Investor Presentaiton
the Soviet regime.”³ Although Rees also notes how the biography examines the role of an
individual within a system and thus addresses themes of agency, intention, motivation, and
contribution, the study is nevertheless directed towards understanding Stalinism and the Soviet
political system as opposed to Kaganovich himself. Ultimately, he argues that Kaganovich's
refusal to denounce Stalin and his own past wrongdoings after 1953 was the most extreme
example of Bolshevik ideology and Party adherence and is overall representative of the closed-
system nature of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, while other alternatives to the Stalinist system
existed, the system that was in place, as created by Stalin, was ultimately unable to adapt to
necessary changes required by a modernizing society. * Rees thus uses Kaganovich as a metaphor
for the Stalinist system and the loyalty it demanded.
While recognizing the personal can rarely be separated from the political, especially in the
highest ranks of Soviet Party life, my aim in this thesis is to use the personal to understand
Kaganovich on his own terms, rather than use him as a lens for understanding Stalinist politics.
Specifically, I have chosen to analyze Kaganovich's Jewish background in order to understand
his life in the context of the broader Soviet Jewish experience. To do this, I rely heavily on three
primary sources by and about Kaganovich. First and foremost is Kaganovich's memoir, titled
Memoirs of a Worker, Bolshevik-Communist, Trade Union, Party and Soviet-State Worker. This
work was written between the mid-1960s to 1985 as a testament to his life, Party loyalty, and
strict adherence to the tenants of Communism. Beyond this, I also use Felix Chuev's book Thus
Spoke Kaganovich: The Confession of Stalin's Apostle. Published in 1992, this work is a
compilation of conversations and interviews between Chuev and Kaganovich in the 1980s.
3
E. A. Rees, Iron Lazar: A Political Biography of Lazar Kaganovich, (London: Anthem Press, 2012), xv.
4 E. A. Rees, Iron Lazar, 279.
3View entire presentation