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The emergence of communist dictatorship 1917-1941 - Coggle Diagram
The emergence of communist dictatorship 1917-1941
Political developments (How different were the states of Lenin and Stalin?)
Leninist state
Lenin used marxist morality to justify his actions. Lenin's terror was not to the extent of Stalin's. Lenin had Democratic centralisation. Power came from the people. Power was indeed centralised and streamlined during the civil war. However it was centralised around the party not a single person. Lenin's status arose due to his role in the revolution where as Stalin's was fabricated. Lenin had people to have the right to be a national minority and other cultures were allowed to be celebrated.
Continuities (both used)
Terror
Both used terror to direct government policy. Both used terror to push their economical policies Stalin for collectivisation and Lenin for war communism. Workers feared to be coined as saboteurs. Both of them used show trials to remove political enemies. Both used the secret police as a part of class warfare. Both used labour camps too punish opponents.
Centralised bureaucratic system
Lenin started this system. When he was able to overlay the 2 party structures with the bolshevik later asserting dominance. New departments were introduced, which added more bureaucracy. Stalin introduced more bureaucracy like GOSPLAN.
One party state
Lenin established a one party state. he dissolved the constitute assembly after losing its elections in 1918 and he closed anti-bolsheviks and he arrested leaders of other parties like the Mensheviks, SR and Kadets. Stalin inherited this state
Economy
Both nationalised industry and had a state controlled economy.
Stalinist state
Stalin's terror was motivated by his wife's suicide and also because he wanted to remain in power. Stalins Terror was much more brutal. The Yezovschina quotas led to illogical killings. innocents were killed and arrested just to met these quotas. 800,000 were killed and over 1.5 million were imprisoned. Power was centralised around him with him choosing his own representatives Stalin controlled who got key positions. Stalin listened to the party less. Stalin also returned to Anti Semitic views and was less tolerant towards national minorities
Soviet Union by 1941
Social Condition
There had been major social change to the USSR. Peasants in the countryside were living in communal areas and were being watched by the NKVD at Motor tractor stations. A stronger working class had been created through urbanisation. A new mass culture had developed through, education, propaganda, the leadership cult, arts and culture and the show trails. There was strict censorship and propaganda was everywhere. Rather then a classless society there was a hierarchical society dominated around the party.
Economic Condition
Stalin's five year plans had transformed Russia into a highly industrialised and urbanised nation. All Russian farms were collectivised and the free market has been bought to an end. By 1940 the USSR had overtaken Britain in iron and steel production. The 3rd five year plan focused on Coal and Oil production. Nine aircraft factories were constructed. However, there were crucial weaknesses. Economic development was uneven and although there was a massive growth in heavy industry, Consumer production had been neglected. In 1941 the nation was still producing less grain than under NEP
Political Condition
By 1941 Stalin led a highly centralised and authoritarian one-party state. It was made clear that the communist party and its institutions were the only bodies that could put candidates forward for election. Centralisation meant that all power originated from Stalin himself. Within the stalinist state, no independent institutions were permitted to emerge. Stalin continued on the class warfare and the political attacks were much more brutal under Stalin. There was lots of terror, show trails and purges.