Pickled Politicians, Bon Vivants, and Bad Martinis
How the “Big Three” of World War II mixed drinking and politics
There have been a lot of bad parties in history, but some of the worst were thrown by Joseph Stalin.
Stalin was one of the most ruthless manipulators in history, rising to the top position in the Soviet Union through a combination of cruelty and persuasion. A master of bureaucratic backstabbing, he gained power by warmly dispensing favors and coldly dispatching enemies.
One of Stalin’s trademark strategies was to keep everyone off balance — even his most powerful lieutenants were never sure quite where they stood with the chairman. And one of his best strategies for keeping everyone off balance was inviting them to drinking parties.
Russia has long had a strong cultural connection to alcohol. Many Russian celebrations feature rounds of vodka toasts and peer pressure to imbibe. As Mark Schrad writes,
Russia is famous for its hospitality. A main feature of that traditional hospitality has long been the banquet feast — a social event where temperament and trustworthiness are assessed, and where new acquaintances can become fast friends. Such banquets contain their own rituals: most notably the volleying of round upon round of loquacious toasts between the…
