is a seminal historical work by Russian historian Oleg Khlevniuk , published in 2004 as part of the Annals of Communism series by Yale University Press .
Khlevniuk utilizes previously top-secret documents from the Soviet state and Communist Party archives , including: The History of the Gulag: From Collectivization...
: Khlevniuk argues that the mass deportation of "kulaks" (prosperous peasants) during the 1930–31 collectivization campaign served as the foundational model for subsequent state terror. is a seminal historical work by Russian historian
: During 1937–38, the system shifted from a labor-focused model toward one of physical extermination . Inmates became the primary victims of purges, and living conditions in the camps deteriorated to lethal levels. Primary Source Material Inmates became the primary victims of purges, and
The book is recognized as the first comprehensive, archive-based study of the Soviet labor camp system, providing a dispassionate but harrowing account of how the Gulag became central to Soviet social and economic policy.
: Contrary to the view of the Gulag as a successful industrial engine, Khlevniuk presents evidence that the camp economy was never effective . It was plagued by poor planning, exhaustion of labor, and was ultimately a financial burden on the state.
The history of the gulag: From collectivization to the great terror