I haven't finished reading yet, however I've already seen quite a few Stalin myths discredited in the book Stalin: The history and critique of a black legend. I imagine there is something about the doctors thing there if you wanna check it out.
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Stalin's doctors are mentioned to refute the accusation that Stalin was antisemitic. The team of doctors treating him were mostly Jewish, it stayed that way up to his death.
In czarist Russia, doctors (especially Jewish ones) were scapegoated as the reason for royals dying. This was still somewhat true after Stalin's death, but to a lesser extent.
I hope I am remembering that correctly. I'll try to find some page numbers from the Losurdo book
Edit: Chapter "The Question of 'Cosmopolitanism' ", page 229 onwards
Thank you very much, I'll pick it up!
I think it’s safe to assume it’s just more mustachioed man bad cold war bullshit. They throw things at the wall and see what sticks, and I guess this stuck.
I guessed it's pretty normal for someone born in the mid 70s to hear these myths. Thank you!