Allen J. Frank

Kazakh Muslims in the Red Army is the first study of the WWII experience of Soviet Kazakhs. Based on indigenous-language sources, it focuses on the wartime experiences of Kazakh conscripts and the home front as expressed in correspondence. The study emphasizes how Kazakh social structure, religion, and patriotism were expressed and mobilized during the war years. By focusing on indigenous forms of private correspondence, the book presents an alternative to previous studies focusing on narratives and documentation derived from the Soviet state. It offers an entirely new basis for examining the wartime experiences of Soviet citizens and Soviet Muslims.