The First Socialist State. Stalin’s Years. Flashcards
Lenin: Cultural Factors
Meaning a lack of basic skills, education, tact, honesty, public spirit and efficiency. Lenin recognized publicly that capitalists, in fact, were more competent in running the economy.
Believed this was the reason the Communist party was not successful.
Internal Party Politics
Lenin’s Testament expressing concerns about Stalin.
The party began to oppress criticism of party policies.
Stalin monopolized the role of interpreting Lenin’s doctrine. Used his works out of contexts.
Economic Debates
Lenin failed to attract foreign investments.
Trotsky Solution
Diversion of resources from private sectory to heavy industry
Machinery would then be used by all sectors, thus making them all more productive.
Disliked the NEP and nepmen.
Right-Wing Economic Opposition
Led by Nikolai Bukharin
Believed that squeezing the private property would hurt the peasantry.
Recommended lowering the price of industrial goods during the scissor crisis.
Believed in the primacy of the agricultural sector for the whole economy.
‘Bureaucratization’ of the Party
All high party posts were filled by appointments
The party began to arrest opposition factions including those in the party who disagreed.
Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev (the top three leaders in the party sometimes referred to as the ‘triumvirate’) responded by promising free discussion within the party, and even opening pages of the major communist newspaper for this purpose.
Stalin began ‘Lenin’s Enrollment’ which brought in over 500k new members,
Stalin’s Victory over the Opposition
Constantly attacked Trotsky, resulting in his resignation and exile to Mexico
Kamanev and Zinoviev formed a United Oppositions but it had many disagreements and inconsistencies. Stalin obtained expulsion of the top members and offered them re-admittance if they apologized.
After eliminating the left (Trotsky) Stalin took their positions and used them to fight the right.
The Creation of the New Specialist Class
Many workers admitted to technical universities ended up failing.
Stalin Cult
By 1929 all Stalin opposition in the party had been defeated.
1934- Sergei Kirov assassinated.
1935- Zinoviev and Kamenev arrested for his murder.
Many were exhorted to recall and confess previous mistakes.
Culminated to the series of show trials.
Stalin’s Purges.
Probably the most devastating in the face of the new German threat were the army purges. By 1940, 3 out of 5 marshals, all first-rank army commanders (3), all second-rank army commanders (12), and sixty out of sixty-seven corps commanders had been arrested. In addition, 70% of divisional and regimental commanders and 60% of the political commissars were also arrested.
