Stalin's Great Game : War and Neutrality, 1939-1941 / Michael Jabara Carley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Carley, Michael Jabara, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stalin, Joseph, 1878-1953.

Stalin, Joseph.

World War, 1939-1945--Diplomatic history.

World War, 1939-1945.

Soviet Union--Foreign relations--1917-1945.

Soviet Union.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (482 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Toronto, Ontario : University of Toronto Press, [2025]

Summary:

"The topic of this book is a narrative history of Soviet foreign policy and the opening stages of World War II (and the Great Patriotic War) between September 1939 and the end of 1941/beginning of 1942. The manuscript deals with a number of different issues among which the diplomacy of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War, Soviet perspectives on the fall of France, the battle of Britain, attempts to remain neutral in the war in Europe, and Soviet relations with Britain and Nazi Germany. It also deals with Soviet intelligence activities especially regarding Nazi German preparations to invade the USSR (Operation Barbarossa). The work is based on extensive research in French, British, US, and especially Soviet published and unpublished archives. The approach or methodology is empirical, based on multinational, multilingual research. It also deals with historiographical issues bearing on Soviet intelligence estimates of Nazi German intentions and I. V. Stalin’s interpretations of Soviet intelligence and Adolf Hitler’s intentions with regard to the USSR. Finally, there is the narrative of the formation of the Grand Alliance with Britain and the United States after the Nazi invasion of the USSR in June 1941. The extensive use of Soviet state papers allows a re-evaluation of key events during this period and of interpretations by western and Soviet historians. The manuscript thus brings new ideas, perspectives, and interpretations to the study of this early period of World War II."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Prelude

The Winter War and a White Paper

The Winter War or a Wider War?

What Next? Catastrophe in the West

Who’s the Ostrich Now? Warnings of Invasion

Who Wants to Dance? Manoeuvring for Position

“A Policy of Uniform Amiability”: Anglo-Soviet Relations and the Rising Danger of War in the East

The Ostrich Never Looked Up: Stalin’s Momentous Failure.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781487562595

1487562594

OCLC:

1514638019