Hello all, I recently stumbled upon this YouTube channel, and have become interested in the process of Sovietization.
Is there any recommended literature for histories of the expansion of communism post WW2? I'm particularly interested in assessments of the legitimacy of these developments, as in which populations largely seemed to accept the establishment of communist governments (if any), which didn't (if any), which elections were legitimate and which are disputed, and so on.
Was the expansion of the USSR viewed as voluntary or was it forced upon these states? I'm American and was raised to view the expansion of the Soviet Union as one of conquest.
I imagine there's great contention on these questions, am interested in answers from all ideologies/political standpoints.
Thanks in advance!
I think Tony Judt’s survey in Post-War is a good place to start: he’s mainstream while not textbook. He especially does a good job finding meaningful trends while also showing the differences that occur for both structural and contingent reasons. I think among similar historian, he’s willing to show which ways the Communists were popular/right/successful/legitimate, which makes his critiques all the more devastating.
He is also a good writer who covers a tremendous amount of material in an accessible and bearable way—not a given for Cold War histories