The Soviet Union Under The Soviet Union Under

Stalin Stalin –– Part IPart I

Chapter 13Chapter 13

Section 4Section 4

Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin

Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin

"A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic."

--Joseph Stalin

Stalin (Stalin (““Man of SteelMan of Steel””))

�� Under Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union grew into Under Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union grew into

a totalitarian statea totalitarian state

�� A A totalitarian statetotalitarian state controls all aspects of life, controls all aspects of life,

including agriculture, culture, art, and religionincluding agriculture, culture, art, and religion

�� The state also developed a The state also developed a command command

economyeconomy, in which the government made all , in which the government made all

economic decisions for the entire country in economic decisions for the entire country in

contrast to a market economy that is controlled contrast to a market economy that is controlled

by the forces of supply and demandby the forces of supply and demand

Five Year PlansFive Year Plans

�� USSRUSSR’’s economy was nons economy was non--industrialized compared to industrialized compared to

USA and W. EuropeUSA and W. Europe

�� 1928: Stalin proposed the first of many five1928: Stalin proposed the first of many five--year plansyear plans

�� Goal of Goal of Five Year PlansFive Year Plans –– develop heavy industry, develop heavy industry,

improve transportation, and increase agricultural improve transportation, and increase agricultural

productionproduction

Effect of Five Year PlansEffect of Five Year Plans

�� Five year plansFive year plans set high production goalsset high production goals

�� Successful workers and factory managers who met the Successful workers and factory managers who met the

goals were rewardedgoals were rewarded

�� Workers who failed to achieve the goals of the Workers who failed to achieve the goals of the Five Five

Year PlansYear Plans were punishedwere punished

�� USSR improved mining, coal/steel output, huge factories USSR improved mining, coal/steel output, huge factories

were constructed, and new railroadswere constructed, and new railroads

Effect of Five Year PlansEffect of Five Year Plans

�� Factory managers were only concerned with quotas and Factory managers were only concerned with quotas and

often produced inferior quality goodsoften produced inferior quality goods

�� Consumer goods were scarce (refrigerators, cars, Consumer goods were scarce (refrigerators, cars,

clothing)clothing)

�� Wages kept low and strikes were illegalWages kept low and strikes were illegal

�� The five year plan really did not improve the standard of The five year plan really did not improve the standard of

living for most Soviet citizensliving for most Soviet citizens

CollectivizationCollectivization

�� Stalin believed that LeninStalin believed that Lenin’’s old New Economic Policy s old New Economic Policy

(where people could own small parcels of land) was 1) (where people could own small parcels of land) was 1)

inefficient and 1) threat to state powerinefficient and 1) threat to state power

�� Stalin wanted peasants to farm on either stateStalin wanted peasants to farm on either state--owned owned

farms or farms or collectivescollectives, large farms owned and operated , large farms owned and operated

by peasants as a groupby peasants as a group

�� Forced Forced collectivizationcollectivization was Stalinwas Stalin’’s method to bring s method to bring

agriculture under his control agriculture under his control

CollectivizationCollectivization

�� State provided the farm equipment, seed, and fertilizerState provided the farm equipment, seed, and fertilizer

�� Farm animals were turned over to the stateFarm animals were turned over to the state

�� The state collected the harvest and set the pricesThe state collected the harvest and set the prices

�� Some peasants resisted forced Some peasants resisted forced collectivizationcollectivization

CollectivizationCollectivization

�� Stalin believed that a Stalin believed that a group of peasants called group of peasants called kulakskulaks (wealthy Russian (wealthy Russian farmers) were behind the farmers) were behind the resistanceresistance

�� Stalin took the kulaksStalin took the kulaks’’land and sent them to land and sent them to labor camps where many labor camps where many died where they died died where they died from excessive workfrom excessive work

�� Stalin intentionally Stalin intentionally murdered other kulaksmurdered other kulaks

CollectivizationCollectivization

�� Surviving kulaks decided to Surviving kulaks decided to grow enough food for grow enough food for themselvesthemselves

�� In turn, Stalin seized their In turn, Stalin seized their land and crops leaving the land and crops leaving the kulaks nothing to eatkulaks nothing to eat

�� In 1932, StalinIn 1932, Stalin’’s brutal s brutal antianti--Kulak policies led to a Kulak policies led to a famine that caused millions famine that caused millions of people to starve to of people to starve to deathdeath

Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin

KulaksKulaks

Terror as a WeaponTerror as a Weapon

�� Stalin brutally terrorized his peopleStalin brutally terrorized his people

�� Stalin committed crimes against humanityStalin committed crimes against humanity

�� Spies opened peopleSpies opened people’’s mail and planted s mail and planted listening deviceslistening devices

�� Newspapers were censored and material Newspapers were censored and material had to be approved by state officials had to be approved by state officials before publishingbefore publishing

�� The ruling Communist Party used secret The ruling Communist Party used secret police, torture, and bloody purges to police, torture, and bloody purges to force people to obeyforce people to obey

�� Those who opposed Stalin were rounded Those who opposed Stalin were rounded up and sent to the up and sent to the GulagGulag, a system of , a system of brutal labor campsbrutal labor camps

Great PurgeGreat Purge

�� Fearing that rival party leaders were plotting against Fearing that rival party leaders were plotting against him, Stalin launched the him, Stalin launched the Great PurgeGreat Purge in 1934in 1934

�� The The Great PurgeGreat Purge tried to eliminate anyone that Stalin tried to eliminate anyone that Stalin perceived as a threat to his authorityperceived as a threat to his authority

�� Stalin falsely accused people of crimes Stalin falsely accused people of crimes –– for being for being alleged counterrevolutionaries and for failing to meet alleged counterrevolutionaries and for failing to meet production quotas in the factoriesproduction quotas in the factories

�� Among the victims of this and other purges were some Among the victims of this and other purges were some of the brightest and most talented experts in industry, of the brightest and most talented experts in industry, economics, and engineeringeconomics, and engineering

Show TrialsShow Trials

�� Stalin held public Stalin held public ““show trialsshow trials”” where targeted citizens where targeted citizens

would confess to a crime after being tortured or having would confess to a crime after being tortured or having

their family threatenedtheir family threatened

�� Many were executed; others were sent to the gulagsMany were executed; others were sent to the gulags

Map of Gulags in Soviet UnionMap of Gulags in Soviet Union

Gulag Guard TowerGulag Guard Tower

An abandoned guard tower in one of hundreds of gulags (prison camps) across the Soviet Union, remains as a symbol of profound human suffering. First instituted by Lenin to imprison priests, political opponents, and common criminals, Stalin was then responsible for sending 12-15 million people to these camps. The prisoners were used as forced labor to work on massive industrial projects. As more laborers were needed for bigger projects and those falling behind schedule, Stalin justified the arrests of more people to be sent to the gulags. Millions were executed in these camps or perished as they labored on massive modernization schemes.

Scene from a GulagScene from a Gulag

Hard labor defined the gulag experience.

Prisoners DiggingPrisoners Digging

GulagGulag

Skeletons of StalinSkeletons of Stalin’’s Victimss Victims

Stalin is responsible for the murder of about 43,000,000 people, 1929-1953.

Gulag Work CampGulag Work Camp

Death by StarvationDeath by Starvation

Here is shown a large pile of some of the 5,000,000 Ukrainians that Stalin murdered by starvation

PowerpointPowerpoint Questions Questions –– Part IPart I

�� 1. Explain 1. Explain totalitarian statetotalitarian state..

�� 2. What is a 2. What is a command economycommand economy??

�� 3. How would you describe the Soviet economy 3. How would you describe the Soviet economy

compared to other western countries?compared to other western countries?

�� 4. What did Stalin propose to stimulate the Soviet 4. What did Stalin propose to stimulate the Soviet

economy?economy?

�� 5. Define 5. Define collectivizationcollectivization. What was Stalin. What was Stalin’’s goal s goal

behind behind collectivizationcollectivization??

PowerpointPowerpoint Questions Questions –– Part IPart I

�� 6. Who were the 6. Who were the kulakskulaks??

�� 7. What did Stalin do to many 7. What did Stalin do to many kulakskulaks??

�� 8. What did the Communist Party use to force people to 8. What did the Communist Party use to force people to

obey?obey?

�� 9. What happened to Soviet citizens who refused to obey 9. What happened to Soviet citizens who refused to obey

the orders of the Communist Party? To where were they the orders of the Communist Party? To where were they

sent?sent?

�� 10. Explain 10. Explain The Great Purge. The Great Purge. What was StalinWhat was Stalin’’s goal s goal

behind the behind the Great Purge?Great Purge?

End of Part IEnd of Part I