Anna Larina: Stalinist Terror and Her Ability to Survive

Stalin's terror inflicted fear and pain onto any one who opposed him or presented a threat toward his policies. Geoffrey Hosking's The First Socialist Society is an excellent resource that takes an in depth look into Stalinist terror. His reign was enforced through a series of deadly acts. His dishonesty and violent modes of action lead him to solidify his grip on Soviet politics. A good look at how his terrorist actions affected individual people is Anna Larina's This I Cannot Forget. She expresses the struggle to survive for those who were proud and strong willed. Although Stalin's wrath physically pulled her away from those she loved and admired, their memory was her means of survival. Her memoirs give a first hand look at the effects of Stalin's terror. While Hosking portrays the cause of Stalinist terror, Larina expresses the effects of his wrath. Combined one can view the purges and how people survived in spite of them.…