European states (Russia): Examine political and economic developments in one European country (other than Germany, Italy, or Spain) in the 1920s. Flashcards
Introduction (context) (need to add thesis)
-The key political development of this period was the growing strength of the Bolshevik party, culminating in Stalin’s dictatorship by 1929.
-Economic developments were quite complex during this period and moved from the NEP to the Great Turn- collectivization.
Paragraphs
-Increasingly authoritarian nature of the Soviet Union
-Stalin’s rise to power
-Introduction of the NEP
-The ‘Great Turn’
Increasingly authoritarian nature- examples
-The Cheka was a Bolshevik security force that acted as the secret police and brutally dealt with those who opposed the party.
-The Checka arrested approximately 800,000 deserters and didn’t hesitate to kill dissidents to set an example.
-The political developments in the years between 1918-24 marked a political centralization of Russia. For instance, in 1921, Lenin banned factions and at district and local levels, the local Communist Party organizations took control of soviets across Russia. The penalty for factionalism was expulsion from the party.
Increasingly authoritarian nature- explanation
-The Cheka was important as it highlighted the change of government towards that of a repressive regime that encouraged violence as a means of maintaining control. It demonstrated that the nature of the Soviet government didn’t differ significantly from that of the Tsarist autocracy that also had a secret police force (Okhrana).
-The banning of factions meant that once party policy had been agreed on by the Central Committee, everybody was expected to accept it and not form ‘factions’ to challenge the party line.
Increasingly authoritarian nature- mini judgment
Stalin’s rise to power- examples
-By 1929, Stalin had successfully eliminated his political competition and became the leader of Russia.
-During his rise to power, Stalin purged those with alternative views of socialism by having candidates expelled from the Politburo.
Stalin’s rise to power- explanation
-Stalin turned against the NEP and began to associate “socialism in one country” with rapid industrialization and breaking the power of the peasantry. This was a political change in the sense that the face of socialism in Russia was being rebranded.
-The rise of Stalin demonstrates a significant change in Russian politics and society as Stalin was much more liberal in his use of terror and control than Lenin had been, although Lenin had also been willing to employ brutal methods of control, as can be seen in his establishment of the Cheka.
Stalin’s rise to power- historiography
-Historians debate the extent to which Lenin laid the foundations for Stalinism. On the one hand, some historians argue that Stalin’s policies were merely an extension of Lenin’s.
-In contrast, others contend that Stalin’s regime was unique and fundamentally different from Lenin’s in its totalitarian nature and extreme use of terror.
Stalin’s rise to power- mini judgment
This was the most significant development in the 1920s, as without Stalin’s rise to power, other changes (e.g. the Great Turn) wouldn’t have taken place
Introduction of NEP- examples
-Introduced in 1921
-Grain requisitioning abolished: Peasants had to hand over less grain to the state. They could even sell any surpluses on the open market.
-Small businesses reopened: businesses under private ownership were allowed to reopen. I.e., workshops, factories, shoe businesses, clothes shops etc.
-Ban on private trade removed: flow of goods and food increased between the countryside and the city.
Introduction of NEP- explanation and historiography
-The NEP (New economic policy) proved to be a change in the political and economic development of Russia.
Reintroduction of capitalism
-The NEP was viewed by some Bolsheviks as a short-term policy that would improve the relations with the population.
-Historians debate whether Lenin was giving up on communism and was trying to adopt capitalism as a means of controlling the Russian people or if he was planning on introducing a policy.
-The NEP was a move away from communism and toward capitalist policy, thus demonstrating a dramatic change in Russia’s economy.
Introduction of the NEP- mini judgment
This is a strong claim as the NEP introduced policies that changed the political and economic situation in Russia. A sort of capitalist method was used to please the Russian citizens, which improved industrial and agricultural production.
The Great Turn and desire to industrialize- examples
-Major shift from the NEP – demanded rapid industrialisation, set high quotas for workers to achieve
-Introduced collectivisation – 15% of households were to be collectivised
Intended to increase the Proletariat population and, through this, return to the path of ‘true Communism’ as this was based around the Proletariat.
-Five Year Plans
Great Turn- explanation and historiography
-Collectivisation was a significant economic change as grain requisitioning was reintroduced during this process, leading to a disastrous shortage for peasants. 19 million peasants fled the countryside and the chaos of collectivisation led to famine.
-The change from the NEP also meant that the Bolsheviks were attempting to change the course of Communism in Russia they saw the NEP as the wrong path.
-Historians debate the significance and success of collectivization. Some historians emphasize the negative impacts of the famines. For instance, Robert Service points out that requisitioning quotas were cut three times during 1932 in response to the famine. In contrast, others contend that even with the detrimental impacts on peasants, collectivization was an overall success.
Great Turn- counterargument
However, as the main collectivization began in 1929, the more significant changes that arose from Stalin’s ‘Great Turn’ were seen in the 1930s – therefore, it could be considered that this was not as significant a change in the 1920s as other factors.
