Vladimir Lenin is often portrayed sympathetically as a leader who was willing to tolerate open discussion and debate, leading to speculation that the Soviet Union would have developed a more humane form of socialism had he lived. Yet, in one of his last major acts, Lenin initiated the deportation or internal exile of non-Communist physicians, which soon broadened into a general witch-hunt against independent intellectuals and professionals.
The Ship of Philosophers
How the Early USSR Dealt with Dissident Intellectuals
By Paul R. Gregory
This
article
appeared in
the Spring 2009 issue of The Independent Review.
Other Independent Review articles by Paul R. Gregory | |
Spring 2018 | One Day We Will Live without Fear: Everyday Lives Under the Soviet Police State |
Fall 2017 | The Black Swan of the Russian Revolution |