Simon Montefiore - Stalin

Natalya Poskrebysheva. Galya Poskrebysheva in Volkogonov, p. 165.

Kavtaradze and Nutsibidze: Nutsibidze, vol. 2, pp. 96–100. Interview Maya Kavtaradze and Prof. Zakro Megrelishvili (son of Ketevan Nutsibidze): my thanks to both of them. “You all wanted to kill me”: Literaturnaya Rossiya , 12, 1989, pp. 17–20: interview Sergo Kavtaradze. Stalin orders Kaganovich to help Kavtaradze: Kaganovich Perepiska, p. 246. Medvedev, p. 311. Larina on release of Sofia Kavtaradze: pp. 234. Beria, p. 247.

KGB Lit. Archive, pp. 22–48 including Beria’s report on Babel to Zhdanov. On French wrestling: GARF 8131.32.3289.117–18. The investigations by Rudenko into methods of interrogators Vlodzirmirski, Rodos, Shvartsman, Goglidze etc., 22 Mar. 1955. Jansen-Petrov, pp. 185–6. Pirozhkova, pp. 110–13. “Yezhov.” Parrish, pp. 94–8. Polianski, pp. 211–8, 244, 259–61. Eikhe: Testimony of Leonid Bashtakov in 1955 quoted in Vaksberg, Vyshinsky , pp. 167, 197–8, 350. Babel’s trial 26 Jan. 1940. Jansen-Petrov, p. 191. Ulrikh sentenced them on 1/2 Feb. The gala: 2 Feb. 1940. Marshal Yegorov shot on Red Army Day, 23 Feb. Spahr, p. 177. Yezhov’s sentencing: Moskovskie Novosti , no. 5, 30 Jan. 1994. Statement before Military Collegium, 3 Jan. 1940. Polianski, pp. 304–5. Jansen-Petrov, p. 188. Getty, pp. 560–2. Execution of Yezhov quoting N. P. Afanasev: Jansen-Petrov, pp. 188–9. Ushakov and Stukakov, pp. 74–5. Death certificate 4 February 1940 signed by a Lieut. Krivitsky but it is likely that Blokhin performed this important work himself. Thanks to Nikita Petrov.

Rat: Yakovlev, Tsel zhizhni , p. 509. Stalin coins Yezhovschina ? Mgeladze, pp. 170–1; “scum,” p. 211; unbelievable evidence, p. 167; everyone confesses, pp. 168–73, 210–11. Stalin and Kaganovich on Babel: Kaganovich Perepiska, pp. 49, 189, 198. Black work and Blokhin: Nikita Petrov. Redens: Svetlana, Twenty Letters, p. 66. Beria, p. 90. Leonid Redens.

Karpov, Rastrelyanniye Marshaly , pp. 325–6, 343. Kira Alliluyeva: Svetlana’s knees and Stalin’s note. OOY , p. 318. Volga kiss: Kenez, p. 166. “Stalin Molotov i Zhdanov o vtoroy serii Ivan Grozny,” Moskovskie Novosti, vol. 37, 7 Aug. 1988, p. 8. Galina , p. 96. Kozlovsky quoted in Karpov, p. 337.

Finland: Erickson, Soviet High Command , pp. 541–8. Raanan, p. 14. Overy, pp. 55–7. K. A. Meretskov, Na sluzhbe narodu, pp. 171–7. Mikoyan: Bohlen, p. 93. KR I, p. 152. Voronov in Bialer (ed.), pp. 131–3. Spahr, 220–7. Voroshilov purge: Volkogonov in Harold Shukman (ed.), Stalin’s Generals , p. 317. Harold Shukman (ed.), Stalin and the Soviet-Finnish War , pp. xxi–xxvi, 29. (Stalin’s comment on forests is from the meeting of the Supreme Military Council, 14–17 Apr. 1940.) Also: RGVA 4.19.73.19–23, NKVD Maj. Bochkov Special Section of GUGB to Narkom Voroshilov and his reply 1 Feb. 1940. RGVA 4.19.75.1.12, Bochkov to Beria 28 Dec. 1939: Mekhlis’s letters to wife: p. 130. TsAMO RF 5.176705.1, Stalin to Mekhlis 9 Jan. 1940. RGVA 9.29.554.111, Mekhlis to Stalin 9 Jan. 1940. RGVA 9.29.554.76, Mekhlis to Stalin 9 Jan. RGVA 9.29.554.59, Mekhlis to Stalin 11 Jan. 1940. RGVA 9.29.554.62: the next day, Mekhlis reported the execution of a wounded officer, an NKVD commissar. RGVA 9.29.554.228, Mekhlis to Stalin and Voroshilov 12 Dec. 1939. Mekhlis’s courage: Gen. A. F. Khrenov and Adm. Kuznetsov in Mekhlis , pp. 132–3. RGVA 9.29.554.55, Mekhlis to Stavka, 12 Jan. 1940. RGVA 9.32.85.80, Kulik to Kuznetsov (deputy chief Police Dept.) 19 Dec. 1939. “Lapsing into panic…”: Dmitrov diary, 21 Jan. 1940. KR I, p. 154. Stalin birthday party: Dmitrov diary, 21 Dec. 1939. Valedinsky, “Vospominaniya,” p. 124. Pavel Aptekov and Olga Dudorova, “Peace and statistics of losses, Unheeded Warning and the Winter War,” Slavic Military Studies , vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 1997, pp. 200–9. Read-Fisher, pp. 401–17. Red Army good for nothing: Bohlen, p. 60. Losses: statistics from Russian sources, O. A. Rzheshevsky and O. Vechvilayninen, Zimnaya voyna , 1939–40, vol. 1: Finland 48,243 killed; 43,000 wounded; 1,000 POWs; USSR 87,506 killed, 39,369 missing, 5,000 POWs. Thanks to Dr. M. Mjakov for this information.

Whipping boy Voroshilov’s argument with Stalin: KR I, pp. 154, 185. Hysterical speech: Khrulev’s memoirs in Mekhlis , p. 135, Shukman, Stalin and Soviet-Finnish War , pp. xxi–xxvi, and Supreme Military Council, 14/17 Apr. 1940, pp. 29, 250, 252, 269. Volkogonov in Shukman, Stalin’s Generals (henceforth Stalin’s Generals ), pp. 243, 365–6, and Rzheshevsky, p. 225. Voroshilov arts supremo: Mikoyan, p. 386. Mekhlis State Control Commissar: Khrulev, memoirs in Mekhlis , p. 140. Promotion of marshals: Erickson, Soviet High Command , p. 552. Timoshenko, youth and rise, dual command: Victor Anfilov in Stalin’s Generals , pp. 239–42. Savitsky in Babel, “My First Goose,” Collected Stories , p. 119. Brave peasant: Mikoyan, p. 386. Zhdanov’s role: Volkogonov, p. 368. Roskossovsky: Sovershenno Sekretno, 2000, 3. Also: Harrison Salisbury, 900 Days (henceforth 900 Days), p. 111. Marshal Golovanov quoted in MR, pp. 265–95. Budyonny Notes on request to Stalin about Serdich. Spahr, p. 230. Also: military purges, see Stalin’s Generals, p. 361. On 20 June, for example, Timoshenko appealed to Stalin on behalf of K. P. Podlas, one of the generals in the Far East; “From my side, I ask for his release.” Stalin agreed. RGVA 4.19.71.243, Timoshenko to Stalin 20 June 1940 and Stalin’s reply. Freed officers: RGVA 9.29.482.11–13.

RGVA 4.18.54.1–499, Supreme Military Soviet of NKO, 21–7 Nov. 1937.

Triumph of Tsaritsyn group and economic management meanderings: Mikoyan, pp. 339–44 and Kumanev (ed.), p. 22. Kulik’s saying: Voronov in Bialer (ed.), p 159. Kulik and Mekhlis’s power: 4 KR I, pp. 188, 200. V. E. Korol, A. I. Sliusarenko, I. U. Nikorenko, “Tragic 1941 and Ukraine: New Aspect of Problems,” Slavic Military Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 1998, pp. 147–64.

Parrish, “Yezhov,” p. 87. Karpov, Rastrelyanniye Marshaly, pp. 316–7, 324–5, 335–9, 340–4, 360–3. Kira Kulik was said to be having an affair with recently arrested director of the Bolshoi, Mordvinov. Mekhlis report “kompromat materials” July 1941, RGVA 9.39.105.412–17.

Katyn Forest: RFE/RL Research Report, vol. 2, no. 4, 22 Jan. 1993, p. 22. Beria was at first one of the “troika” in charge of the liquidation but Stalin crossed out his name and put in Kobulov, probably because Beria was busy enough. It is certainly not evidence that Beria was opposed to the massacre since “the Theoretician” and “the Samovar” were his closest associates. Overy, p. 53. Stepan M., p. 197. Lesser Terror , p. 57; Parrish, “Yezhov,” pp. 83–5; “Serov,” Slavic Military Studies , vol. 10 Sept. 1997, p. 110. Sergo B, pp. 55, 320.

KR I, p. 157.

Baltics and Bessarabia: the very day of the French collapse, Timoshenko produced plans to move into the Baltics. RGVA 4.19.71.238, Timoshenko to Stalin and Molotov 17 June 1940. Beria , p. 104. Zhukov I, pp. 275–6: Zhukov commanded the liberation of Bessarabia. Parrish, “Serov,” p. 107. Burleigh, p. 535. Gorodetsky, pp. 34–5. (By the time of Stalin’s death, 175,000 Estonians, 170,000 Letts and 175,000 Lithuanians had been deported.) Stalin’s ostensible wish for Germany to beat England: Sovershenno Sekretno , 2000, 3.

Wagner: Yury Zhdanov. Spies: Gorodetsky, pp. 39, 50; on Golikov/Merkulov, pp. 53–4. Dmitrov diary, 20 Feb. 1941. Stalin’s knowledge adding to sorrow: Zubok, p. 24; never went looking, Modin, p. 24. Molotov quoted in Gorodetsky, p. 53.