European states (Russia): Examine political and economic developments in one European country, (other than Germany, Italy, or Spain) in the 1930s. Flashcards
Intro/thesis
Paragraphs
-The Great Turn and collectivization (although the Great Turn started in 1928- impact was significant in 1930s)
-The Great Terror
-The cult of personality
Great Turn- examples
-Collectivization marked the end of the NEP. The plan demanded more rapid industrialization, setting high targets for industry to achieve.
-In 1929, kolkhoz (collective farms) was established to replace the peasants’ individual farms.
-By 1937, 93% of peasant households had been collectivized.
-The process of collectivization resulted in widespread opposition from the peasantry, including the killing of officials who came to the villages.
Great Turn- explanation and historiography
-Collectivization came at a great human cost, resulting in death and famine.
-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.
-Indeed, collectivization had succeeded in its main purpose: to provide resources for industrialization. Also, dispossessed peasants from the overpopulated countryside fled to the towns, providing labor for the new factories.
The Great Turn- mini judgment
Great Terror- examples
-By 1933, there were already 1 million Soviet citizens in the forced labor camps of the Gulag.
-After 1934, the Great Terror escalated dramatically into what became known as the Great Purges.
-Between 1937 and 1938, 15,000 army officers and political personnel were shot.
Great Terror- explanation and historiography
-Through the Terror, Stalin successfully consolidated his position as the ultimate authority. However, he ultimately undermined the USSR’s capacity to deal with threats to his image.
-Stalin’s purges hindered Russia’s ability to perform economically or militarily.
-Historians debate who was responsible for the Great Purges and whether Stalin had a plan for these or developed ideas as he went along.
-Robert Conquest attributes the Terror to Salin’s personality and his influence as an individual and believes that his motive was to strengthen his own position and achieve power.
-In contrast, other historians e.g. J. Arch Getty argue that too much emphasis is placed on Stalin’s personality and that he was not the only one to blame. Getty also emphasizes the significance of the economic downturn at the same time as the Great purges, stating that the Purges were used as a distraction from the economic problems.
Great Terror- mini judgment
Cult of personality- examples
-As the cult developed, operas and films glorified Stalin’s role in the revolution or as the chief hero of the Civil War.
-The media referred to him as ‘universal genius’ and ‘shining sun of humanity’.
-By the end of the 1930s, paintings showed him more detached and superior, Statues show him as more monumental, an all-powerful leader, e.g. the statue of Stalin at the Great Soviet Exhibition in the 1930s.
Cult of personality- explanation
-The economic and political instability of the 1930s helped to foster a cult of personality that further helped Stalin to maintain power; there was a need to believe that Stalin was a strong leader who could steer the nation through hard times.
Cult of personality- mini judgment
Not as significant as other developments- develop
