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Impact of Stalin's Rule (Political (Great Terror (1934-1938)
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Impact of Stalin's Rule
Political
Use of Propaganda
- used propaganda extensively to build up his own profile as the rightful successor to Lenin
- gave rise to 'Soviet Realism'
- strict censorship
- national anthem rewritten to include his name
- wore plain clothes and retained modest title of Secretary-general
- soviet history rewritten to boost Stalin's status and discredit his individuals
- boosted authority and status, winning over loyalty, support & obedience, stay in power making opposition impossible
Great Terror (1934-1938)
- by (1930), most of his opponents were expelled/had little influence in the party and Stalin sought to eliminate other opponents
Kirov Affair
- (1934) failure of first 5-yr plan and collectivisation led to low crop yield and hence caused dissent among russians and division in Politburo
- communist party decided to strip Stalin of secretary-general position electing him as secretary alongside Kirov who favoured relaxation of 5-yr plans
- Kirov was also approached by Bolsheviks as potential alternative candidate for Secretary-general
- assassinated under mysterious circumstances on 1 Dec 1934
- NKVD investigation concluded that assassination was part of plot to kill Stalin & other politburo members
- capitalised on report conducting mass arrest to identify & purge suspects
- took opportunity to eliminate opponents and questionable loyalties (Kamenev, Zinoviev, Bukharin)
Purges and Show Trials
- Kirov's death used as an excuse to place Yezhov in charge of NKVD to remove anti-soviet elements
- political rivals (KZB) were accused of conspiring with Trotsky to kill Stalin & overthrow the govt
- were put on show trials where they readily confessed & executed
- confessions were extracted after physically & psychologically torturing them (threatening to harm their families)
- NKVD arrested, questioned & force ppl to denounce one another
- entire pop was in a state of terror
Mass Arrest-Elimination of intellectuals, skilled workers & officers
- arrested, killed on the spot, forced to labour camps to prevent them from organising opposition
- 39mil killed 3 mil sent to labour camps where living conditions were poor,ppl died from overworking
- high-ranking red army commanders & officers were accused of treason and shot due to connection & loyalty to Trotsky
- younger,inexperienced members who owed their advancement to Stalin were promoted as he needed a loyal army
- consolidate power and control ppl by playing with their fears
- huge loss of intellectuals affected strength of nation & efiiciency in managing state affairs
- smaller workforce to support industrialisation
- lack of experienced military personnel
Economic
Collectivisation
- merging of small farms into larger collective farms
- ownership transferred from peasants to state
- collective farms given machinery (tractors) and farmers taught modern farming methods (fertilisers)
Positive
Modernised Farming
- the increased lvl of mechanisation increased overall productivity
- replaced 17mil peasants who left farms to work in factories in industrial cities (magnitogorsk)
- providing much needed labour for industrialisation
Supported industrialisation programmes
- merging made it easier for Stalin to ensure food supply to factory workers for continuation of industrialisation
- control over food production enable Stalin to export grains to buy equip for 5-yr plans
Negative
Destroyed Farming and led to Great Famine
- (1931-1934) grain harvest dropped drastically and hence food shortage
- Great Famine where 7mil died
- stockpiled grains were exported to raise funds for machines to support ambitious 5-yr plans
- (1950) production regained pre-1928 lvls
- great hardship & misery
Persecution of Kulaks
- many defied by slaughtering livestock (100mil of sheep & goats)
- those resisted were shot & killed or sent to labour camps (siberia) where they became slave labours
- worsened lives as accumulated wealth & property was lost
- living in constant fear
Industrialisation
- to rapidly industrialise USSR so that it wld become a militarily and economically strong socialist power to rival capitalist countries
- (1928-1932) focused on heavy industries (iron,steel)
- (1933-1937) more focus on consumer goods with emphaisis on heavy industries too, focus on military production frm 34 (factories built on east of Ural Mountains)
- (1938-1942) focus on military production
- creation of new industrial cities (magnitogorsk)
- factories produce machines for farming
Positive
Strengthened USSR economically
- more goods were produced, industrial workforce expanded
- By 1940, had overtaken Britain in Iron and steel production, becoming a major industrial power through modernisation and industrialisation
Strengthened USSR militarily
- by developing heavy industries, USSR had necessary economic resources to fight modern industrial war
- strategic location of industrial cities place them far beyond reach of western invaders, ensuring that production critical to war efforts will not be easily sabotaged
Improved workers' conditions
(towards mid 30s)
- system of rewards & incentives were implemented (medals and discount for holidays rewarded)
- big campaign was introduced to teach Russians skills to tackled uneducated labour force
( new colleges, schools unis built)
- improved living conditions (cheap meals, free uniform subsidised healthcare)
Negative
Worsened plight of workers
- (1929) labour unrest
- severe restrictions on workers (sent to prison if they broke anything in the factory)
- bad living conditions (neglected production of consumer goods led to shortage & increased prices)
- poverty, starvation & suffering
Social
State control of society
Fall in standard of living
- failure of collectivisation led to food shortage, emphasis on heavy industries in 5-yr plan meant lack of consumer goods
- industrialisation led to increase in pop in cities and thus housing shortage
- housing controlled by state
- forced to live in cramped conditions, without sanitation
- forced to work long hours to meet five-yr plans
Famine (1932)
- same as negative impact of collectivisation
Living in Fear
- secret police had informers everywhere slightest indication of anti-stalin sentiments cld warrant arrests
- if judged poorly it wld be more difficult for them to apply for housing, jobs, holidays
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