Thread by @kamilkazani

You see, nuances of your background and record play a big role in an established system, which is relatively static. Nice CV, correct ancestry, social polish, that's all your social capital

But in the time of crisis all this capital can lose its value and very quickly

A crisis is always a Jubilee and in 1917 Russia went through a massive crisis. Social capital lost its value. Very quickly nobody cared if you were a prince, or if you have a nice French accent, or how close you were to the Court. Social capital lost its value, just like money

This works both ways though. Savings are annihilated, and debts too. Positive social capital is annihilated, and negative, too. You must keep this in mind to get why revolutions get so much popular support, even if life "objectively" becomes worse (it usually does)

Crisis destroys all capital, both positive and negative. Old glamour is destroyed, but the old stigma, too. White propaganda tried to use anti-Semitic stereotyped against Trotsky. It didn't really work among the *commonfolk*. To the upper class surprise, they didn't really care

That does not mean there was no anti Semitism. It was massive. Red army did a lot of Jewish pogroms. Dit it accept a Jewish commander though? Yes. Would Russia accept a Jewish Tsar? Also yes. Provided that he would take the Russian name and surname

Just a quick illustration. Old Muscovy had mestnichestvo. Let's say if my grandpa served under your grandpa, that means me and my descendants must serve under you and your descendants. Social hierarchy should never ever change and all families must occupy always the same position

Under the normal circumstances that worked. Time of Troubles changed everything immediately. During the Civil War Prince Telyatevsky was just an officer in an army of his former slave - Ivan Bolotnikov. Both positive and social capital was destroyed in the crisis