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What were the main characteristics of Stalin's rule in Russia? (100…
What were the main characteristics of Stalin's rule in Russia? (100 marks)
introudction
in 1923 lenin wrote a testement,expressing his fear for the future of communist revelotion
lenin critiscised members of the politburo and said stalin was "to rude and should be removed as genral secatary
lenin was worried on how stalin would use his power highlighting his authroian nature
after lenins death a struggle for power developed between stlain,zinoviev,trotsky and kamenev all memebers of the politburo
with the main rivalry = stlain v trotsky
trotsky commanded the red army during the 1917 reveltion and civil war = great miltirary influence
many feared he could establish as a military dictarorship
stalin was gerneral secatary allowing to appoint loyal supporters to key postions
stalin organised lenin enrolment encoruaging people to join communist party
stalin tricked trotsky telling him the wrong day for lenins funeral making it a bad look for trotsky
stalin spoke at the funeral making him seem like lenins closet assesor
setting up the politoboro
trotsky supported permanent reveloution believing socilaism in russia could only survive if reveltions spread abroad
stalin suported socialsim in one country arguing it should be built in the USSR first
stalins policy appelaed to party members and russian nationalists
stalin was supported by the bukharin which was editor of the pravada (newspaper)
zinoviev and kamenv wanted to end NEP while stalin intialy supported the NEP and gradul industrilisation
in 1927 zinoviev,kamenv and trotsky united against stalin and stalin expelled all three from the comunist party
trotsky was exilled in 1929 and assainated in 1940 on stalins orders
late 1920s stalin filed politburo with loyal supporters and abaonded the NEP and introduced full communism
1929 stalin was the solo leader of the USSR
toltalitarian state
stalin created a toltarian dictatorship where the communist party controlled all aspects of life
party memebrship grew from 1.8 million in 1928 to 3.3 million in 1939
the party controlled the government ,radio and press and the economy
The NKVD (secret police) enforced the policy
they also supervised the five year plans,purged the party and controlled the gulag
fear and repression ensured obediance
show trials were used to remove threats and reinforce stalins authrority
industrilization/five year plans
the five year plans aimed to transfrom the USSR into a modern industrial
Stalin claimed the USSR was "50-100 years" behind the west
stalin belived that socialism required a fully industrialised economy
first five year plan 1928-32
focused on ehavy industry eg coal,electricty ,steel
electricty 335%,iron by 200% and coal by 111%
actual results = electricty 160%,iron 100% and coal 80%
new industrial cities were built eg magnitorsk
workers faced harsh conditons and food shortages
second five year plans 1933-37
more successful
continued to focus on heavy industry
major transport projects eg moscow underground and canals and railways
increased consumer goods production
arms production increased due to nazi threat
resutls
USSR transformed into major industrial power
industrial output nearly trebeled
urban population increased by 15%
working class grew from 11 to 33 million
full employment achieved
stakhanvoite used propaganda to increase productivity
third five year plans
focused on military production
interputted by the german invasion 1941
collectivisation
began in 1929 and forced pesants into collective farms = kolkhoz
aimed to increase gain roduction,feed industrial workers,bring agricutlure under state control
wealthy pesants kulaks were targeted
dekulakisation involved execution and imprisonment
pesants resisted by slaughtering animals and destroying crops
resulted in a famine
estimated 7 million deaths
krhrushchev stated "all we knew was that people were dying in enromus numbers"
by 1940 97% of farms were collectivised thought agriculture remained insufficent
propaganda
essential in maintaing stalins control
youth organisations like komsomol promoted loyalty to stalin
education was rewritten to exagrate stalins role in thre reveltion
newspapers like the pravada praised stalins achievements
artisits and writters were censored and forced to follow stalins relaism
statues and posters of stlain were widespread and towns were renamed eg stalingrad
a cult of personality developed around stalin
pavel litnov " he was a god like figure"
the great terror/purges
The great terror 1936-38 aimed to elimnate all opposition
triggred by citism of collectivaistion and kirovs assanination 1934
stalin claimed oppostion were "enimies of people"
The NKVD arrested tortued and executed suspects
old bolsheviks,national minorites and ordinary citzens targeted
around 5 million arrseted and 1 million executed
millions snet to gulags under brutal conditions
gulag labour used to build canals and railways and industrial projets
show trials
show trials were propaganda trials designed to prove guilt
confessions obtained through torture and threat to familes
first show(1936) trial zinoviev and kamenev executed
second show trial (1937) karl radek and convicted
third show trial 1938 bukharin and yagoda executed
martin sixsmith stated the show trials " left stalin as a sole leader and succcsesor to lenin"
red army also perged weakening the soviites defence before ww2
show trials reinforced fear
conclusion
stalin ruled through terror,propaganda and total control
industrial growth was achieved at enormous human cost
millions died throught famine,purges and forced labour
stalin estbalished one of the most brutal dictatorship in history
dmitri volkogonov stated "no one has ever waged such a war on its own people"