Download Events Under Lenin Stalin

Events Under
Lenin
Stalin
Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov
• April.22.1870 – January.24.1924
• Adopted the name “Lenin” after his
Siberian exile in 1901
• Became leader of the Bolsheviks, and
later, led the Bolsheviks to what
became knows as the October
Revolution. Nearly 3 years of civil war
later, Lenin and the Bolsheviks
assumed power of the entire country.
• Lenin used Karl Marx’s ideas to
transform the Soviet Union into a
communist state. Lenin modified
Marx’s ideas to suit the conditions of
his country.
Marx’s Beliefs
• The bourgeoisie exploited the workers by forcing them to
create goods and services with a greater value than the
wages received.
• Capitalism would bring itself to ruin
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Economic depression
Imperialism
Wars
Revolution by the proletariat.
• After a series of revolutions capitalism would be
eliminated; a temporary dictatorship would be established
to foster this transition.
• Once communism was established, people would live in a
cooperative and voluntary society. The state
(government) would “wither away”
• Production would be distributed by the motto…
“from each according to his abilities, to each according to
his needs.”
The Ideal Marxist Society
• Individual differences would still exist but no one
could amass enormous wealth while others lived
in poverty.
• Equal opportunity (classless society)
• Abolish private property and profit motive (public
ownership)
• With the existence of surplus goods crime and
greed would not exist.
• People would be motivated by the Common
Good and the creation of equality
Lenin’s Additions To Marxism
• Adapted Marx’s ideas to conditions in Russia.
• Views referred to “Marxist-Leninist”
Marx
Lenin
• revolution could only
occur in a capitalist and
industrialized country
• organized a dedicated
group of professional
revolutionaries (who
sought support from
peasants and workers) to
overthrow Russian
autocratic government.
Values, Assumptions, and Myths
• Communists claimed that the
new country was a
democracy.
– Set up govt. that on paper
was democratic
– Govt. based on a
constitution (1922)
– CPSU refers to itself as
democratic because it rules
in the interest of the
majority.
• Real power was with the
CPSU.
– Maintained a monopoly of
power by controlling
• Access to positions of
leadership
• Content of communication
• Direction of the economy
• Culture and education
Authoritarian Essence
• The CP was the only legal political party
• This was justified by
– Only one class (proletariat); therefore only one party
needed.
– Party was the “vanguard of the proletariat” and
protector of communism.
• Lenin also believed that elections in
capitalist countries were simply a “sham”
(illusion of real choice).
Authoritarian Essence cont…
Democratic Centralism
• Issues are discussed bottom up, then resolved
by the party congress with the expectation that
all party members will obey.
• Eventually used by Stalin to purge all opposition
and became a justification for strict censorship,
imprisonment and executions.
• In this way, Stalin ended up controlling the
party, which controlled the government, which
controlled the USSR and all members of society.
Soviet Government
• Federal system
• Little autonomy to republics.
Autonomy: right to make own decisions
• Government controls all levels of
government. (Moscow: Kremlin)
Communist Party Membership
• Only those who were politically conscious,
honest, educated, and dedicated to the
party could join.
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Nominated by party a member
Two years to become member
Every aspect of candidate’s life was investigated
Only 20% of population were members.
Majority of CPSU members were employed in
industry and agriculture. (72%)
Large Secret Police Force
• Cheka (1917) : Lenin
• NKVD (1934) : Stalin
– People’s Commissarat of Internal Affairs
• KGB (1954)
– Committee for State Security
Lenin’s PoLicies
War Communism: 1st attempt of
establishing communism
Economic System between 1918 and 1921
Introduced by Lenin in hopes to fight the
economic problems introduced through the civil
war in Russia
Strict quotas of food production, and complete
shift to public property controlled by the state, led
to lack of motivation and production of food and
essential goods
It was abandoned because it led to strikes,
demonstrations, riots, and created social distress,
all in all, it failed miserably. Something was
needed to motivate people to be productive.
nd
2
New Economic Policy:
of establishing communism
attempt
Lenin’s PoLicies
 A policy designed to revive the nation from its economic recessions,
mainly in the area of agriculture and food production
 Re-introduced some limited private ownership of land and business,
allowed farmers to sell surplus for personal profit.
 Obviously this is a step away from “pure” communism, but Lenin only
intended to be a temporary policy
 Lenin saw that the only way the Socialist Revolution can be saved
was to come to an agreement with the peasants and farmers and
have them support communist policies of the state.
 Within a few months, it had incredible success as food production
increased and communism was supported by the people.
 The famine was gradually eliminated, as well as the speculation of
failure. The state retained control of banking, large industry,
transportation and trade.
Joseph Stalin
• December.18.1879 – March.5.1953
• Assumed name Joseph “Stalin”
means “Man of Steel”
• Following Lenin’s death, became
leader of the Soviet Union after a
two year power struggle with Leon
Trotsky; whom Stalin had deported.
• Stalin radically changed the USSR
into an industrialized nation and
ended the “New Economic Policy”
• Stalin’s policies were known as the
“Five Year Plans”
5 Year Plans
• In 1928 Joseph Stalin came up
with one of the three “5 Year Plans”
• Plans were to lead the Soviet
Union to increased industrialization
and to collectivize the country as
whole. Also prepared the country
for war against Nazi Germany
• During these terms however, many
were purged and terrorized
Collectivizing Farms
• Collective farms were plans to incorporate
agriculture into the focus of the nation
• Private ownership was banned and
everyone had to voluntarily collectivize
farms
• “Kulaks” were a group from the richer
peasants class that resisted the idea of
collectivizing for the state, through
propaganda they were shown as being
greedy and uncaring towards the nation but
only themselves. They were labeled unsoviet
Ukrainian Famine
• Most productive area for agriculture had been
Ukraine
• Stalin wanted to crush the vestiges of Ukrainian
nationalism, thus he used famine as a tool to
break the spirit of the people.
• Thanks to the famine, the will to resist
collectivization was destroyed and Ukraine was
left in a state of disaster
• Between 1932 and 1933 it is estimated that 6 to
7 million people died due to the famine.
• This genocide is known as the Holodomor
See “Pause and Reflect” on page 182
Great Purge
• Purges conducted mainly
throughout the 1930s and were
carried out by the secret police
(NKVD)
• Anyone expected to be an
opponent or to be against Stalin
were dealt with violently
• Between the years 1934 and
1938 around 10 million people
were deported to concentration
camps and/or executed.