CfP: Soviet foreign policy during the Second World War (Udine IT, 14-16 May 2020)

Tommaso Piffer Discussion

Soviet foreign policy during the Second World War

Udine, IT (14-16 May 2020)

 

In collaboration with the University of Udine

and with Cold War Studies/Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies

at Harvard University

Call for papers (deadline 23 June 2019)

This workshop aims to investigate Soviet foreign policy during the Second World War by situating it in a global perspective and by stimulating research to crosscheck available Soviet sources with records in other countries. The workshop also aims to facilitate the integration of various national historiographies, whose incorporation into a larger narrative is often prevented by language barriers. Rather than focusing solely on the Soviet side of relations with other states or non-state actors, the aim is to understand perspectives on all sides, highlighting the mutual interactions between the various actors.

The workshop will be organized around the discussion of papers submitted in advance. Possible themes for contributions include but are not restricted to:

  • Soviet policy toward Europe in a wider Euro-Asiatic context.
  • Role of Soviet regional policies within Moscow’s wider grand strategy.
  • Soviet policy toward South Asia and the Middle East.
  • Soviet policy toward Eastern and Western Europe.
  • Soviet policy toward China and the Communist Party of China.
  • Soviet policy toward Communist parties (including non-European communist parties), resistance movements, and other non-state actors.
  • The Soviet Union’s relations with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan from the late 1930s to 1945.
  • The Soviet Union’s wartime relations with the United Kingdom and the United States. This includes the role of espionage and Soviet ties with the British and American Communist Parties. Soviet wartime relations with France can also be included.
  • Soviet occupational policies and relations with local populations.
  • Role of culture and propaganda in Soviet foreign policy during the war.
  • The status of and changes in the accessibility of archives in Moscow.

The workshop will be held in Udine (Italy) 14-16 May 2020. Udine is served by a regional airport, Trieste Ronchi dei Legionari, which is 40 minutes from the city by car or train. The airport has direct flights to London Stansted, Frankfurt and Munich. Udine is also about 90 minutes from Venice airport by car or train.

Accommodation and subsistence will be provided. Travel grants will be available for participants if needed.

The advisory board of the workshop includes Tommaso Piffer (Università di Udine), Mark Kramer (Harvard University), Norman Naimark (Stanford University), Vladimir Pechatnov (MGIMO Moscow) and Silvio Pons (Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa).

Proposals for papers should be submitted using the online form on the website http://www.friulistoria.it/en/ by 23 June 2019. Proposals should include an abstract of the paper (max 300 words) and a brief bio (max 100 words).

We will endeavor to inform applicants about the outcome within 6 weeks of the submission deadline. Accepted papers (between 6.000 and 14.000 words) should be submitted by 19 April 2020.

Info: Tommaso Piffer (tommaso.piffer@uniud.it), Mark Kramer (mkramer@fas.harvard.edu).