‘We Cannot Understand the Modern Ideological Confrontation without the Accusations that Emerged during the Lausanne Process’

Rainer Matos Franco

Photo courtesy of Rainer Matos Franco

Rainer Matos Franco, from Mexico, defended his PhD thesis with honours at HSE University this June. In his dissertation, Rainer Matos Franco examines the history of anticommunism in Europe during the 1920s. The HSE News Service spoke with Rainer and his academic supervisor, Tatiana Borisova, about the significance of the Lausanne Process for the Cold War and contemporary history, the opportunities provided by HSE University for international PhD candidates, and the challenges of working with a vast database of historical sources.

Tatiana Borisova, PhD in Law, Associate Professor at the Department of History, HSE Campus in St. Petersburg

— The topic of Rainer’s dissertation for a Candidate of Sciences in History degree (PhD) is ‘The Conradi Process and the Origins of the Russian Section of the Entente Internationale Anticommuniste, 1923–1924’. Why is this an important research problem?

— Rainer's dissertation focuses on the most significant political trial of the 20th century. Conradi, the murderer of Soviet diplomat Vorovsky, was acquitted after the defence presented his act as an act of justified retribution against the brutal Soviet regime. This local incident had a global impact, and Rainer explores this in his dissertation.

Reiner shows that the Lausanne process became a crucial milestone in the formation of the international anticommunist movement.

During the trial, all ideological accusations against the Soviet Union were clearly formulated for the first time. These accusations only solidified during the Cold War

We cannot understand the modern ideological confrontation without considering the range of accusations and justifications that emerged during the Lausanne Process.

— How did Rainer choose you as his academic advisor?

— I have long been involved in the history of law and Rainer was impressed by my work on the famous political trial of Vera Zasulich. I was very pleased that he was interested in a political trial from a completely different era and wanted to highlight its underestimated significance.

— How did your joint remote work with Rainer go, and what were the challenges of academic supervision online?

I do not see any difficulties with online supervision. Rainer is a very organised person, so he always manages to stay on schedule. I enjoyed reading parts of his work and sometimes asked him to read my drafts in English. This has been very helpful, as we are both involved in the history of law. My article on the gun control in the Russian Empire, which Rainer reviewed among others, was published in a reputable journal and received recognition from colleagues for its contribution to HSE University’s international reputation.

An intelligent PhD student is also a great conversationalist. We became friends, and I am sure we will continue to keep in touch

— In your opinion, what makes HSE University attractive to foreign applicants?

— HSE University is a very dynamic educational institution known worldwide for its excellent academic reputation.

Our doctoral programme teachers can teach in both Russian and English, and the language of instruction does not matter to them. Modern scholars from all over the world publish in English, so most of the literature for our doctoral, master's, and even bachelor's programmes is in English.

Therefore, when foreign PhD students join our community, they are delighted about the high level of academic discussion.

Russia is a fascinating country with immense potential, which will always attract foreign researchers. In Saint Petersburg and Moscow, we not only have the richest historical archives, but also some of the most respected historians in the world.

— Are you currently working with any other international applicants?

— Yes, at the moment, there are two PhD students from Turkey and Belarus who are studying in the graduate programme at HSE University–St Petersburg. Both of them are writing their dissertations in English. I am very pleased that thanks to the high level of training of our graduate students, we can discuss chapters of their dissertations in English during our research seminars.

Rainer Matos Franco, Mexico, PhD in History at HSE University, lecturer at Anahuac University Mexico, North Campus, and at Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education

— What is your academic background?

— I studied International Relations at El Colegio de México, a prestigious think tank in Mexico City. It offers a comprehensive education in social sciences and humanities. This background, along with my family’s influence, led me to pursue further studies and obtain a PhD in History, my favourite subject. At the same time, I have had a fascination for Russia since my childhood. I have always wanted to learn more about the country, visit it, study the language, and explore its history.

I believe that the best way to understand a country is to live there, especially in the case of Russian history, as most archives are located in Moscow

These factors combined led me to apply for this particular programme. 

— Why did you choose to do a PhD at HSE University in St Petersburg?

— I had previously obtained two Master’s degrees in St Petersburg, one from the European University in St Petersburg (Russian and Eurasian Studies) and the other from HSE–St Petersburg (Applied and Interdisciplinary History). I wanted to specialise first in general Russian/Eurasian studies, so that I could later focus on the historical aspect.

I heard about a joint-track doctoral programme, the Global History of Empires, offered by HSE–St Petersburg together with the University of Turin. When I learned about this opportunity, I knew that I had to seize it

The faculty, the colleagues, and the city—all played a role in my decision.

— How was your work organised? 

— My thesis, on the Lausanne Process of 1923 in which two Russian émigrés were acquitted by a Swiss jury after confessing to the murder of Soviet diplomat Vatslav Vorovsky, and its implications for the global anticommunist struggle, had to be cut in half due to the richness of sources. I used materials from four Russian archives, one Swiss, and one American archive.

With 631 pages, my thesis was quite lengthy

Part I discusses the overlapping historical contexts in which the events took place and the Soviet response to the assassination of its first diplomat abroad. Part II examines the reactions of émigrés to the Lausanne Process and how some émigrés, led by Aleksandr Guchkov, tried to influence the trial behind the scenes to turn it into a trial against Bolshevism in Russia—and succeeded! Part II also discusses the creation of the Entente Internationale Anticommuniste (the International Anticommunist Entente) by defence lawyer Théodore Aubert, who used the trial as a starting point for conjecturing global anticommunist trends and networks, as well as the role of Russian émigrés in them. You could say that the dissertation has three parts, with the last part consisting of very long appendices, including the stenographic transcript of the trial.

— What are your thoughts on the defence process and what difficulties did you encounter? 

— Personally, the most challenging part was synthesising my research in just 15 minutes! I have always had trouble with discriminating between information and cutting out the not-so-relevant parts. I wanted to talk about everything, but I managed to constrain myself and do it. Afterwards, the discussion was very friendly, and all the dissertation readers praised my work, which was very satisfying. There were no criticisms, but suggestions for additional research for future publications. I even received an honourable mention cum laude!

— How is your Russian?

— I would say it’s very good. I’ve been studying Russian since 2010, and I speak it fluently. The most interesting part of my research was being able to understand the handwriting of émigrés from the pre-1917 era, who still used the old orthography in their correspondence. It was also gratifying to be able to decipher what they were writing in their letters and learn by heart the way Guchkov wrote letters "ь" or "ж." I was absolutely fascinated by this aspect of my work.

— What are your plans for the future? 

— As a PhD graduate, I am currently looking for postdoctoral positions. I am a university professor in Mexico at the moment, but it is not a tenured position. I would like to secure this position and dedicate myself fully to academia. In fact, I might be on the verge of extinction as a species: I still have faith in an academic career!