From Stalin to Kim: The Formation of North Korea 1945-1960

Andrei Lankov traces the formation of the North Korean state and the early years of Kim Il Sung's rule, when the future 'Great Leader' and his entourage were consolidating their power base. Surveying the situation in North Korea after 1945, Lankov explores the internal composition of the ruling elite, the role of the Soviets, and the uneasy relations between various political groups. He also focuses on how in 1956 Kim Il Sung defeated the only known attempt to oust him and thereby established personal rule beyond either Soviet or Chinese control.