Book Presentation: "The Chief Culprit", by Viktor Suvorov

Best-selling author and historian Viktor Suvorov has examined newly released Soviet documents to analyze the late Joseph Stalin's strategy to conquer Europe.

A former Soviet army intelligence officer, Suvorov explains in "The Chief Culprit" that Stalin's strategy leading up to World War II was based on Vladimir Lenin's belief that if World War I did not ignite a worldwide Communist revolution, then a second world war would be needed to achieve it.

Challenging the view held by conventional historians, Suvorov argues that Stalin, in fact, welcomed the start of World War II and was ready to attack Nazi Germany in July 1941 had the Nazis not attacked the Soviets first in June 1941.

Suvorov, thereby, debunks the theory that Stalin was duped by Hitler’s 1941 attack and denies, therefore, that the Soviet Union was an unwitting victim of Nazi aggression.

Viktor Suvorov is the author of 18 books that have been translated into more than 20 languages. A Soviet army officer who served in military intelligence, he defected in 1978 to the United Kingdom, where he worked as an intelligence analyst and lecturer.

Supporters of the Hudson Institute may attend a book discussion on February 2, 2009. Viktor Suvorov will be joined by Andrei Piontkovsky, Hudson Institute Visiting Fellow, and David Satter, Hudson Senior Fellow. The discussion will be moderated by Richard Weitz¸ Director of Hudson's Center for Political-Military Analysis. Lunch will be served, and copies of the book will be available for sale.