soviet and post

UCIAS Edited Volume 3

The Politics of Knowledge: Area Studies and the

Disciplines

Year\ue001\ue000\ue000\ue002

Article\ue003

Soviet and Post\u2212Soviet Area Studies

Victoria E. Bonnell

George Breslauer

University of California, Berkeley

vbonnell@uclink4.berkeley.edu

bresl@socrates.berkeley.edu

This article is part of the University of California International and Area Studies Digital

Collection.

http://repositories.cdlib.org/uciaspubs/editedvolumes/3/4

Copyrightc

\ue0002003 by the authors.

1

SOVIET\ue000AND\ue000POST-SOVIET\ue000AREA\ue000STUDIES

Victoria\ue000E.\ue000Bonnell\ue000and\ue000GeorgeW.\ue000Breslauer

This\ue000paper\ue000was\ue000originally\ue000prepared\ue000for\ue000the\ue000Revitalizing\ue000Area\ue000Studies\ue000Conference,\ue000April\ue000
24-26,\ue0001998.\ue000Soon\ue000afterward,\ue000the\ue000paper\ue000was\ue000made\ue000available\ue000as\ue000a\ue000Berkeley\ue000Program\ue000in\ue000
Soviet\ue000and\ue000Post-Soviet\ue000Studies\ue000working\ue000paper\ue000and\ue000sent\ue000out\ue000to\ue000\ue000many\ue000colleagues.\ue000We\ue000
received\ue000comments\ue000and\ue000suggestions\ue000from\ue000Mark\ue000Beissinger,\ue000Robert\ue000Conquest,\ue000Archie\ue000
Brown,\ue000Gregory\ue000Grossman,\ue000David\ue000Hooson,\ue000Robert\ue000Huber,\ue000Charles\ue000Jelavich,\ue000Bruce\ue000
Parrott,\ue000\ue000Nicholas\ue000Riasanovsky,\ue000T.H.\ue000Rigby,\ue000Thomas\ue000Remington,\ue000Gil\ue000Rozman,\ue000Peter\ue000
Rutland,\ue000Michael\ue000Urban,\ue000and\ue000Reginald\ue000Zelnik.\ue000In\ue000early\ue0002000\ue000we\ue000completed\ue000\ue000a\ue000second\ue000set\ue000
of\ue000revisions\ue000on\ue000the\ue000paper.\ue000Three\ue000external\ue000reviews\ue000of\ue000the\ue000second\ue000version\ue000of\ue000the\ue000paper\ue000
reached\ue000us\ue000in\ue000October\ue0002002.\ue000Two\ue000of\ue000these\ue000reviews\ue000were\ue000anonymous\ue000and\ue000a\ue000third\ue000came\ue000
from\ue000James\ue000R.\ue000Millar.\ue000In\ue000response\ue000to\ue000these\ue000comments\ue000and\ue000suggestions\ue000and\ue000in\ue000anticipation\ue000
of\ue000the\ue000publication\ue000of\ue000this\ue000volume,\ue000we\ue000\ue000prepared\ue000a\ue000third\ue000updated\ue000version\ue000of\ue000the\ue000paper\ue000which\ue000
was\ue000completed\ue000in\ue000November\ue0002002.\ue000Our\ue000thanks\ue000to\ue000all\ue000who\ue000have\ue000given\ue000us\ue000feedback\ue000on\ue000
various\ue000drafts.\ue000We\ue000are\ue000grateful\ue000to\ue000David\ue000Engerman\ue000for\ue000his\ue000assistance\ue000in\ue000the\ue000preparation\ue000of\ue000
the\ue000original\ue000version\ue000of\ue000the\ue000paper.\ue000

Introduction

The\ue000remarkable\ue000feature\ue000of\ue000Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000is\ue000that,\ue000as\ue000a\ue000field\ue000of\ue000scholarly\ue000inquiry,\ue000it\ue000
disappeared\ue000in\ue000December\ue0001991,\ue000along\ue000with\ue000the\ue000Soviet\ue000Union\ue000as\ue000a\ue000national\ue000entity.\ue000Many\ue000
geographical\ue000areas\ue000in\ue000the\ue000world\ue000have\ue000undergone\ue000significant\ue000geopolitical\ue000changes\ue000since\ue000the\ue000
Second\ue000World\ue000War,\ue000but\ue000the\ue000dissolution\ue000of\ue000a\ue000major\ue000subject\ue000area\ue000\u2013\ue000one\ue000of\ue000the\ue000largest\ue000in\ue000the\ue000
world\ue000\u2013\ue000is\ue000unprecedented.\ue000Beginning\ue000in\ue0001992,\ue000specialists\ue000on\ue000the\ue000Soviet\ue000Union\ue000\u2013
\u201cSovietologists\u201d\ue000\u2013\ue000were\ue000called\ue000upon\ue000to\ue000reorient\ue000themselves\ue000to\ue000the\ue000fifteen\ue000successor\ue000states\ue000
that\ue000had\ue000been\ue000carved\ue000out\ue000of\ue000the\ue000former\ue000Soviet\ue000Union.\ue000Whereas\ue000one\ue000powerful\ue000nation-state\ue000
was\ue000the\ue000unit\ue000for\ue000analysis\ue000before\ue0001992,\ue000now\ue000specialists\ue000studied\ue000such\ue000diverse\ue000countries\ue000as\ue000
Lithuania,\ue000Ukraine,\ue000Georgia,\ue000Kazakhstan,\ue000Tadzhikistan,\ue000or,\ue000in\ue000many\ue000cases,\ue000Russia.

The\ue000change\ue000in\ue000geographical\ue000boundaries\ue000coincided\ue000with\ue000a\ue000fundamental\ue000reconfiguration\ue000of\ue000 the\ue000questions\ue000and\ue000topics\ue000addressed\ue000by\ue000specialists.\ue000As\ue000Edward\ue000W.\ue000Walker\ue000put\ue000it\ue000in\ue0001993:\ue000 \u201cNo\ue000longer\ue000challenged\ue000to\ue000explain\ue000order,\ue000stability,\ue000institutionalization,\ue000or\ue000the\ue000functioning\ue000 of\ue000the\ue000\u2018Soviet\ue000system,\u2019\ue000we\ue000find\ue000ourselves\ue000confronted\ue000by\ue000dysfunction,\ue000fundamental\ue000and\ue000 disjunctive\ue000institutional\ue000change,\ue000rapid\ue000attitudinal\ue000and\ue000behavioral\ue000adjustments\ue000to\ue000an\ue000ever- changing\ue000structure\ue000of\ue000opportunities,\ue000anti-regime\ue000mass\ue000mobilization,\ue000ethnic\ue000violence,\ue000and\ue000 the\ue000driving\ue000force\ue000of\ue000intense\ue000nationalism.\u201d1\ue000With\ue000the\ue000breakup\ue000of\ue000the\ue000Soviet\ue000Union,\ue000a\ue000new\ue000

1\ue000Edward\ue000W.\ue000Walker,\ue000\u201cSovietology\ue000and\ue000Perestroika:\ue000\ue000A\ue000Post-Mortem\u201d\ue000in\ue000Susan\ue000Solomon,\ue000ed.,\ue000Beyond\ue000

Sovietology:\ue000\ue000Essays\ue000in\ue000Politics\ue000and\ue000History\ue000(Armonk,\ue000N.Y,\ue0001993),\ue000p.\ue000227.

Bonnell\ue000and\ue000Breslauer:\ue000Soviet\ue000and\ue000Post-Soviet\ue000Area\ue000Studies

Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2003

2

field\ue000emerged:\ue000post-Soviet\ue000studies\ue000or,\ue000to\ue000put\ue000it\ue000another\ue000way,\ue000FSU\ue000(former\ue000Soviet\ue000Union)\ue000

studies.\ue000

This\ue000essay\ue000traces\ue000the\ue000origins\ue000and\ue000development\ue000of\ue000Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000from\ue000their\ue000inception\ue000
in\ue000the\ue000early\ue0001940s\ue000to\ue000the\ue000present.\ue000In\ue000the\ue000first\ue000part,\ue000we\ue000examine\ue000the\ue000institutional\ue000framework\ue000
and\ue000the\ue000funding\ue000sources\ue000for\ue000Soviet\ue000and\ue000post-Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies.\ue000The\ue000second\ue000part\ue000
concentrates\ue000on\ue000the\ue000connection\ue000between\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000and\ue000the\ue000disciplines.\ue000Next,\ue000we\ue000
consider\ue000intellectual\ue000trends\ue000and\ue000map\ue000the\ue000major\ue000changes\ue000that\ue000have\ue000taken\ue000place\ue000in\ue000the\ue000
conceptualization\ue000of\ue000Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000from\ue000the\ue000Second\ue000World\ue000War\ue000to\ue000the\ue000collapse\ue000of\ue000
the\ue000USSR.\ue000In\ue000the\ue000final\ue000section,\ue000we\ue000provide\ue000an\ue000overview\ue000of\ue000the\ue000formation\ue000of\ue000post-Soviet\ue000
area\ue000studies.

The\ue000focus\ue000of\ue000our\ue000inquiry\ue000is\ue000Soviet\ue000and\ue000post-Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000in\ue000the\ue000United\ue000States.\ue000\ue000A\ue000
large\ue000Sovietological\ue000community\ue000developed\ue000in\ue000the\ue000United\ue000Kingdom;\ue000important,\ue000but\ue000
smaller\ue000communities\ue000emerged\ue000in\ue000Canada,\ue000Australia,\ue000France,\ue000West\ue000Germany,\ue000Sweden,\ue000
Italy,\ue000Israel,\ue000and\ue000elsewhere.\ue000\ue000For\ue000the\ue000sake\ue000of\ue000manageability,\ue000however,\ue000and\ue000given\ue000the\ue000
purposes\ue000of\ue000the\ue000project\ue000of\ue000which\ue000this\ue000essay\ue000is\ue000a\ue000part,\ue000we\ue000will\ue000confine\ue000our\ue000attention\ue000to\ue000the\ue000
United\ue000States,\ue000which\ue000has\ue000produced\ue000a\ue000large\ue000proportion\ue000of\ue000the\ue000Western\ue000specialists\ue000and\ue000
publications\ue000dealing\ue000with\ue000the\ue000Soviet\ue000Union.

Institutional\ue000Infrastructure\ue000and\ue000Funding

It\ue000is\ue000often\ue000said\ue000that\ue000Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000are\ue000an\ue000offspring\ue000of\ue000the\ue000Cold\ue000War,\ue000a\ue000circumstance\ue000
that\ue000has\ue000indelibly\ue000marked\ue000the\ue000field\ue000institutionally\ue000and\ue000intellectually.2\ue000There\ue000can\ue000be\ue000no\ue000
doubt\ue000that\ue000the\ue000Cold\ue000War\ue000provided\ue000an\ue000enormous\ue000stimulus\ue000for\ue000the\ue000expansion\ue000of\ue000American\ue000
Sovietology\ue000and\ue000its\ue000elaboration\ue000as\ue000a\ue000field\ue000of\ue000research\ue000and\ue000teaching\ue000within\ue000the\ue000university.\ue000
Nevertheless,\ue000it\ue000is\ue000well\ue000to\ue000remember\ue000that\ue000the\ue000phenomenon\ue000of\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000generally,\ue000and\ue000
Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000in\ue000particular,\ue000actually\ue000originated\ue000during\ue000World\ue000War\ue000II,\ue000before\ue000arctic\ue000
breezes\ue000separated\ue000the\ue000wartime\ue000allies.\ue000

In\ue000fact,\ue000much\ue000of\ue000what\ue000subsequently\ue000constituted\ue000\u201cSoviet\ue000area\ue000studies\u201d\ue000in\ue000American\ue000
universities\ue000was\ue000originally\ue000conceived\ue000in\ue0001943,\ue000prior\ue000to\ue000the\ue000Cold\ue000War\ue000era.3\ue000The\ue000USSR\ue000
Division\ue000of\ue000the\ue000Office\ue000of\ue000Strategic\ue000Services,\ue000which\ue000in\ue0001943\ue000was\ue000directed\ue000by\ue000the\ue000historian\ue000
Geroid\ue000Robinson\ue000and\ue000had\ue000sixty\ue000social\ue000scientists,\ue000\u201cconstituted\ue000a\ue000research\ue000agenda\ue000that\ue000
would\ue000literally\ue000define\ue000the\ue000field\ue000of\ue000postwar\ue000Sovietology.\u201d4\ue000The\ue000wartime\ue000roots\ue000of\ue000the\ue000
postwar\ue000Soviet\ue000area\ue000studies\ue000centers\ue000can\ue000be\ue000found\ue000in\ue000the\ue000general\ue000approach\ue000of\ue000key\ue000figures\ue000in\ue000

2\ue000An\ue000influential\ue000version\ue000of\ue000the\ue000argument\ue000can\ue000be\ue000found\ue000in\ue000Stephen\ue000F.\ue000Cohen,\ue000Rethinking\ue000the\ue000Soviet\ue000

Experience:\ue000Politics\ue000and\ue000History\ue000Since\ue0001917\ue000(New\ue000York\ue000and\ue000Oxford,\ue0001985),\ue000pp.\ue0008-19.\ue000

3\ue000The\ue000study\ue000of\ue000Russia\ue000and\ue000Eastern\ue000Europe\ue000was\ue000first\ue000undertaken\ue000at\ue000Oberlin\ue000College\ue000in\ue0001945.\ue000Robert\ue000F.\ue000

Byrnes,\ue000\u201cUSA:\ue000Work\ue000at\ue000the\ue000Universities,\u201d\ue000in\ue000Walter\ue000Z.\ue000Laqueur\ue000and\ue000Leopold\ue000Labedz,\ue000eds.,\ue000The\ue000State\ue000of\ue000

Soviet\ue000Studies\ue000(Cambridge,\ue000Mass.,\ue0001965),\ue000p.\ue00025.\ue000For\ue000a\ue000discussion\ue000of\ue000early\ue000developments\ue000in\ue000U.S.\ue000Russian\ue000

studies,\ue000see\ue000David\ue000Charles\ue000Engerman,\ue000"America,\ue000Russia,\ue000and\ue000the\ue000Romance\ue000of\ue000Economic\ue000Development,"\ue000

Ph.D.\ue000dissertation,\ue000UC\ue000Berkeley,\ue0001998.

4\ue000Barry\ue000M.\ue000Katz,\ue000Foreign\ue000Intelligence:\ue000Research\ue000and\ue000Analysis\ue000in\ue000the\ue000Office\ue000of\ue000Strategic\ue000Services\ue0001942-1945

(Cambridge,\ue000Mass.,\ue0001989),\ue000p.\ue000137.\ue000

UCIAS\ue000Edited\ue000Volumes

Vol.\ue0003\ue000[2002],\ue000Article\ue0004

http://repositories.cdlib.org/uciaspubs/editedvolumes/3/4

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