Dmitri Volkogonov

Soviet and Russian military historian and lieutenant-general who served as an archivist; known for critical, archival-based biographies of Soviet leaders (including Lenin and Stalin) and for revealing previously suppressed information about the Soviet regime.

Books

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  1. 1. Lenin

    Cover of 'Lenin' by Dmitri Volkogonov

    A revisionist, archival-based biography that portrays Lenin as a complex, driven revolutionary whose strategic brilliance and ideological rigidity combined to produce both the Bolshevik seizure of power and the ruthless suppression that followed. It traces his intellectual development, organizational genius, paranoia, and willingness to use terror, showing how personal traits and political dogma shaped the creation of the Soviet state. The work offers a nuanced appraisal of his legacy, arguing that his achievements and brutality are inseparable aspects of the same historical figure.

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