The Red Decade, the Stalinist Penetration of America

Eugene Lyons

• Publisher: Bonhopai Books
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781779791634
• Edition: 0
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Russian History
• Index: History

Eugene Lyons's The Red Decade is a powerful, firsthand exposé of how Soviet ideology infiltrated American intellectual, artistic, and political life during the 1930s. A former communist sympathizer and journalist who once interviewed Stalin himself, Lyons turned against Soviet totalitarianism after witnessing its brutal consequences. In this controversial but meticulously documented work, he examines how leftist movements in the U.S.—from labor unions and Hollywood circles to academia and journalism—became vehicles for Soviet propaganda and influence. Lyons names names, dissects networks, and recounts his personal encounters with prominent intellectuals who, willingly or not, helped legitimize Stalin's regime. Far from a polemic, The Red Decade offers historical depth and journalistic rigor, exploring how the allure of utopian ideals blinded many to the reality of purges, show trials, and mass repression. Lyons is particularly skilled at capturing the psychological and emotional atmosphere of the era, revealing how the "romance with the Kremlin" seduced a generation of progressives. His insider status gives the narrative rare credibility, making it essential reading for anyone interested in Cold War origins, political disillusionment, and the battle between idealism and reality in democratic societies.

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION—IN DEFENSE OF RED-BAITING
• CHAPTER I—THE FIVE AGES OF THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL
• CHAPTER II—A PARTY IS BORN
• CHAPTER III—BORING FROM WITHIN
• CHAPTER IV—THE MOSCOW SOLAR SYSTEM
• CHAPTER V—THE AMERICAN PARTY IS PURGED
• CHAPTER VI—A MILQUETOAST TAKES COMMAND
• CHAPTER VII—THE RED DECADE DAWNS
• CHAPTER VIII—FASCISM HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY
• CHAPTER IX—THE CULT OF RUSSIA-WORSHIP
• CHAPTER X—THE LIBERALS INVENT A UTOPIA
• CHAPTER XI—APOLOGISTS DO THEIR STUFF
• CHAPTER XII—THE RED CULTURAL RENAISSANCE
• CHAPTER XIII—MORE PLANETS ARE LAUNCHED
• CHAPTER XIV—MOSCOW ADOPTS THE TROJAN HORSE
• CHAPTER XV—COMMUNISM BECOMES AMERICANISM
• CHAPTER XVI—THE INCREDIBLE REVOLUTION SPREADS
• CHAPTER XVII—AMERICAN LEAGUE FOR SOVIET WAR MONGERING
• CHAPTER XVIII—STALIN’S CHILDREN’S HOUR IN THE U.S.A.
• CHAPTER XIX—STALIN MUSCLES IN ON AMERICAN LABOR
• CHAPTER XX—RUSSIAN PURGES AND AMERICAN LIBERALS
• CHAPTER XXI—HOORAY FOR MURDER!
• CHAPTER XXII—“FRIENDS OF THE G.P.U.”
• CHAPTER XXIII—COCKTAILS FOR SPANISH DEMOCRACY
• CHAPTER XXIV—REVOLUTION COMES TO HOLLYWOOD AND BROADWAY
• CHAPTER XXV—AMERICA’S OWN POPULAR FRONT GOVERNMENT
• CHAPTER XXVI—THE TYPEWRITER FRONT
• CHAPTER XXVII—INTELLECTUAL RED TERROR
• CHAPTER XXVIII—THE LAST LOONY SCENE
• CHAPTER XXIX—THE MELANCHOLY RETREAT OF THE LIBERALS
• CHAPTER XXX—NEW FRONTS FOR OLD
• CHAPTER XXXI—AND THEY CALLED IT “PEACE”
• CHAPTER XXXII—THE MENACE OF TODAY