published in the 1930s and still less so of the 1940s. Few non-Soviet scholars would disagree with this statement. What is noteworthy, however, is that this estimation was boldly expounded by E. N. Burdzhalov in Leningrad in August 1956 at a conference of readers of the journal Voprosy istorii.