The Communist Youth League and the Transformation of the Soviet Union, 1917–1932 by Matthias Neumann (review)

What is youth policy? What are its fundamental principles? What place does youth take in society? Does it have any generation character, i.e. the united dominant of views and values? What is youth of different countries and continents common in? Here are some questions discussed in youth policy fundamental studies and appeared in politician’s and publicmen’s political rhetoric. It may be no accident that while finding response most of them call their attention to history and existing international experience. Undoubtedly, one of good examples of particular approach in youth upbringing is the experience of the Soviet Union and its youth organization—the Komsomol. Interest in its studying is expressed by innumerable quantity of tractates in Soviet-Russian historiography as well as great number of international experts working in this field. Matthias Neumann’s book represents follow-up fascinating research of communist youth in terms of 1917–1932 Soviet State transformation. Early papers of the author were published in the Revolutionary Russia and the Journal of Social History.

Author’s stated research tasks are complicated and diversified. Neumann tries to give answer to the question how the Soviet State transformation had impact on the Komsomol and formed its social identity, structure and social psychology of the Communist Youth League members, and conversely, how the Komsomol influenced on changes in the country. This book broadens our outlook on compound interacting processes of ideology, policy and institutional progress of the Communist youth organization.

In the first part of the book the author describes appearing process of youth movement and its development up to the Komsomol establishing in October 1918. Comparing youth organizations with other revolution institutions Neumann concludes all of them were important links to form socialistic culture. Executing different tasks these organizations helped to coalesce atomistic society into structured soviet one and the Bolshevik government gave its all-round support. At the same time the author notes the main reason for youth organization appearing was not policy, but economic, social, cultural and educational demands of young generation. Initially, youth organizations were independent of the Bolshevik political influence, however, this couldn’t last long. In spite of existing disagreements among the Bolshevik party leaders, their main purpose was to subordinate them.

The key research topic is the problem of social identity including class one of young communists. Using terms "social identity" and "class identity" Neumann thinks of the result of individual and external identification dialectical and interactive process (11). On founding Soviet society the main role was given to proletariat and its closest ally—the poorest peasantry. The Komsomol had to be formed from youth of these two classes. Since first days, however, the proportion of proletariat in communist union wasn’t dominant. A large number of rich and medium peasants as well as intellectuals threatened proletarian identity and forced to purge the organization from "class enemies." To define social status of the Komsomol youth was very difficult, therefore, their parents’ social status got the priority. According to the book, such proceeding legitimated inequality among young people of different social groups and had an effect on not only organization, but youth actually. Expulsion, social isolation, the New Economic Policy contradictions made young people look for place in new world and this fostered the growth of social strain, different forms of deviant behavior and extremism.

The important place in the book takes the question of youth red ideas formation and how the events of Revolution and Civil war period influenced on youth perception of social reality. Young generation joining the Komsomol was born, grew up in terms of great revolutionary changes and simultaneous liquidation of social bodies, customs and traditions of previous days. This was the generation of new "revolutionary culture." Young people got flooded with emotions and expectations of new happy life. They became politicized being under impression of mass demonstrations and meetings (42). According to the author, utopian dreams about...