Michael Parrish – författare

This is the first major study based on Soviet documents and revelations of the Soviet state security during the period 1939-1953—a period about which relatively little is known. The book documents the role of Stalin and the major players in massive crimes carried out during this period against the Soviet people. It also provides the first detailed biography of V. S. Abakumov, Minister of State Security, 1946-1951.Based on Glasnost revelations and recently released archival material, this study covers the operations of Soviet state security from Beriia's appointment in 1938 until Stalin's death. The book pays particular attention to the career of V. S. Abakumov, head of SMERSH counterintelligence during the war and minister in charge of the MGB (the predecessor of the KGB) from 1946 until his removal and arrest in July 1951.The author argues that terror remained the central feature of Stalin's rule even after the Great Terror and he provides examples of how he micromanaged the repressions. The book catalogs the major crimes committed by the security organs and the leading perpetrators and provides evidence that the crimes were similar to those for which the Nazi leaders were punished after the war. Subjects covered include Katyn and its aftermath, the arrest and execution of senior military officers, the killing of political prisoners near Orel in September 1941, and the deportations of various nationalities during the war. The post-war period saw the Aviator and Leningrad affairs as well as the anti-cosmopolitan campaign whose target was mainly Jewish intellectuals. Later chapters cover Abakumov's downfall, the hatching of the Mingrelian and Doctors plots and the events that followed Stalin's death. Finally, there are chapters on the fate of those who ran Stalin's machinery of terror in the last 13 years of his rule. These and other topics will be of concern to all students and scholars of Soviet history and those interested in secret police and intelligence operations.

This is the first major study based on Soviet documents and revelations of the Soviet state security during the period 1939-1953—a period about which relatively little is known. The book documents the role of Stalin and the major players in massive crimes carried out during this period against the Soviet people. It also provides the first detailed biography of V. S. Abakumov, Minister of State Security, 1946-1951.Based on Glasnost revelations and recently released archival material, this study covers the operations of Soviet state security from Beriia's appointment in 1938 until Stalin's death. The book pays particular attention to the career of V. S. Abakumov, head of SMERSH counterintelligence during the war and minister in charge of the MGB (the predecessor of the KGB) from 1946 until his removal and arrest in July 1951.The author argues that terror remained the central feature of Stalin's rule even after the Great Terror and he provides examples of how he micromanaged the repressions. The book catalogs the major crimes committed by the security organs and the leading perpetrators and provides evidence that the crimes were similar to those for which the Nazi leaders were punished after the war. Subjects covered include Katyn and its aftermath, the arrest and execution of senior military officers, the killing of political prisoners near Orel in September 1941, and the deportations of various nationalities during the war. The post-war period saw the Aviator and Leningrad affairs as well as the anti-cosmopolitan campaign whose target was mainly Jewish intellectuals. Later chapters cover Abakumov's downfall, the hatching of the Mingrelian and Doctors plots and the events that followed Stalin's death. Finally, there are chapters on the fate of those who ran Stalin's machinery of terror in the last 13 years of his rule. These and other topics will be of concern to all students and scholars of Soviet history and those interested in secret police and intelligence operations.

One of the hallmarks of the Soviet system was its heavy reliance on internal and foreign security and intelligence organizations. Not surprisingly, given the secrecy surrounding Soviet efforts in these areas, no biographical reference tools and few bibliographies have been published to date. In this context, Michael Parrish's work is a unique undertaking. In the first section to the volume, biographies are provided on some 4,000 officials in senior and mid-level positions who had served in Cheka, NKVD/RFSFR, GPU, KGB, and other organizations. Also included are officials of the Committee for State Control (formerly Ministry of State Control, and, before that, Commissariat of Workers and Peasants' Inspection). Prominent political personalities with earlier ties to security services, such as N.A. Bulganin, are listed even though such service formed only a brief part of their careers. Others listed include party officials, such as A.A. Kuznetsov, who at different times served as the Party's watchdog of security organs. Also included, because of their close association with repression and security organs, are members of Stalin's inner circle.The second part of the volume is a survey of books in English published between 1917 and 1990 which related to Soviet security and intelligence organizations. This is followed by a biographical addendum, a glossary of terms, and material showing the development of Soviet security organizations. No one concerned with current intelligence issues and the role of security organizations in Soviet life can ignore this volume.

One of the hallmarks of the Soviet system was its heavy reliance on internal and foreign security and intelligence organizations. Not surprisingly, given the secrecy surrounding Soviet efforts in these areas, no biographical reference tools and few bibliographies have been published to date. In this context, Michael Parrish's work is a unique undertaking. In the first section to the volume, biographies are provided on some 4,000 officials in senior and mid-level positions who had served in Cheka, NKVD/RFSFR, GPU, KGB, and other organizations. Also included are officials of the Committee for State Control (formerly Ministry of State Control, and, before that, Commissariat of Workers and Peasants' Inspection). Prominent political personalities with earlier ties to security services, such as N.A. Bulganin, are listed even though such service formed only a brief part of their careers. Others listed include party officials, such as A.A. Kuznetsov, who at different times served as the Party's watchdog of security organs. Also included, because of their close association with repression and security organs, are members of Stalin's inner circle.The second part of the volume is a survey of books in English published between 1917 and 1990 which related to Soviet security and intelligence organizations. This is followed by a biographical addendum, a glossary of terms, and material showing the development of Soviet security organizations. No one concerned with current intelligence issues and the role of security organizations in Soviet life can ignore this volume.

From the late nineteenth century to the present, decisions by the Supreme Court have played a significant role in how American governments, especially at the state level, have carried out the death penalty. With more than 3,400 prisoners, including 118 foreign nationals, now on death rows, the Court’s role is not likely to diminish in this area over the next several decades, barring a major shift in state laws and public opinion.   Supreme Court and Capital Punishment, the second installment in CQ Press′s "The Supreme Court′s Power in American Government" series, explores how Supreme Court rulings over its history have shaped and reshaped the rules under which Americans have been tried, convicted, sentenced and put to death for capital offenses. Through judicial decisions and other primary documents, this reference explores the impact of these rulings upon the behavior of legislators, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and defendants. Considerable emphasis is placed upon the twentieth century, especially the period since the 1972 Furman v. Georgia case. Since Furman, few areas of constitutional doctrine have undergone more abrupt changes than Court-mandated standards for administering capital punishment.   A second principal theme of this volume is an examination of the impact of race upon the long evolution of the Court’s death penalty jurisprudence.  As defendants and victims, African-Americans on trial for their lives in Southern courts became the central figures in the design and redesign of capital punishment in the twentieth century.  The Court’s "effective counsel" decisions have played a major role in how states shape their public defender systems and how they respond to the claims of impoverished defendants charged with capital crimes.  The documents section of the volume includes: Selections from key Supreme Court decisions, both majority opinions and dissents Amici briefs by a variety of organizations Selections from proponents and opponents of capital punishment Legislative debates on proposed moratoriums on capital punishment that took place in Nebraska, Vermont and Illinois during the past few years Congressional debate on the Racial Justice Act Statistical studies such as that conducted by Iowa law professor David Baldus Vivid early newspaper accounts of executions and trials Important topics covered in Supreme Court and Capital Punishment include the following: Judicial philosophies on the death penalty throughout the history of the CourtDebate over the execution of juveniles, the mentally retarded, and the insaneRace and capital punishmentConstitutionality of methods of executionChanging public opinion and its impact on capital punishment