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Yale-Hoover Series on Authoritarian Regimes
Security Empire: The Secret Police in Communist Eastern Europe
A compelling examination of the establishment of the secret police in Communist Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Eastern Germany
This book examines the history of early secret police forces in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War. Molly Pucci delves into the ways their origins diverged from the original Soviet model based on differing interpretations of communism and local histories. She also illuminates the difference between veteran agents who fought in foreign wars and younger, more radical agents who combatted “enemies of communism” in the Stalinist terror in Eastern Europe.
This book examines the history of early secret police forces in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War. Molly Pucci delves into the ways their origins diverged from the original Soviet model based on differing interpretations of communism and local histories. She also illuminates the difference between veteran agents who fought in foreign wars and younger, more radical agents who combatted “enemies of communism” in the Stalinist terror in Eastern Europe.
- GenresHistory
416 pages, Hardcover
Published June 23, 2020
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April 30, 2026
It is a well-researched study based on extensive archival sources, but it at times comes across as somewhat one-sided. The argument that communism was primarily defined by secrecy and oppression may be persuasive, yet in a scholarly work, a more balanced approach would strengthen the analysis. At the same time, the book raises important questions about the relationship between power, information, and control, and it contributes to ongoing debates in the field.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review