The Emergence of Joseph Stalin

The Emergence of

Joseph Stalin

aka “Joe Steel”

The Emergence of Joseph Stalin• Russia became the USSR (or Soviet Union)

in 1922

• Lenin died in 1924

• The nation was still in poverty

• though geographically vast, it had few great cities in early 20’s

• its rivers were unharnessed, its mineralsuntouched

though railways existed there was not much in the way of modern transportation

in 1925 only 7448 cars, 5500 trucks and 263 buses

80% of people lived on farms

most of these were peasants (120 million)

most peasants were desperately poor--even in 1928 five and a half million families still broke soil with wooden ploughs

half the nation’s grain harvested with scythes and sickles

richer peasants who owned farm machinery & employed labourers = kulaks.

Enter...Stalin

Born Iosif VissarionovichDzhugashvili December 21, 1878 in Gori, Georgia-Russian Empire.

• 1901 he was accepted into the Russian Social Democratic Labor (Marxist) Party.

• Gained political experience

• Arrested and sent to Siberia a number of times (he kept escaping)

• Administrative role in Russian Civil War Interviewed local administrators to test loyalty to Bolsheviks

Stalin = “man of steel”

• Stalin becomes member of Politburo (policy making body of the Communist Party during civil war)

• Elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee in 1922

Rise in political power

1) Began as an administrative position

General Secretary

• Initially communist party members perceived Stalin as a boring “stats” man

General Secretary

1) Began as an administrative position

General Secretary2) Stalin changed it into being the leader of the Communist Party

3) Stalin was able to place his supporters into positions of power

• Stalin, surrounded by his supporters, begins to oppose Lenin

• Lenin feared Stalin now and asked Trotsky for help and support

Confidence Grows - 1922

Posturing

Stalin “tampered” with photos/sketches, positioning himself beside Lenin who, in fact, preferred Trotsky as his replacement

NEVER HAPPENED:

the picture is doctored

• Stalin intercepts a letter from Lenin to Trotsky

• Stalin makes an abusive phone call to Lenin’s wife

Stalin angers Lenin

Stalin should not replace Lenin

• "Comrade Stalin, having become General Secretary, has concentrated enormous power in his hands: and I am not sure that he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution. I therefore propose to our comrades to consider a means of removing Stalin from this post and appointing someone else who differs from Stalin in one weighty respect: being more tolerant, more loyal, more polite, more considerate of his comrades."

Lenin’s Last Will and Testament

• before any action can be taken against Stalin

Lenin dies - 1924

Lenin’s Death = Power Vacuum

Leadership struggle between ...

- Two groups / schools of thought emerge:

1)Moderates

2) Left Opposition

1) Moderates:

- maintain NEP

- slow transition to Communism

- limit pressure on peasantry

- Stalin pretended to be a Moderate (gain support)

2) Left Opposition

- want quick transition to Communism

- want rapid transition in heavy industry

- Trotsky part of this group.

Stalin & Trotsky

“Socialism in One Country”

International Socialism

• Refer to notes on handout comparing the two views...

Stalin Defeats Trotsky HOW:

1) Stalin offers Russians peace / security not war

2) General Secretary of the Party = powerful

RESULT:

1. Trotsky exiled 1929

Stalin Defeats Trotsky cont.

TROTSKY’S EXPULSION

FROM FRANCE

RESULT:1. Trotsky exiled 1929

> assassinated by KGB in 1940 (Mexico)


TROTSKY ASSASSINATED IN MEXICO

RESULT:1. Trotsky exiled 1929

> assassinated by KGB in 1940 (Mexico)

2. Extreme economic restructuring (5 Year Plans)


U.S.S.R. (1924-1929)Economically: Chaotic - mix of capitalism & Marxism

-peasant dominated-not advanced industrially-food shortages in urban centres- agric. conditions improved so food prices drop -

but price of manufactured goods still high so peasants can't get goods they need or want.

- debate forms: heavy industry or consumer goods... also, need to re-arm U.S.S.R - leads to "guns or butter" question... (arms vs. consumer goods)* Stalin opts for "guns" - most of GNP deployed to industry (not private consumption)

Economy under Stalin:

• Stalin recognized that U.S.S.R economy was far behind other modern nations.

• Quote: “We must do in ten to fifteen years what you have done in 150”.

• He would force U.S.S.R to rapidly industrialize by instituting his “Five Year Plans”

A. 1st Five Year Plan (1928) 1. Command Economy:

- gov't controls production, distribution, consumption

- attempt to dramatically increase industrial production by setting quotas/ targets

- focus on “Heavy Industry” w/ emphasis on power, energy, dams, oil, transport, concrete, iron, steel

- total state control of economy (exact opposite of free market economy)

2. Collectivization:

WHAT?

- a process of forcing peasants to give up their own land and become workers on collective farms > state owned

- create collective farms “Kolkhoz” : > Grouping together of livestock> Small farms pooled into larger farms

(thousands of acres of land with hundreds of peasants working them)

> Pool equipment, resources, expertise

A. 1st Five Year Plan cont.

• increase efficiency > better use of modern farm equipment (tractors, combines)

• implement Communism; eliminate private land ownership

• increase gov't control over the economy and peasants (quotas)

• increase Stalin's power over the state

A. 1st Five Year Plan - Collectivization cont.

WHY?

Humanitarian Consequences of Collectivization:

“You Can’t Make An Omelette Without Breaking

Some Eggs...”

a). Kolkhoz working conditions:• Grueling hours, backbreaking work

• System of internal passports prevented peasants from leaving their farms

• If born on a Kolkhoz, had to stay there for whole lives.

• Essentially “neo-serfdom” – Communist bureaucracy replaced the former landowners.

Humanitarian Consequences of Collectivization:

b). Kulaks:o wealthy peasants > targeted by Stalino self-sufficient > did not want collectivization

Stalin's Response:- sees them as "enemies of the state"- "liquidated" - eliminated as an example > killed or

> marched to Siberia to Gulags - die /work in mines until dead

Humanitarian Consequences of Collectivization cont.

Why? Kulaks were a symbol of free enterprise (capitalism) and therefore a threat

to collectivization.

Result:

o approx. 5 million Kulaks died / "disappeared"o massive famine & persecution led to millions

more deaths o estimated 6-7 million die from 1920-1938.

Humanitarian Consequences of Collectivization- Kulaks cont.

3. Connections b/w Command Economy & Collectivization: • both controlled by gov't

• Stalin's plan was to take agriculture profits to sell in foreign markets to pay for heavy industry

• Collectivisation feeds the industry workers

• Industry provides the tractors / farm machinery for collectivisation

• Peasants leave land because mechanization requires fewer farm workers > go to cities > more labourers to work in factories > more factories

A. 1st Five Year Plan cont.

• industrial production increases > results in more farm machinery produced

• produces agriculture to sell for profit to fund heavy industry

• heavy industry to help USSR build infrastructure to build weapons to defend itself

• Stalin: "We must do in ten to fifteen years what you have done in 150"

A. 1st Five Year Plan : Connections Command Econ. & Collectivization cont.

> SYMBIOSIS <Sickle - Agriculture Hammer - Industry

(Hammer and Sickle represent the workers and peasants - the two groups of the proletariat. The flag was adopted in 1923)

A. Connections Command Econ. & Collectivization cont.

1. Goals too severe - was modified in 1934

2. Mini- revolt amongst party officials against the harshness of the plan

> Kirov viewed as alternative to Stalin – Stalin had him shot 1934.

B. The Second Five Year Plan (1933-1937)

YES1. Germany did not defeat U.S.S.R in WWII 2. Industrial jobs were created(1926: 75% ppl employed in agriculture 1940: 51% ppl " " ) 3.Production rose dramatically 4. oil reached its 5 year goal/target

C. Analysis of 5 Year Plans – Success?

YES5. increased technology 6. cities grew / created 7. increased expertise / skilled workers 8. U.S.S.R avoided the effects of the Great

Depression that affected the rest of the world

C. Analysis of 5 Year Plans cont.

NO

1. Humanitarian cost - millions killed (6-7 million ppl die b/w 1924-1938)

> Kulaks > Gulags > Famine 2. use of terror to control workers 3. use of slave labour (10 million political prisoners held in

concentration camps - used in mining, building infrastructure)

C. Analysis of 5 Year Plans – Success?

NO

4. use of motivating forces ie. offered bonuses for exceeding production goals

(not communist) 5. Most quotas were not met (including

agriculture) 6. Some Marxist principles sacrificed

C. Analysis of 5 Year Plans cont.

U.S.S.R: Marxist or not (1930's)

• Complete the chart in your handout – 8 min.

YES1. Collectivization2. No religion3. Factories/ industries state-owned / No private enterprise


NO

1. Bonuses for exceeding quotas2. Equality not achieved > Dictator - Stalin > workers who acquired new skills were paid

highest wages and got "perks" > mis-use of the working class > The Party elite - Apparatchiks


Egalitarianism - treating men as equals was sacrificed...

∆ Marx taught that people would work for the common good, not for selfish, private gain

∆ Stalin taught that until the U.S.S.R could produce enough to satisfy everyone's needs, egalitarianism was mere "pie in the sky" (workers with skills got perks)

U.S.S.R: Marxist or not (1930's) cont.

Stalinist Terror

Stalinist TerrorTotalitarian: controlling the people of a country in a very strict way with complete power that cannot be opposed

Ideologue (An adherent of an ideology, esp. one who is uncompromising and dogmatic)

Stalin means "man of steel“

suspicious, cruel, ruthless, tyrannical

Stalinist Terror cont.

1. Use of Secret Police- Czar > OKRANA

- Lenin > CHEKA

- Stalin > OGPU becomes N.K.V.D (functional equivalent to

Gestapo & SS)

> after Stalin dies, becomes KGB

Purpose:- infiltrate all elements of society- root out and destroy opposition-terrorize / humiliate ordinary people

Result:- create a climate of fear/ paranoia, and

passive obedience

Stalinist Terror – Use of Secret Police cont.

2. Extermination of Groups- Kulaks- Used GULAG: prison camps / forced labour

camps in Siberia> used for Kulaks, political prisoners, anti- Soviet elements, opponents of Stalin> Zeks: Prisoners - may have been sentenced to 5 or 10 yrs, or longer - slaves at the disposal of the secret police- expendible


3. "Great Purges" (cleansing) 1936- 1938

A. PoliticalB. MilitaryC. NKVD



A. Political- killed possible political rivals / opponents

(Zinoviev &Kamenev; Bukharin; Kirov)



How: "show trials" > secret police arrested /

imprisoned/ tortured into confession to anti- Soviet crimes / radio

> sentenced to death or exiled with family


Result: - all potential opponents eliminated - of the 15 members of the first

Bolshevik Government 10 had been executed or imprisoned, 4 had died; only Stalin remained.

- Stalin had absolute power

Stalinist Terror – “Great Purges” - Political cont.

B. Military

- "Purged" Red Army

How: NKVD killed about a third of the entire officer class

(Generals, Colonels, Majors)

Why: potential rival /opposition

Result: Army weak, U.S.S.R not prepared for war

Stalinist Terror – “Great Purges” cont.

C. NKVD purged itself

- all those involved in the killings were eliminated

Stalinist Terror – “Great Purges” cont.

4. "Cult of Personality”

- propaganda > Stalin is glorified, posters, parades, Stalin & children

- presence (fear of offending) > everyone publicly "loved“

Stalin; they feared death if they didn't

-fear & propaganda kept him in power


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRlOt-wqFHY

What Are Students in Russia supposed to Learn about Stalin?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRlOt-wqFHY

Stalin Foreign Policy:NSNAP:Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact - Aug. 1939

> bought time / space (Poland) for the U.S.S.R to prepare for war

> Terms:

1. Germany gets: A. One front war B. 2/3 Poland

2. U.S.S.R gets: A. 1/3 PolandB. Time to rebuild before WWII- move factories east of Ural Mnts.

Stalin Foreign Policy cont. NSNAP

> Terms:

1. Germany gets: A. One front war B. 2/3 Poland

2. U.S.S.R gets: A. 1/3 Poland

B. Time to rebuild before WWII

- move factories east of Ural Mnts.

Cult of Personality

• ***p. 148 Howarth• family stories• p. 150 zeks in gulags• p. 151 - 10 years is a death

sentence• Notes assignment

Assignment

• Reading Assignment - chapter 4 DeMarco• (p. 56-64)• Notes & Questions Assignment

• Using DeMarco p. 56 – 64 create 2 – 3 pages of notes describing the significance of the following• figures & terms:• _____________________________________________________• 1. Comintern (Communist international)• 2. Trotsky (describe him and contrast him with Stalin)• 3. “World Revolution” vs. “Socialism in one Country”• 4. Stalin’s ruthless rise to power (Kamenev, Zinoviev, Bukharin etc)• 5. Five Year Plans – summarize the main objective and results of each of them• p. 58-59• 6. collective farms (kolkhoz)• 7. kulaks• 8. Results of Collectivization• 9. purges• 10. Show trials• 11. Cheka, OGPU, NKVD• ---------------------------------• 12. gulags-• 13. zeks-• 14. Famine of 1932 – 33• 15. Cult of personality –• 16. Stakhanov• Exercise 1 d,e• Exercise 3 b,c• Exercise 7• Exercise 8 (all but b & f)• Exercise 9• Monday, September

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The Emergence of Joseph Stalin