Ortenberg, David (Oral history)

Russian volunteer with Red Army during Russian Civil War, 1918-1920; member of Komsomol in Communist Party in Russia, 1920-1922; workers correspondent and editor of newspaper in Nikolaevsk in Russia, 1922-1929; correspondent for Pravda newspaper in Russia, 1930-1938; political commissar and officer served as deputy editor and chief editor for Red Star newspaper in Russia, 1938-1943. English translation

REEL 1 Aspects of period as volunteer with Red Army during Russian Civil War, 1918-1920: pattern of service as boy soldier; personal motivation for volunteering. Aspects of period as member of Komsomol with Communist Party in Russia, 1920-1922: need to carry weapon whilst visiting villages; lecturing villagers on nature of future Communist state; aims of Komsomol in rural area; method of dealing with kulaks. Aspects of period as workers correspondent and editor of newspaper in Nikolaevsk in Russia, 1922-1929: relations with industrial workers whilst working as journalist and editor. Aspects of period as correspondent with Pravda newspaper in Russia, 1930-1938: writing about hydro electric power stations on White Sea-Baltic Canal; accompanying writer Maxim Gorky on visit to hydro electric power station, 1933; opinion of unreadiness of Red Army to fight war during 1930s REEL 2 Continues: Russian relations with other world powers during 1930s. Aspects of period as deputy editor and chief editor for Red Star newspaper in Russia, 1938-1943: Russian officer’s fear on punishment for suggesting war with Germany was imminent, 1941; attending Nikolai Bukharin’s show trial, 1938; how he came under suspicion of state during 1938; reasons for Joseph Stalin’s purges; nature of purges during 1930s; expelling from Communist Party of previous deputy editor; impressions of Joseph Stalin; attitude of populace to Joseph Stalin. REEL 3 Continues: how Red Star newspaper dealt with early Russian defeats, 1941; how he was named in German Black Book; question of how GB and US not opening second front; halting of German forces near Moscow, 12/1941; Russian wartime casualties; attitude towards Cold War.