Remaking Ukraine after World War II: The Clash of Local and Central Soviet Power

After World War II, Soviet Ukraine faced challenges in reconstructing central Ukraine, including a post-war famine. Filip Slaveski's study reveals the bitter struggle for land, food, and power among collective farmers, undermining Stalinist policies and forsaking the farmers. This battle shaped post-war reconstruction and continues to resonate in contemporary Ukraine.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 222 pages
Publication date: 23 May 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Ukraine was liberated from German wartime occupation by 1944, but its consequences lingered for much longer. This study delves into the transition of Soviet Ukraine from war to peace in the long aftermath of World War II. Filip Slaveski examines the challenges faced by local Soviet authorities in reconstructing central Ukraine, particularly in addressing the post-war famine that resulted in a rapidly growing population. By utilizing recently declassified Soviet sources, Slaveski sheds light on the previously unknown bitter struggle for land, food, and power among collective farmers at the bottom of the Soviet social ladder. He reveals how local authorities challenged central ones for these resources, undermining the Stalinist policies they were supposed to implement and neglecting the farmers in the process. Through his exploration, Slaveski demonstrates how this battle shaped post-war reconstruction and continues to resonate in contemporary Ukraine, particularly affecting the ordinary people caught in the middle.

ISBN-13: 9781108794183