The Road to Terror: Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks, 1932–1939 (Updated and Abridged Edition)

Jul 6, 2026

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The Road to Terror: Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks, 1932–1939 (updated and abridged edition) presents an interpretation grounded in archival documents from major Russian repositories and uses these sources to explain how Bolshevik internal dynamics moved toward repression and mass terror. The preface outlines why the edition was revised—new declassified materials and recent scholarship—while reducing earlier editions’ length and sharpening the argument. The contents structure the narrative from a “fork in the road” to the escalation and ending of the Terror.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages364

Reading Time15 h 17 min

Preface

Introduction

PART I. The Fork in the Road

The New Situation, 1930–32

Party Discipline in 1932

Repression and Legality

Growing Tension in 1935

The Fork in the Road

PART II. The Terror

The Face of the Enemy, 1936

The Sky Darkens

The Storm of 1937: The Party Commits Suicide

Ending the Terror, 1938

Two Bolsheviks

Conclusion: Quicksand Politics

􀁪e Road to Terror 􀃱e Road to Terror Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks, 1932–1939 Updated and Abridged Edition J. Arch Getty and Oleg V. Naumov Archival Research Team N. V. Muraveva, E. P. Karavaeva, andE. E. Kirillova Translations by Benjamin Sher Yale University Press New Haven and London Documents that are held by the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI), the Russian State Archive of Contemporary History (RGANI), and the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) are used with the permission of these archives. Copyright © 2010 by Yale University. All rights reserved. 􀁪is book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. Set in Sabon type by 􀁪e Composing Room of Michigan, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan. Printed in the United States of America by Sheridan Books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Getty, J. Arch (John Arch), 1950- 􀁪e road to terror : Stalin and the self-destruction of the Bolsheviks, 1932-1939 / J. Arch Getty and Oleg V. Naumov; translations by Benjamin Sher.— Updated and abridged ed. [p. cm](p. cm).—(Annals of communism) “Archival research team: N. V. Muraveva, E. P. Karavaeva, and E. E. Kirillova.” Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-300-10407-3 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1 . Political purges—Soviet Union—History—Sources. 2. Soviet Union—Politics and government—1917-1936—Sources. 3. Soviet Union—Politics and government—1936-1953—Sources. 4. Kommunisticheskaia partiia Sovetskogo Soiuza—Purges—Sources. 5. Terrorism—Soviet Union—Sources. 6. Stalin, Joseph, 1879-1953—Sources. I. Naumov, Oleg V. II. Sher, Benjamin. III. Title. DK267 .G45 2010 947.o84’2—dc22 2009020426 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Yale University Press gratefully acknowledges the ﬁnancial support given for this publication by the National Endowment for the Humanities and Open Society Fund (New York) . 􀁪is volume has been prepared with the cooperation of the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI) in the framework of an agreement concluded between RGASPI and Yale University Press. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Notes on Transliteration and Terminology A Note on Sources and Citations Introduction PART I. 􀁪e Fork in the Road 1. 􀁪e New Situation, 1930–32 2. Party Discipline in 1932 3. Repression and Legality 4. Growing Tension in 1935 5. 􀁪e Fork in the Road PART II. 􀁪e Terror 6. 􀁪e Face of the Enemy, 1936 7. 􀁪e Sky Darkens 8. 􀁪e Storm of 1937: 􀁪e Party Commits Suicide 9. Ending the Terror, 1938 10. Two Bolsheviks Conclusion: Quicksand Politics Appendixes 1. Numbers of Victims of the Terror 2. Biographical Notes Notes Index Illustrations Preface 􀁪is volume is an updated and abridged version of our documentary monograph 􀃳e Road to Terror: Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks, 1932–1939 (New Haven, 1999) . 􀁪e lengthy archival documents in the ﬁrst edition have been removed or dramatically shortened, and the text has been rewritten both to stand alone as an interpretation and to reﬂect new sources and studies that have appeared since the ﬁrst edition. In the ten years since the ﬁrst edition of Road to Terror appeared, a substantial amount of new archival documentation has become available, through either published works or the ongoing process of archival declassiﬁcation in Russia. Despite the weariness of the Russian public with gruesome revelations from the Stalin period, some important monographs have also appeared there. Wherever relevant, the new documentation and the recent scholarly studies have been incorporated into this edition. 􀁪e archival declassiﬁcation

FAQs

What does the book focus on regarding Stalin and the Bolsheviks between 1932 and 1939?

It analyzes how Stalin’s leadership and Bolshevik internal processes led to repression that culminated in the Terror. The structure moves from early shifts and discipline to escalation in 1936–1937 and the eventual ending of the Terror in 1938.

What sources does the book rely on?

The volume uses documentary materials held in Russian archival institutions, including RGASPI, RGANI, and GARF. It also reflects cooperation and permissions described in the publication’s front matter.

What changed in the updated and abridged edition compared with the 1999 edition?

The edition removes or dramatically shortens lengthy archival documents from the first edition and rewrites the text so it stands alone as an interpretation. It also incorporates newly available declassified materials and scholarship produced over the prior decade.

Jul 6, 2026

Upload by Liam