Oswald’s Suicide Attempt After USSR Denial
When Soviet authorities initially denied Oswald’s request to remain in the USSR, he was shocked, as he had waited two years to be accepted. He immediately attempted suicide: soaking his hands in cold water to numb the pain, slashing his left wrist, then soaking the wound in hot water, and writing in his diary that he thought death would be easy and sweet, accompanied by the sound of a violin. He was discovered in time, taken to a Moscow hospital, and held there until October 28, 1959.
Oswald’s Renunciation of US Citizenship
Still determined to remain in the Soviet Union, Oswald visited the American Embassy on October 31, 1959 to formally renounce his U.S. citizenship. Consular official Richard E. Snyder testified Oswald was extremely confident, knew his mission, and took charge of the conversation from the start. Oswald presented a signed note requesting revocation of his U.S. citizenship, stating he entered the USSR to apply for Soviet citizenship via naturalization, his application was pending before the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, he took these steps for political reasons after long consideration, and affirmed his allegiance to the USSR. His stated principal reason for renouncing citizenship was that he was a Marxist. He also referenced hardships his mother experienced as a worker that he did not want for himself, noted his Marine service in Okinawa and elsewhere allowed him to observe “American imperialism,” showed sensitivity about not achieving a higher rank in the Marine Corps, and offered to provide Soviet officials with any information he had about Marine Corps operations, hinting he might have special knowledge. His self-styled “Historic Diary” also describes the event.
KAPITEL VII.
This chapter chronicles Lee Harvey Oswald’s life and mindset across his residence in the Soviet Union, his return to the United States, and his early period living in Texas. It covers his preferential treatment by Soviet authorities, his growing disillusionment with Soviet society, the dramatic reversal of his earlier anti-American defection to return to the U.S., severe psychological turmoil following his return, his explicit rejection of both capitalism and communism, preparations for a hypothetical return press conference, continued engagement with the Soviet Union after his repatriation, and his strained personal relationships within the local Russian-speaking community in Texas.
Oswald’s Soviet Residence and Treatment
Oswald’s Soviet Residence and Treatment After Soviet authorities permitted him to remain in the country, Oswald was assigned to work as a metal worker at a radio and television factory in Minsk. He was denied admission to a Moscow university, but received a monthly 700-ruble subsidy in addition to his factory salary, plus living quarters far better than those provided to average Soviet citizens of his age and social standing, giving him a total income roughly equal to that of the factory’s director. Despite this preferential treatment, he resented the better accommodations and resources afforded to Communist Party officials, a dynamic that echoed his earlier resentment of superiors during his time in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Oswald’s Disillusionment with Soviet Society
Oswald’s Disillusionment with Soviet Society Oswald grew increasingly disillusioned with life in the Soviet Union during his time in Minsk. Members of the Russian community in Dallas later reported that Oswald was widely disliked in the USSR, and he confided to the De Mohrenschildts that he had returned to the U.S. because he “didn’t find what I was looking for.” His personal historic diary entries detailed his frustration with mandatory collective work duties, the hollow joviality of party officials, and the lack of personal recreation or meaningful ways to spend his income, leading him to reconsider his desire to stay in the country less than 18 months after his defection.
Return to the United States
Return to the United States Less than 18 months after his defection to the Soviet Union, and roughly six weeks before meeting his future wife Marina Prusakova, Oswald initiated negotiations with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to arrange his return to the United States. His repatriation marked a stark reversal of his earlier public rejection of American society and formal renunciation of his U.S. citizenship, representing what the chapter describes as the utter failure of the most significant, defining act of his life up to that point.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page focuses on a guided summary article, reading notes, selected quotes, and visual learning materials for educational purposes.