COMMUNIST TOTALITARIANISM: KEYS TO THE SOVIET SYSTEM

The author's aim in this substantial work is to present the reader with seven keys to use in present day analysis of the Soviet System. The viability of Bertram Wolfe's method is demonstrated by his ability in the past to foresee the eventual trend of political development in the Soviet Union. The master key is found in the author's general theory of totalitarianism-the immutable fact behind the rapid changes in the Soviet line. The remaining six chapters are devoted to specific analysis of the manifestations of totalitarian behavior in various aspects of Soviet life, internal and external- the unchanging nature of dictatorship, the coordination of culture into the aims and directives of men who hold power in the state, the constant war waged on the people of the state, the state's quest for legitimacy and outward show of legality, Soviet imperialism, and the impossibility of peace as an aim of Soviet foreign policy. In the fifth chapter the author includes articles he wrote while the countries of the western world were making avoidable errors. The accuracy of his predictions demonstrates the usefulness of the method of analysis he has outlined. A valuable book recommended to the general reader.