Stephen Kotkin — How Stalin became the most powerful dictator in history

In this interview, Stephen Kotkin discusses the Tsarist regime, its level of repression, and the motivations behind the Russian Revolution, highlighting the dilemma of autocratic regimes needing modernization while suppressing political freedoms. He contrasts the Russian and German experiences, attributing the success of leftist revolutions in peasant societies to land hunger and the failure to integrate peasants into the system. Kotkin explores the motivations of individuals within Marxist regimes, the role of ideology, and the surprising endurance of these systems despite internal contradictions and purges. The conversation touches on China's economic liberalization, the importance of political legitimacy, and the potential for technological solutions to address systemic problems in authoritarian states, ultimately emphasizing the enduring value of citizen-based power and freedom.