A study of political sentiments of the Kalinin oblast population in the time of Nazi occupation

The article based on previously unknown archival documents is the first study of political moods among the Soviet population living on the territory of Kalinin oblast (region) temporarily occupied by German fascists. The author focuses on different factors which strongly affected the population’s political moods: socialism experience, Soviet propaganda, the economic policy and propaganda of the occupational authority. It is concluded that under occupation the confrontation of Nazi and Soviet propaganda machines gave birth to a variety of political moods among the greater part of population in Kalinin oblast (region). Particularly, in those communities which felt improved living conditions compared to those under the Soviet authorities, part of the population tended to be loyal to the occupants and trustful to anti-Soviet anti-bolshevist propaganda.