AP Euro Ch 29 Oh that wonderful Stalin…The Man of Steel

Issues Under Lenin Early 1920’s were bad – No food, no industry….mass starvation – Revolts force change (Kronstadt) 1921-New Economic Policy (NEP) – Limited economic freedom Allowed to sell leftover grain – Made a deal with the peasants (largest group in Russia) – Rapid economic recovery NEP-Period Marketplace (1921) Two Decrees by Soviets explaining NEP Policies

Lenin Dies in 1924…Who is next? Lenin left no stated successor (power vacuum) Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin) vs. Leon Trotsky - good organizer-revolutionary hero -gained support of party ” PERMANENT REVOLUTION ” “ SOCIALISM OF ONE COUNTRY ” -forced to leave Russia -aligned with Trotsky’s enemies -murdered in Mexico -has Trotsky exiled and killed Trotsky in Mexico (1940) right before his death

Stalin Achieves Power 1927 Party Congress welcomes Stalin Five-Year Plans started (catch the west) – Industrial output increase by 250% – Agro production increase by 150% – Collective farms started Scared of restoration of capitalism so… – No NEP private traders – No independent artisans – No property-owning peasants

Stalin’s Five-Year Plan

Collectivization… ”Second Serfdom” Starts in 1929 – By 1932… 60% in collectives – By 1938…93% in collectives Peasants forced to give up animals and land – Move to large govt. farms Liquidate the kulaks NOT SUCCESSFUL – Cost state lots of money (too many dead horses) – 10 million dead people – Ukraine death toll hits 6 million

5-Year Plan Success? For industry it was a success Allowed investments to be made – 1/3 net national income towards investments – Came from high sales tax on people "The USSR transformed itself from an agrarian country into an industrial country.” (TOP) "Each circle represents 10% of national product. Sickle – agriculture. Hammer -- industry.” (BOTTOM)

5-Year Plan and the People? No unions Could be placed anywhere for work Could not move without police permission Foreign engineers hired (at first) – Americans come over because of depression No improvement in average standard of living

Russian Citizens under Stalin No consumer goods – Vodka always available (taxed heavily) Citizens still felt they were building “World’s First Socialist State” so they were happy Old-age pensions Free medical services Free education (way to improve life) Day-care centers for parents

True Communism? Stalin started to offer incentives for those who worked hard and improved – High paying jobs – Increased benefits – Better living arrangements This became the new upper class – True Communism?

Women Under Stalin Still equal to men but mainly in work and education – No more “sexual freedom” Women do well in education – By 1950, 75% of doctors in Russia are women Mobilization of women was a huge characteristic of the Soviet State

Stalin’s Control Methods Police terror and mass government purges helped maintain control – Stalin’s wife committed suicide? – Sergei Kirov- “murdered” socialist party leader Kirov’s murder allowed Stalin to start reign of terror Kirov and Stalin 1934 The chief executioner of the NKVD, Vasili Blokhin, carried out some of the high profile executions during the purges. Nadezhda Alliluyeva- died of “appendicitis” (with a gun by her side), doctors would not sign off, they were later executed themselves.

The Purges Starts in 1936 with 16 old Bolshevik leaders – Arrested and put on trial – Found “guilty” lesser party officials and others take the stand – “Show trials” held – Torture for confessions – Execution, work-camps, exiled 8 million total end up dead

New Communist Party Members Purges allow Stalin to bring in new party members – Young educated communists – Years of Stalin propaganda & communist influence – Understanding of “purges” and the fear Russia now a totalitarian state