Bullock, Alan. Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives. New York: Vintage Books, 1993.
Throughout the history of humankind tyrants have come and gone. They are typified by their ambition, ruthlessness, and cruelty. Some impacted only their immediate surroundings. Others rent the fabrics of whole societies. None can match the levels of destruction attained by Adolph Hitler and Josef Stalin, two tyrants born from the Great War. Whole populations were erased to achieve their goals. In Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives, Alan Bullock examines how the personalities of both men were formed, how they gained absolute power, and how they used that power. He also compares and contrasts both men as he analyzes the dynamics of power.
The intimidating size of the book and the depth in which the author deals with the various issues makes it plain that it has been produced for only serious scholars. Although Bullock’s writing style is clear and concise it is not a page-turner; it is best taken in small chunks. Indeed, the constant movement of the narrative between Hitler and Stalin lends itself well to short spurts of reading. A study of the endnotes presented by the author shows a good balance of primary and secondary sources and demonstrates the thoroughness of his research.
The title of Bullock’s book is misleading. The reader begins the narrative expecting to find many similarities between the two dictators but after childhood there is more contrast than comparison. In fact, in many ways their careers followed “mirrored” paths; each the opposite of the other. Hitler was the “Man of the People” while Stalin rarely had contact with the people. Hitler emerged from the party while Stalin submerged into the party. Hitler was disdainful of every-day party activities while Stalin thrived in it. Any “Parallel Lives” of Hitler and Stalin can be found in only the broadest sense. Both came to power in the interwar years. Both were ruthless and self-absorbed. Both caused the deaths of millions of people.
While the reader will not find much parallel what the reader will find is a detailed examination of Hitler and Stalin’s rise to power. From the inauspicious beginnings to the final political maneuverings, Bullock is able to give the reader not only the “how” but also the “why.” His psychological profiles of both men give insight into why they were so successful and why they made the decisions they did. Additionally, the author presents a psychological background of the German people and the Bolshevik hierarchy so the reader can understand what made them receptive, or vulnerable, to the machinations of Hitler and Stalin.
The narrative bogs down some when dealing with the intricacies of the Soviet political system and the Nazi party. A parade of names and office titles only adds to the weight as the reader picks his or her way through a myriad of facts and events to find clear understanding. If the reader can successfully wade through this portion of the book rewards are waiting.
The second half of the book, dealing with Hitler and Stalin’s application of power, is invaluable for its perspicacity and perspective. The policies that resulted in the suffering and deaths of millions can be understood (for lack of a better word) through the analysis of the thought processes of those that made or implemented the decisions. When people ask, “How could anyone do this horrible thing?” the author answers, “This is how.” Hitler’s strategic decisions regarding Great Britain and the Soviet Union also become much more comprehendible when seen through the eyes of Hitler himself.
Stalin’s growth after the first Russian setbacks in Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa is best when compared to the corresponding decline in Hitler. Again, Bullock shows a mirror-like effect as the war continues. Stalin places more confidence in the military while Hitler loses his. Stalin begins to listen to his generals as Hitler shuts his out. Stalin becomes the idolized hero of the people while Hitler takes his life in a bunker after denouncing the German people. The book’s coverage of the war years is through the eyes of the dictators and deals mostly with strategic issues.
With Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives, Bullock has made an important contribution to the historiography of the twentieth century. His analysis of the dictators Hitler and Stalin from their childhood to their deaths, how they gained power and how they used it, gives his readers a unique perspective into what made these two men become the greatest tyrants in history.
Robert Marshall
HIST 5403 The Rise of the Dictators
Dr. Jones
Summer II 2000