Stalinism Flashcards
Discuss the impact of 1918-1922.
Death and destruction caused by WW1, the revolutions of 1917, the great influenza of 1918-1919, the civil war and famine and deprivation. Russia’s economy is in ruins.
Discuss the government situation.
Bolsheviks (communists) now in power. Supports the working classes, middle and upper classes were class enemies
Discuss the Bolsheviks had to solve in Russia.
Significant loss of population to death.
Significant population loss to emigration (2 million).
5 million Red Army veterans to demobilize.
No international communist revolution occurred.
Discuss the New Economic Policy.
Allowing some free market reform to kick-start the economy.
Slowing down of land nationalization; small trade.
Cuts to pensions, health benefits.
What were the internal party struggles?
When Lenin died, he didn’t leave a successor, but he wanted his successor to be a firm communist.
Politburo: center of power struggle between Trotsky (who was closer to Lenin intellectually) and Stalin (a bit of an outsider)
Who is Josef Stalin?
(1879-1953) Came to power in the late 1920s after a power struggle with the party. Purged Trotsky from public memory and eventually thousands more.
Instituted “Five Year Plans”.
Discuss “Socialism in One Country”
No international revolution likely so socialism had to be built in Russia first before creating communist revolution elsewhere.
Protect Russia from the West (who didn’t support communism).
Russia needed to industrialize to become a superpower.
Collectivization. Stalin put land into government control and the peasants would work for the state.
Discuss the Five Year Plans.
Priority is iron and steel.
12 million Russians move from the countryside to the city.
Need to improve food production and distribution.
Raise the standard of living, giving people jobs.
Discuss collectivization.
Elimination of “Kulak” class, a middle class enemy of the people
Complete re-ordering of agriculture.
By 1937, over 90% of farms “collectivized”.
Massive famines and hardships.
Discuss the Great Purges.
Massive attack on all people in the USSR deemed to be class enemies or “Trotskyites”. You were spared if you could show unconditional support to Stalin
What is the difference between Lenin and Stalin?
Lenin: worship/believe in communism
Stalin: worship/believe in himself; created a cult of personality
