The Soviet Union in the Stalinist Era (1924—53)

OUTLINE:

I. Lenin to Stalin

II. Five Year Plans-Industrial-Agricultural

III. Great Purges

IV. Soviet Propaganda

Major Ideas:•After death of Lenin, Josef Stalin seized complete control of USSR

•Instituted a harsh form of political reform through violence and terror

•Called it Communism, but wasn’t. USSR had a Totalitarian gov’t

From Lenin to Stalin

Bolsheviks won civil war, but ruined the economy in 1920’s:(after Russian Civil War)•Land & industry destroyed•Led to extreme famine where 50—90% of pop were starving

•Lenin began the NEP (New Economic Policy) and the USSR began to recover•Lenin died in 1924 which led to a power vacuum & fight for control (Leon Trotsky v. Josef Stalin)•Stalin ultimately seized power (had Trotsky killed)

Josef Stalin’s Rule

• Wanted major econ & social reforms for USSR at any cost

•Demanded total power and control known as Totalitarianism (a twisted perversion of comm where the power belongs to everyone)

•Ppl in USSR were terrorized by his “secret police”

•30+ million “pol opponents” were killed

Stalin’s Five Year Plans

Purpose was to make USSR “modern” b/c it was way behind the West

Industrial Changes:

•Communized industry (gov’t owned all—no business was privately owned in USSR)

•Industrial output increased 250%

•Ppl forced to work—cared for by gov’t, but not v. well

Agricultural Changes:

•Collectivization—all peasants worked on gov’t owned farms called “collectives”

•1938—90% of peasants lived on collectives

•Ppl had to give food to gov’t 1st (for workers in the cities who were the priority) —not much left for them

•In a famine in 1932, 10 million peasants died

The Great Purges •Kulaks— rural peasants (mostly in modern day Ukraine & southern Russia) who did not want collectivization

•Stalin declared them “enemies of the state” b/c they disagreed with him

•Millions allowed to starve, killed or re-located to Siberia in 1930s

“Re-Education” Camps•Called gulags—mostly in Siberia (harsh climate, very isolated).

•Idea was that they would become “good Communists” thru work

•Millions of “enemies” were worked to death

Soviet Propaganda

•Indoctrination was vital for control of ppl in USSR

•No free press—all info came from Stalin

•Used prop to show “success” of 5 yr plans

•Prop was very contrary to the reality of life in USSR