Long before the first shot of the Civil War was fired at Fort Sumter; violence had already erupted along the Missouri-Kansas border—a recurring cycle of robbery; arson; torture; murder; and revenge. This multifaceted study brings together fifteen scholars to expand our understanding of this vitally important region; the violence that besieged it; and its overall impact on the Civil War. Bleeding Kansas; Bleeding Missouri blends political; military; social; and intellectual history to explain why the region’s divisiveness was so bitter and persisted for so long. Providing a more nuanced understanding of the conflict; it defines both what united and divided the men and women who lived there and how various political disagreements ultimately disintegrated into violence. By focusing on contested definitions of liberty; citizenship; and freedom; it also explores how civil societies break down and how they are reconstructed when the conflict ends.The contributors examine this key chapter in American history in all of its complexity. Essays on “Slavery and Politics of Law and Order along the Border†examine how the border region was transformed by the conflict over the status of slavery in Kansas Territory and how the emerging conflict on the Kansas-Missouri border took on a larger national significance. Other essays focus on the transition to total warfare and examine the wartime experiences of the diverse people who populated the region in “Making the Border Bleed.†Final articles on “The Border Reconstructed and Remembered†explore the ways in which border residents rebuilt their society after the war and how they remembered it decades later. As this penetrating collection shows; only when Missourians and Kansans embraced a common vision for America—one based on shared agricultural practices; ideas about economic development; and racial equality—could citizens on both sides of the border reconcile.
#749475 in Books University Press of Kansas 2007-04-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.19 x .66 x 6.25l; .87 #File Name: 0700615172176 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. just okayBy Samuel DayIts ok. not that interesting. missing a lot of info. there are so many things out there from the view point of the germans that its nice to get a taste of the russian angle. worth the read... but your not going to be all psyched and telling your friends about it or anything. You'll probable end up putting it into the nearest lending library when your done.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A credible account of a front-line soldier in the Red Army in World War 2.By Andrew HallmanOutstanding book. Its hard to find a book detailing the expereinces of a Soviet soldier in World War 2 because most Soviet publications on the topic are poorly written propaganda tracts. Mr Litvin's account of his war is very interesting and credible and I enjoyed it a lot.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Testament to the Greatness of the Red Army Soldier!By Gilberto VillahermosaIn recent years we have witnessed the publication of a multitude of military memoirs by Red Army soldiers. These memoirs are important in that they provide new insights into World War II on the Eastern Front.Nikolai Litvin's remembrances are witness to the versatility; endurance; and patience of the Red Army soldier. A Siberian by birth; Litvin served in artillery; anti-tank; and penal formations and also as a driver to various Soviet commanders. This alone makes his experiences during the war exceptional. Litvin fought at the epic battle of Kursk in July 1943 and remained with the Red Army as it attacked relentlessly westward from the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany.But Litvin was also unique in that he was officially trained and qualified to drive U.S. Army lend lease vehicles. Hundreds of thousands of these were provided to the Red Army during the war. It is clear that he had a love affair with the various "Willy" jeeps he drove throughout the conflict and his memoirs highlight the mobility American jeeps and trucks provided to the Soviet military. Those vehicles were much appreciated by Red Army soldiers like Litvin. Without them Stalin's legions would have been unable to advance to Berlin as quickly as they did.Having served his country faithfully through almost three years of brutal combat; Litvin was arrested at the end of the war for possessing a German pistol and sentenced to four years imprisonment in the Soviet Far East.His memoirs are a testament to the greatness of the Red Army soldier and the brutality of the Soviet system they served.
