First Advisor

David Kinsella

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in International & Global Studies: European and University Honors

Department

International and Global Studies

Subjects

Russian Germans -- Emigration and immigration -- History -- 20th century, Former Soviet republics -- Social conditions -- 20th century, Exiles -- Kazakhstan

DOI

10.15760/honors.271

Abstract

This thesis aims to review and contribute to the growing scholarship documenting the experience of the Russian-German exiles. Organized into two parts: the first half concentrates on the 1940 deportations and the second half on the 1990 migrations. The journey of the 1940 Soviet deportations is studied through parallels of the government’s intentions juxtaposed with the realities on the ground. Then a literature review of work done by scholars in the Soviet archives discusses the common consensus in regards to claims of Soviet ethnic cleansing and genocide. An overview of the documented realities of exile confronted by the deportees supplements the academic literature.The second half of this thesis finds less information concerning the 1990 migrations. More than half of the known Germans in Kazakhstan left after the dissolution of the Soviet state. Scholars have legitimized these emigrations in various ways and a literature review of this period distills the common postulations. What in actuality occurred that motivated such a mass exodus of people in the 1990s? This thesis explores the responses to this in the conclusion of the later portion.

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Comments

The author received degrees of Bachelor of Arts in University Honors, International Studies and Political Science.

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/17391

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