The rule of Stalin

Question 1

assess the reasons why Stalin was able to rise to power in Russia after Lenin‘s death

Role of lenin: describe Lenin‘s last Testament

Answer 1

22nd of December 1922 Lenin dictated his Testament, in which he urged comrades to think of ways of removing Stalin from his position as general secretary.

But nothing was done as Lenin was too ill to be politically active and the Testament had not been made public. If it had it would have damaged Stalin and he wouldn’t seem like the heir apparent ( as he made himself seem at the funeral by pretending to be close to Lenin)

Question 2

Role of lenin: describe Lenin‘s funeral

Answer 2

in January 1924 Lenin died and there was no clear successor

at Lenin‘s funeral Stalin delivered the oration and Stalin was the leading mourner which led the public to seeing him as the heir apparent and Trotsky was unable to counter this as he did not go. Trotsky seemed disloyal and that he didn’t care as he was not present

Question 3

explain how the role of Lenin enabled Stalin to rise to power in Russia

Answer 3

if Lenin’s Testament had been published this would’ve obviously damaged Stalin but it wasn’t.

and the fact that Trotsky never came to Lenin’s funeral therefore ensured that Stalin would look like the heir apparent and therefore rise to power as people see Trotsky as disloyal.

therefore Stalin was able to manipulate the Testament and the funeral for his own benefit, to ensure that he seemed loyal to lenin and therefore would gain support

Question 4

stalin’s strengths : stalin’s character

how did Stalin‘s character enable him to rise to power

Answer 4

Stalin was able to rise to power as he used his authority to put his loyal supporters at the top positions ( eg as general secretary) which therefore would mean less opposition to Stalin in higher powers.

Also he was very loyal. he had been with the Bolsheviks since 1905 whereas Trotsky was a newcomer to the Bolsheviks - he joined in August 1917 so therefore Stalin seems more trustworthy.

moreover he was very intelligent and manipulative. he stayed out of the NEP debate (to continue or abandon it) which he could then use to his own benefit and advantage in the future to gain support

Question 5

how did Stalin’s position within the Bolshevik party enable him to rise to power

Answer 5

his role as commissar for nationalities meant that Stalin was in charge of the officials in many regions and republics that made up the USSR, which meant he could gain support in many different regions.

Also his role as liason officer between politburo and orgburo in 1919 placed Stalin in a unique position where he had to monitor both the party’s policy and the party’s personnel. Which meant he saw all that was going on in the party and used it to his own advantage for example later in his rise to power he could promote the loyal supporters

Question 6

explain how Stalin‘s tactics his view on economy and socialism enabled him to rise to power

Answer 6

Stalin was left wing but didn’t tell anyone to later exploit people as he could say he supports either side to gain popularity.

The fact he stayed out of the NEP debate showed his intelligence and manipulation and Stalin was able to “deliver the votes” by using the party to gain majority support in key divisions.

And in 1925 the party voted against Trotsky and he was relieved of his position as commissar for war

Question 7

weaknesses of opponents : trotsky’s character

how did Trotsky‘s character enable Stalin to rise to power

Answer 7

Trotsky had very poor judgement at critical times for example at Lenin‘s funeral.

He also underestimated Stalin

did not engage in political manoeuvring

and was of Jewish descent. “It would give enemies grounds for claiming that the country was ruled by Jews” eg. 1905 propaganda the protocols of the elders of zion.

And he wasn’t seen as loyal as he had only been a Bolshevik since August 1917

Question 8

how did Trotsky‘s position in the Bolshevik party enable Stalin to rise to power

Answer 8

Trotsky was seen as dangerously ambitious as he was very flamboyant.

He was also a newcomer to the Bolsheviks since August 1917 and was not to be trusted.

kamenev, zinoviev and Stalin formed an unofficial triumvirate Which aim r to alienate Trotsky

and Lenin’s enrolement helped them as the new members were proletarian and were not impressed by Trotsky

therefore this helped Stalin to rise to power as Stalin could alienate Trotsky, could capitalise upon his flamboyancy, and manipulate the perception of Trotsky

Question 9

how did Trotsky‘s tactics (socialism and party democracy) enable Stalin to rise to power

Answer 9

Trotsky believed in a permanent revolution. wher revolution was not a single event but continuous. That true revolutionary socialism in Russia could only be achieved if international uprising happened.

But this made Trotsky look like his priority was not preserving or safeguarding Lenin’s Revolution and thus he was portrayed as very disloyal

whereas Stalin believed in socialism in one country. he wanted to consolidate Lenin’s revolution in Russia, overcome agricultural and industrial problems alone and prioritise the survival of the Soviet union. This therefore made Stalin look patriotic and very loyal to Lenin and therefore enabled him to rise to power

Question 10

how did the left-wing enable Stalin to rise to power (kamenev and zinoviev)

Answer 10

using the left, Stalin was able to take down Trotsky. In particular kamenev and Zinoviev assisted Stalin to weaken Trotsky, and they only aided Stalin as Trotsky had embarrassed them for their failure to support Lenin in October 1917 (the lessons of October)

in kamenev’s “ Leninism or Trotskyism” he attacked Trotsky for his Menshevik past and divergence from Leninism. So Trotsky attacked kamenev in lessons of October but Trotsky was the one that got damaged

Question 11

how did the right-wing enable Stalin to rise to power (bukharin)

Answer 11

The right-wing were less of a threat but they stood in the way of agricultural and industrial plans.

bukharin looked like a capitalist as he argued that it was not necessary to force the pace of industrialisation.

bukharin had been voted out as chairman of comintem and lost place in the politburo.

Stalin send kaganovich to purge trade unions. tomsky was no longer a trade union leader and rykov replaced Molotov.

tomsky rykov and bukharin only allowed to stay in the party if they publicly announced the error of their ways in the pravda newspapers

Question 12

Asses the reasons for stalin’s consolidation of power

statistics on show trials - purge of the bolshevik party

Answer 12

in 1932 Ryutin A right Communist published a 200 page attack on Stalin, calling for the removal of Stalin. He and his supporters were arrested, publicly trialled and expelled from the party and this created a culture of fear

between 1933 and 1934 almost 1,000,000 people were excluded from the party

Stalin’s enrolment - Stalin replaced people with skilled loyal people that had ambition for promotion. Their desire for promotion kept them loyal as they knew they owed their privileged position to Stalin‘s patronage

first of December 1934 Sergei Kirov was shot dead by nicolaev. just two hours after learning of his death, Stalin had signed the decree against terrorist acts. This launched a fresh purge led by Yagoda the head of the nkvd. 300 were arrested, imprisoned or executed and 1000 deported from Leningrad

1936 Kamenev and zinoviev and 14 of the leading Bolsheviks were accused of involvement in kirov’s murder. both were shot and this also created a culture of fear

in June 1938 bukharin, rykov and tomsky were attacked and put on trial for sabotage spying and conspiracy to murder Stalin by show trials. show trials were a form of propaganda where fake evidence was used people were made to give statements from torture and it was used to scare people

of the 1996 delegates at the 17th party congression in 1934, 1108 were executed by 1937

Question 13

explain how the show trials in particular the purge of the Bolshevik party was the main reason for Stalin‘s consolidation of power

Answer 13

purges were the most important reason for Stalin‘s consolidation of power as they created a culture of fear when no one could criticise Stalin as they were scared they be shot or would be put on trial or even tortured

Question 14

statistics for show trials - purge of the Armed Forces

Answer 14

in order for Stalin to have complete control of the Soviet union, he needed the Armed Forces to be subservient.

A gigantic conspiracy had been uncovered in the red Army in May 1937. The founder of the red Army was arrested alongside seven other generals and the trial was held in secret. They were charged for treason and for spying for Germany/ Japan

to prevent a military reaction in the next 18 months the red Army was attacked. for example 11 war commissars were removed from office, 3/5 marshals dismissed, 14 / 16 army commanders were removed, 35,000 commissioned officers were imprisoned or shot and the Soviet air force were decimated

as a result or three Armed Forces were weak and undermined and lost a lot of experience leadership

Question 15

explain how the purge of the Armed Forces helped Stalin to consolidate his power

Answer 15

The purge of the Armed Forces created a culture of fear that you couldn’t criticise Stalin and that you couldn’t trust others.

This helped Stalin in consolidating his power as it ensured loyalty as no one would oppose him as they were scared they would be shot.

However the purge of the Armed Forces aren’t as important as the purges of the Bolshevik party as it creates a bigger culture of fear when Stalin purges the people of his own party however it is still a main reason.

Question 16

statistics for purge - of the population

Answer 16

purges were used to force the pace of the five year plans and were used to bring the regions and nationalities into subordination.

As a result an extensive network of prison and labour camps were developed. By 1941 there were 8 million people in Gulags and the average term was 10 years ( as people died due to the temperature, lack of food and poor shelter).

1 in 8 of the population was arrested by the NKVD. And almost every family suffered a loss of at least one person.

23rd of September 1936 there was a large explosion at a mine. ezhov quickly identify those responsible as “bourgeois specialist “ engineers and were put on trial. and people identified as Trotskyists and wreckers.

1937 - 38 people were arrested by set quotas, no appeal against sentences and death sentence was immediate

Question 17

how did the purges of the population enable Stalin to consolidate his power

Answer 17

its purpose was to scare people into submission, the nationalities into accepting Moscow and acceptance of the industrialisation problems.

The purges created a culture of fear especially as 8 million people were sent into the gulags so people were scared to criticise Stalin as they knew they would either be sent to Gulags or you would be arrested

Question 18

statistics on the use of propaganda : cult of personality

Answer 18

Stalin made sure that he dominated every aspect of Soviet life. He was not merely a leader but the embodiment of the nation itself. Soviet communism was Stalinism.

Stalin‘s picture was everywhere for example in newspapers and books. And his image was seen as a hero and a saviour, he was portrayed as a down-to-earth man of the people, teacher, leader and guide.

pravda newspaper said “every achievement of the USSR was due to Stalin” and Khrushchev described Stalin as “the greatest genius of all humanity.”

role of konsomol : “presentes me with a child, the first word it shall utter will be Stalin.”

Question 19

explain how the use of propaganda : cult of personality enabled Stalin to consolidate his power

Answer 19

having to praise stalin, created propaganda itself and also created a competition to see who was more loyal to Stalin. which inevitably enabled Stalin to consolidate his power as no one would criticise him as he is being portrayed as a positive hero and saviour

Question 20

how did propaganda enable Stalin to consolidate his power

Answer 20

propaganda crafted the idea that Stalin was a teacher, a guide, that he was very strong and tall, and loved children. This image was especially targeted to the youth to create the new loyal generation.

The authorities cleverly exploited the religious sense of the Russian people, as Stalin became an icon. For example Stalin‘s birthday became the greatest celebration in the Soviet calendar and at parades his pictures were carried on flags

Children learnt to see Stalin as the provider of all good things, that he was their guide and protecter and this was especially due to the fact that the Russian newspaper Pravda spoke of his brilliance daily.

Stalin also looked to make people think that he was always destined to be ruler by using doctored images, making him look closer to Lenin than he actually was and also to remove other people like Kamenev and Trotsky to make them look less important or loyal

Question 21

were Stalin‘s economic policies a disaster or benefit

Stalin agriculture

Answer 21

starlings agricultural policies benefited Stalin as he achieved his aims and stayed in power until his death in 1953.

1. to introduce socialism in the countryside: churches were converted into barns for grain and animals, which helped the Communist party as it removed the threat and opposition of the Orthodox church
2. to eradicate the NEP: private ownership in the countryside was abolished. By 1934 70% of all farms had become collective farms and by 1936 it was virtually completed, compare to stolypin’s 16%
3. To consolidate Soviet control: the Communist government now had direct control over the countryside. Stalin strengthened his position as any who opposed him was declared a class enemy/Kulak and was sent to Gulag is. “He who does not join a kolkhoz is an enemy of Soviet power “
4. to remove class enemies for example the liquidation of kulaks: The OGPU was sent to arrest, in prison, or deport kulaks And their families. This use of terror also served towards other peasants of the dangers of not accepting collectivisation.

Thousands were executed, million sent to gulags and 16 to 18 million people were deported and 30,000 kulaks shot

Question 22

stalin industrialisation

Answer 22

Stalin‘s economic policies benefited Stalin as he achieved his aims and stayed in power until his death in 1953.

1. to eradicate the NEP : free trade was abolished
2. to consolidate Soviet control: a centralised planning of the economy linked to centralised political system
3. to remove class enemies e.g. nepmen : Stalin presented the five year plans as a defence of the USSR so was able to brand resistance to the plan as sabotage.
   Public trials of wreckers were held.
   In 1928 mining engineers in Ukraine killed workers and bourgeois experts were attacked.
   Being late to work or misplacing tools etc was labelled as sabotaging Stalin‘s five year plans and people were placed on trial if production targets were not met which resulted in falsified figures

Question 23

Were Stalin’s economic policies a disaster or of benefit in terms of the people and agriculture

Answer 23

in terms of disasters Stalin’s agricultural policies were a majority of disaster for the people as:
1. The level of hunger within the countryside in the 1930s increased as grain production fell from 73.3 million tons in 1928 to 67,700,000 tons in 1934

2. persecution of Kulaks: thousands were executed , millions sent to the Gulag. 6 to 18 million people were deported and 30,000 Kulaks shot
3. lack of development of consumer goods and the neglect of basic needs for example living standards were lower in 1937 then in 1928. And peasants had to give up their land

however there were some successes and benefits for example there was some improvements like machinery and resources being shared, collective farms included schools and theatres were built. Also new housing was built with electricity and healthcare improved as sanatoriums were built

Question 24

Were Stalin’s economic policies a disaster or of benefit in terms of the people and industrialisation

Answer 24

for the people there was some successes for example industrialisation provide regular employment, stable income, increased access to better housing, health care and education. For example 200,000 more went to higher education and 1 million more went to secondary school

However overall it was a disaster as it failed: to improve living and working conditions as the five year plans did not see consumer goods as a priority.

Living conditions actually deteriorated . Yes they were newly built, but they were poorly built: they were very cramped and there was poor sanitation.

Food rationing and higher prices meant that the standard of living was lower in 1937 than 1928.

Also Stalin‘s failure to focus on agriculture as he saw it as secondary to the needs of industry meant there were always food shortages. Which necessitated buying foreign supplies which in turn drained Soviet limited financial funds.

Workers were persecuted, e.g. public trials of wreckers and as stated previously the 1928 mining engineers who attacked bourgeois experts. Also as previously mentioned people being accused of sabotage if they turned up late to work

Question 25

Were Stalin’s economic policies a disaster or of benefit in terms of the USSR and agriculture

Answer 25

overall his agricultural policies were a disaster for the USSR As:

level of resistance to change, especially in country side. livestock supplies collapsed : cattle were halved as peasants slaughtered them rather than hand over

despite coercion, agricultural productivity did not return to the level of 1913

this inefficiency of methods used in the economy eg slave labour or competition between region, which led to hoarding

BUT THEY BENEFITTED the user as collectivisation forced the peasantry off the land, something which was required for industrialisation

Question 26

Were Stalin’s economic policies a disaster or of benefit in terms of the USSR and industrialisation

Answer 26

the growth of industry under the five year plans, especially in coal, steel, oil and electrify and the role of Stakhanovite movement was a huge benefit

BUT the lack of reliability towards official statistics makes us question the statistics

but overall industrialisation did benefit the ussr as to prepare for war with capitalist enemies, by improving industry and improving the relationship between economic growth and the victory over germany in ww2… the government spent money on defence. EG 1933 4% and in 1937 17% of overall budget

• by 1940 1/3 of ussr government spending was on armament
• it can be argued that industrialisation allowed russia to survive ww2
• the fact that the massive expansion of industrial output allowed stalin to modernise russia
• and it allowed ussr to catch up with the west. eg stalin loved to show foreign visitors his huge projects like magnitogorsk.

Question 27

Asses the impact of stalin’s economic policies (Were stalin’s economic policies a success of a failure)

COLLECTIVISATION : political

were stalin’s collectivisation policies in terms of politics a success or failure

Answer 27

HUGE SUCCESS

• to introduce “socialism in the countryside” : churches were converted into barns for grain and animals. this helped the communist party as it removed the threat / opposition of the orthodox church
• to eradicate the NEP - private ownership in the country side was abolished. by 1934 70% of all farms had become collective farms and by 1936 it was virtually completed
• to consolidate soviet control : the communist government now had direct control over the countryside. Stalin strengthened His position as a new post was sent to gulags. Stalin blamed the local officers for the rapid introduction of collectivisation and emerged as a parental figure who russians owed “he who does not join a kolkhoz is an enemy of soviet power”
• to remove “class enemies” / kulaks - dekulakisation / liquidation of the kulaks. the OGPU were sent to arrest, imprint or deport kulaks and their families.this use of terror also served to warn other peasants of the dangers of not accepting collectivisation. thousands were executed, and millions sent to gulags. 6-18 million people were deported and about 30,000 kulaks were shot.

Question 28

COLLECTIVISATION : economics

were stalin’s collectivisation policies in terms of economics a success or failure

Answer 28

• to mechanise agriculture: a success was that larger fields meant that machinery could be used and there there was an increase in machinery on collective farms. HOWEVER much of the machinery was poorly constructed / broke and the collective farms lacked mechanics to repair them. and most peasants could not use the machinery and many of the tractors did not work. there was a lack of trained specialists / mechanics to use and repair the tractors = OVERALL FAILURE
• to free up the work force to be able to go to the industrial cities : peasants shared machinery, worked on large fields so easier to use machines which meant collective farmers required fewer peasants to farm them, reducing the number needed in the countryside. and there were schools which freed up peasants to work. HOWEVER delulakisation meant a reduction in the peasant population. = OVERALL SUCESS
• to increase food productions: grain production fell from 73.3 million tonnes in 1928 to 67.7 million tonnes in 1934. by 1937 wheat production was up by 1/3 but this was barely a return to the level recorded for tsarist russia in 1913. livestock supplies collapsed, cattle were halved as peasants slaughtered them rather than handed them over. dekulakisation meant that some of the best farmers and the number of peasants reduces which made it harder for collective farms to meet their targets = FAILURE
• to be able to sell grain overseas to enable buying machinery and exports. the government procured grain to sell overseas but as this (combined with the resistance of the peasants) led to famine and so grain exports fell after 1931 = overall FAILURE

Question 29

COLLECTIVISATION : socio- economic

were stalin’s collectivisation policies in terms of socio-economic a success or failure

Answer 29

• to improve living and working conditions : machinery and resources were shared, collective farms included schools, theatre and community halls were built. new housing built with electricity and lighting and healthcare improved as sanatoriums were built = SUCCESS
• to end food shortages : diets of workers had not improved, still largely bread
• to be able to feed industrial workers: the government took 40% of the collective farms total output to feed industrial workers = success but the fact that peasants did not want to hand over grain meant they took drastic action. eg destroyed crops, killed cattle, 30,000 arson attacks on crops and cattle were slaughtered. eg between 1929 - 1934, 17.2 million were slaughtered. and the government continued to procure grain and this led to widespread famine and millions of deaths = OVERALL FAILURE
• to break up family units/ communities and create communal living : peasants had to give up their small land holding to form collective farms (kolkhoz) = SUCCESS

Question 30

industrialisation (political)

were stalin’s industrialisation policies in terms of politics a success or failure

Answer 30

• to launch a war against russia’s past
• to prepare for war with capitalist enemies by improving industry : the government spent money on defence rg 1933 4% and in 1937 = 17% of the overall budget. by 1940 1/3 of ussr government spending was on armament. it can be argued that industrialisation allowed russia to survive ww2 = SUCCESS
• to eradicate the NEP : free trade was abolished
• to consolidate soviet control: a centralised planning of the economy linked to centralised political system
• to remove class enemies, nepmen: stalin presented the 5 year plans as a defence of the ussr, so was able to brand resistance to the plan as sabotage. and public trials of “wreckers” were held. in 1928 mining engineers in ukraine killed workers and “bourgeois experts” were attacked. stalin used the OGPU to terrorise the work force. eg if workers were late to work or misplaced tools they were labelled as saboteurs. also if factory managers did not meet their production targets, they were placed on public trial, which led to falsified figures = SUCCESS

Question 31

industrialisation (economic)

were stalin’s industrialisation policies in terms of economics a success or failure

Answer 31

• to catch up with the west: the fact that the five year plans occurred when the rest of the world was suffering from the Great Depression helped to make it seem more of a success = failure. but stalin loved to show foreign visitors his huge projects like magnitogorsk = success
• to modernise a technologically backward country
• to make the ussr self-sufficient and free it from dependency on capitalist countries: lack of coordination , overproduction in some areas and underproduction in others. eg 1927-1940 coal production increased by 4x (million tonnes). which could also be falsified figures = FAILURE
  • the Urals raw materials were exploited for the first time and large industrial cities with iron works and blast furnaces were built and the fyp succeeded in the areas of heavy industry, where unskilled and forced labour could be used = SUCCESS
  •but the economy remained unbalanced eg production of textiles declined, stalin did not develop an overall economic strategy. and stalin ignored production quality goods that could have been sold overseas to raise money.