Although it was a comparatively minor aspect of Feinberg’s “Telling Lies, Making Truths” chapter, I was really struck by the ways in which women in particular were treated and affected by these show trials. Horáková’s trial was met with gendered responses that differed from that of any of the men’s. As Feinberg notes, “many claimed that by advocating war, Horáková had betrayed not only her country, but her femininity, giving up any hope for mercy on the grounds of womanhood” (Feinberg 15). Why was her womanhood attacked here, especially considering the more equalizing nature of the Communist regime? Why were the wives of those on trial ostracized to the extent that they were?
I also found it peculiar how contradictory the nature of the show trials were with respect to Jewish people. At several points, the chapter examines the ways in which deeply-entrenched anti-semetic sentiments were used to villainize Jewish people and validate the confessions. However, the chapter also points out that several of the accused persons’ stories and characters were conflated with Nazism, so as to draw a parallel between Nazism and imperialism: “Their connection with Nazi brutality and violence vividly illustrated the utter lack of morality that characterized the imperialist cause” (Feinberg 13). How did this hypocrisy slide? It seems very strange that the show trials would condemn the violence inflicted upon Jewish people in camps in some cases but then turn around to ostracize and denigrate Jewish people as a whole.
My last question is broader and concerns the logical justification behind these show trials that Feinberg herself hints at, especially towards the end of this chapter: why would the SU continue to churn out show trials if their intended effect (one of empowerment) was overshadowed by the reality of the workers’ reactions (feelings that the trials undermined Communist powers)? Why bother going through the process of arresting and jailing and trying based on complete fabrication if the resulting paranoia breeds more doubt and insecurity than trust in the communist government?
