Over 20,000 ethnic Russians migrated to Australia after World War II - yet we know very little about their experiences. Some came via China, others from refugee camps in Europe.

Many preferred to keep a low profile in Australia, and some attempted to 'pass' as Polish, West Ukrainian or Yugoslavian. They had good reason to do so: to the Soviet Union, Australia's resettling of Russians amounted to the theft of its citizens, and undercover agents were deployed to persuade them to repatriate. Australia regarded the newcomers with wary suspicion, even as it sought to build its population by opening its door to more immigrants.

Making extensive use of newly discovered Russian-language archives and drawing on a lifetime's study of Soviet history and politics, award-winning author Sheila Fitzpatrick examines the early years of a diverse and disunited Russian-Australian community and how Australian and Soviet intelligence agencies attempted to track and influence them. While anti-Communist 'White' Russians dreamed a war of liberation would overthrow the Soviet regime, a dissident minority admired its achievements and thought of returning home.

About the Author
Sheila Fitzpatrick is the multi-award-winning author of My Father's Daughter, Mischka's War, On Stalin's Team and The Russian Revolution, among other titles. She is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books.

Reviews
Cette retrospective dense et compliquee, qui combine une reflexion sur les identites dans leur environnement a la fois exterieur et dans la fabrication du lien communautaire, les suivant dans le mouvement des bouleversements locaux et de la grande histoire, sources de nouveaux deplacements et refondations, releve in fine d'une veritable performance. L'analyse est affranchie de tout jugement sur un sujet comportant pourtant une part d'abime, tant elle est mobilisee par l'intention primordiale de reconstituer l'univers mental, culturel qui a anime les grands perdants de l'histoire. Elle est le fait d'une specialiste de l'histoire sociale de l'URSS qui, finalement, est allee explorer, a l'encontre de ses affinites personnelles, souligne-t-elle, les destins de ceux que la revolution avait rejete sur l'autre bord, les scrutant avec la meme impartialite, la meme exigence et les memes nuances qu'elle avait mises dans ses investigations au coeur du xxe siecle sovietique. White Russians, Red Peril represente une contribution substantielle a l'histoire du monde de l'exil russe dans sa longue duree ou s'exprime comme un enseignement la grande voix historienne de Sheila Fitzpatrick.



Book Information
ISBN 9781032057491
Author Sheila Fitzpatrick
Format Paperback
Page Count 370
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 535g