The Reaction of Russian Emigres to the Nazi Invasion of the U.S.S.R.

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

Russian emigres who fled Russia following the loss of the White Army generally remained anti-Soviet throughout the interwar period. Many were waiting to go home if the Bolsheviks lost power. June 22, 1941 divided the Russian emigration more than any other event. This panel focuses on how emigres in France, Czechoslovakia, China and the U.S. reacted to the invasion. Some put aside any hostility they had felt toward the Bolsheviks and completely supported the Soviet side, even attempting to enlist in the Red Army. Some viewed the Nazis as their ticket to return to a Bolshevik free Russia. Some even fought alongside the Nazis to achieve that goal. Others remained torn, opposed to both sides. Others changed their minds over the course of the war. Emigres have been accused of having had a non-nuanced reaction to the invasion, of having all been Nazi supporters. This panel will demonstrate that there was no one response to the invasion, and that emigres' reaction was often colored by their experience living in their particular host countries. It will shed light on changing concepts of homeland, especially in the case of political exiles in times of war.

Sub Unit

• History: 1900-1945

Chair

• Anatol Shmelev, Hoover Institution

Roundtable Speakers

• Oleg Beyda, U of Melbourne (Australia)

• Nina Bogdan, U of Arizona

• Leonid Livak, U of Toronto (Canada)

• Laurie Manchester, Arizona State U