Domenico Losurdo on Stalin: A Dialectical and Comparative Perspective on a Controversial Legacy

This article explores the insights of the Italian Marxist philosopher Domenico Losurdo on Stalin, with a focus on his controversial work: Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend. Losurdo sheds light on the metamorphosis of Stalin’s image from a revered leader into a “human monster” and challenges the equation of Stalin with Hitler (the “twin monsters theory”). He advocates for a balanced perspective that refutes the veneration–demonisation dichotomy and offers original criticism on various facets of the “black legend”: Stalin’s alleged self-cult of personality; the common juxtaposition of Soviet Gulags with Nazi camps; and accusations of genocide against Ukrainians (known as the Holodomor) and antisemitism. The article also highlights Losurdo’s methodology, consisting of a comprehensive comparative approach that calls into question the liberal tradition to reveal parallels between its darker aspects and Nazism. Losurdo demonstrates how the twin monsters theory eventually serves to bolster liberalism’s claim of moral superiority. Moreover, his work extends beyond Stalin to provide a wider assessment and criticism of most of the contemporary historiography’s themes and approaches, revealing how history is often manipulated for political reasons.