The Friends and Foes of Change: Reformism and Conservatism in the Soviet Union

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Abstract
The combination of conservative institutions with revolutionary ideas meant that the Republic was the first successful attempt to reconcile the conservative and revolutionary traditions in France. But it also meant that in the twentieth century the forces of change were resisted and obstructed to the point of frustration.David Thomson, Democracy in France The theme of the meeting, “Tradition and Innovation,” offers an occasion to talk about serious things.Mikhail Romm (1962) Change in the Stalinist system, and stubborn resistance to change, have been the central features of Soviet political life since Stalin's death in 1953. The rival forces of “innovation and tradition,” to use the language of the official press, have become “two poles” in Soviet politics and society, which are expressed through “sharp clashes between people standing on both sides of the psychological barrier.“