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What were the main characteristics of Stalin's rule in Russia? -…
What were the main characteristics of Stalin's rule in Russia?
introduction
stalin was born in georgia 1878
during his comfortable upbringing he was influenced by the ideas of karl marks and developed and intrest in politics
as his grade and reputation began to fall at 22 he became a full tiem reveltionary
he was willing to take extreme measures to dominate local reveltionarys parties and was escribed as "vicious and vindictive"
stalin became drawn to lenin and became a leading bolshevik
stalins rule in russia(however qs fraised) used immnesely immoral tactics including creating a totlatirian state using control over secret police,propaganda and terror
setting up the politiburo
during stalins rise to power 1922 he was elected secatary general the same year the soviet union was estbalished
gave him a lot of control over the communist party.Including setting up an agenda for the politburo + soviet government
before lenins death 1924 trotsky formed an alliance with lenin
after lenins death stalin transformed his and lenins relationship in the eyes of the public.He took control of lenins funeral and gave trotsky the wrong date and removed zinoviev,kamenev and trotsky from photos with lenin to persuade the public that they didnt associate with lenin
stalin was then able to strip trotsky from his postiton in tthe government ans systematically demot,arret and exile his politial opponents
1928 stalin became the sole leader of the soviet union and the only remaining old bolshevik still in power
stalin belived in socialism in one country meaning priority should be given to industriliastion of russia or else it would be defeated by hostile powers "either we make good difference in 10 years or they will crush us"
trotsky belief in permanent revlotuion meaning communism should spread to other countries
industrilisation - five year plans
as the NEP failed to indstrialise the soviet union/stalin belived that communism could only be developed in a fully industrialised ecnomy so he introduced the five year plans
five year plans intenede to transform the USSR into a power modern and industrial nation
stalin belived russia were "50 to 100 years behnd advanced countries"
gosplan (central planning commison) decided on production targets such as manufacturing,transport and raw materials
as to the first five year plan (1928-32) it concentrated on coal iron gas and electricity
targets that electrical power would grow by 335%,iron by 200% and coal by 111%
targets werent met but results were still impressive as electrical poweer grew by 160%,iron by 100% and coal by 80% and oil production doubled
second five year plans
focus on the heavy industry for the second five year plan (1933-37) foucsed on metalworking industry and transport with many sectors doubling in production
moscow underground built during this period as well as other railways cancals and airports
there was also focus on consumer goods like clothes and shoes
hitler also strengthening nazi germany,tank factories were set up beyond the urals out of german reach
indsutrialisation - five year plans - results
third five year plans (1938 - 41) was cut short ude to geramn invasion 1941
huge investment was put into armament at this tage as it was essential for military expansion
production of industrial goods almost trebled but there was poor quality with so much emhasis on quanitty
poor living condfitons occured as well as food shortages
iron,oil and electricity production grew at a rapid rate
urbanisation was produced with the percentage of people living in cities doublun from 1926-1940
after the five year plans the west suffered from a depression but the soviet union experienced full employment
an educated workforce was adapted with numbers in secondary schools growing six tmes between 1928-38
the most impotant result of the five year plans was it helped the soviet union to defeat hitelr in the second world war
collectivisation
a change in industry meant that a new polciy in collectivisation was introduced
collectivisation involved sall prvatley owened farms being seized by the state and forcibly combined to form larger,collective,state owened farms called kolhoz
stalin introduced kolhoz as the NEP created kulaks (rich farmers) who owened their own land + wanted better control over agriculture
he also wanted to increase grain output to feed the wrokers in industrial cities and with larger farms,work tractros and other machinery could be shared increasing effciency
kulaks were unhappy over collectivisation and in protest killed their animals and burnt their grain
as consequrences to this there was a famine due to low production from 1932-33 where 5 million people died
stalin decied to take matters into his own hands and killed the kulajs or sent them to labour camps known as dekulakization
by 1940 around 97% of farms were collectivised and around 17 million people left the countryside to live in cities
6-7 million people doed on the famine and stalins successor,nikita krushchev says that "all we knew was that people were dying in ernormous numbers"
propaganda
massive part of stalins success was the use of propaganda.Propaganda is the use ofmisinfrmation used to promote a political cause or point of view
newspapers (the pravada),radio and cinema were all controlled by stalin
stalin also blamed faiure of politics on saboteurs and spies
stalin created a cult of ppersonality where he was a godlike figure who could do no wrong + should be admired and loved - no criticism allowed
prussian scientist,pavel litinov siad that "stalin was a god like figurre"
stalin had big mphaisi on influecning youth setiing up youth organisations such as the "young communists" and "komsomol"
stalin also revised textbooks to change his role in the 1917 reveloution and civil war
he was portrayed the "veritable genius" of the reveltion
great terror + purges
as a result of stailins policies there was an increase in opposition to him
from 1931-32 stalin was criticsied for his brutal tactics from communist members leading to increase isolation and paranoia to him
therefore stalin implemented a further use of terror.He decided to get rid of all "old bloksheviks" and purge the communist party known as the great terror
this was a period of large scale countrywide poltical repression where soviet security forces used imprisonment,slave labur,torture and murder to wipe out all internal oppostiition to stalins rule
people who plotted with hitler and trotsky to kill stalin,miority nationalities,NKVD members and their familes were either killed or sent to gulags,gluags were harsh conditions slave labour camps designed to help with the process of industrilisation
show trials
stalin organised "show trials" in moscow - purpose to show accused guilt to the world
august 1936,16 senior party members including Zinoviev and Kamenev went on trial. - accused of killing kirov,plotting to kill stalin + conspiring witth foreign givernments against the soviet union
they were physically and psychologically tortured before the trials and therefore pleaded guilty
23 january 1937,17 old bolsheviks were put on trial,these included men who supported trotsky in the power struggle ,accused of conspiring with germany and japan + sabotaging the 5 year plans - they all confessed
the final show trial took place in march 1938 - bulkharin and yagoda were accused of being members of the anti coviet bloc of righsight and trotskyties wrecking and sabotaging the economy + attempting to assanssinate stalin - both pleaded guilty and were executed
as a result of stalins purges stalin used the show trials as a aform of propaganda
during the great terror 5 million people were arrested - almost a form of propaganda sentenced to death while th rest were sent to the gulags were an estimated 90% died of overwork,malnurtition,cold or casual violence
conclusion
"no one in hsitory has ever waged such a war on his own people"