Absolute power Quote by Adam Hochschild
““In the Soviet Union, for example, shooting or jailing political opponents at first helped the Communist Party and then Josef Stalin gain absolute power. But after there were no visible opponents left, seven million more people were executed, and many millions more died in the far-flung camps of the gulag. So many engineers were seized that factories came to a halt; so many railway men died that some trains did not run; so many colonels and generals were shot that the almost leaderless Red Army was nearly crushed by the German invasion of 1941.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Cold War: A World History, Adam Hochschild, 2020
Political purges initially consolidate power, but unchecked repression eventually erodes the very structures they aim to protect.
In simple terms: Repression can destroy the system it supports.
Key Takeaway
Beware of power that eliminates dissent.
Themes
politics
history
power
ethics
Mood
cautionary
somber
Type
historical
analytical
When to use this quote
- government policy
- military planning
- human rights advocacy
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
totalitarianism
state violence
military strategy
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards prevent power from turning on itself?
- How can societies balance security and liberty?
A Different Perspective
The quote focuses on Soviet context; similar dynamics can differ elsewhere.
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