Stalin's war or people's war? total war behind the front lines

Abstract

Stalin’s victory over Hitler was won not only by the service and sacrifice of millions of Red Army soldiers but by the tireless efforts of civilians, mostly women, behind the front line. This chapter explores how Soviet society operated under total war. Why did Soviet society unconditionally support the war effort when other countries succumbed so quickly to Nazi aggression? Was this a triumph of a more totalitarian Soviet society over a less totalitarian Nazi rival? How successfully did wartime patriotism paper over the national and social divisions caused by a decade of collectivization and political purges? The chapter examines how the interlocking motivations of self-interest, patriotism, desire for revenge upon the Nazi invaders, and hopes for a better future helped to forge a popular pro-war consensus in the Soviet population.