Stalin: man of steel

Overview Recap. The struggle for power Industry and the five year plans Agriculture and collectivisation the purges The cult of personality

Recap When Lenin died in 1924, he had been very successful in imposing a communist dictatorship in Russia. He had defeated all of his opponents and established a strong communist government. each of the areas formerly belonging to the Tsar came under communist control. They were turned into socialist republics. In 1923 these became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (the USSR). But, Lenin failed to provide a clear successor on his death. This led to four years of bitter struggle.

Who would succeed Lenin? Trotsky – Red Army Commander and Commisar of Foreign Affairs Stalin – Commissar for Nationalities OR

Reasons for Stalin’s success When Lenin died he had warned the Communist Party of Stalin’s threat in his ‘Political Testament’. Trotsky is personally probably the most capable man in the present Central Committee, but he has displayed excessive self-assurance and preoccupation with the purely administrative side of his work. General Trotsky … is distinguished by his outstanding ability. Comrade Stalin, having become General Secretary, has great power in his hands, and I am not sure that he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution. Comrade Stalin is too rude.

Stalin v. trotsky Trotsky felt secure. Thought stalin was inarticulate and not a serious rival. Much less popular. But trotsky had been a Menshevik. only joined the Bolsheviks in 1917. Dismissed as Commissar for War in 1925; and from Central Committee in in 1926. In 1927 expelled from Communist Party. Forced into exile in 1929. Assassinated in Mexico in 1940 (with an ice-pick!] Stalin in a strong position. Took boring, mundane jobs, built a profile. General Secretary of the Communist Party. Responsible for appointments. Could remove opponents and replace with his supporters. Removed Kamenev, Zinoviev, Bukharin …. And Trotsky. Popular in the Party. ‘Socialism in one country’.

Industry: The Five Year Plans

Background: NEP (1921-1928) Return to a limited capitalist system. Bolsheviks maintained the ‘Commanding Heights’ of the economy. Forced requisition of grain was replaced by a tax in kind (a fixed proportion of the crop). Peasants retained excess produce; sold it for a profit at a state-regulated price. Small businesses permitted to operate as private enterprises (< 20 workers). Large industries remained under state control. Private trade and wages were restored.

NEP Continued By 1928, the NEP had raised the Soviet national income above its pre-war level. However, the NEP policies were inadequate for the expansionist aims of Stalin. Why? NEP was regarded as too capitalistic and was a departure from socialism. Weak heavy industry. Results from NEP appeared to have plateaued. Opportunity for Stalin to remove political rivals.

Stalin’s Thinking We are 50-100 years behind the advanced countries. We must make up this gap in ten years. Either we do it or they crush us. Stalin 1931 “Fifty to a hundred years behind the advanced countries (the U.S., France, Germany, the UK), Must narrow "this distance in ten years“ Declared "Either we do it or we shall be crushed." “Socialism in one country” Russia had to be able to feed itself - hence collectivization.

Stalin’s “Revolution From Above” Five-year plans (Piatiletka) Nation-wide centralized exercises in rapid economic development. The plan called for the state taking control of the economy Two extraordinary goals: Rapid industrialization (heavy industry), Collectivization of agriculture.

Aims To erase all traces of the capitalism To transform the Soviet Union as quickly as possible into an industrialized socialist world power, regardless of human cost.

The Five Year Plans There were 13 five-year plans. The first five year plan was from 1928 to 1932 (one year early). The second five year plan was from 1933 to 1937. The third five year plan was from 1938 to 1941 (interrupted by war) The last Five-Year Plan was for the period from 1991 to 1995 and was not completed, as the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991.

Problems With 5-year Plan Widespread shortages of consumer goods (due to unrealistic production targets). Deportation of kulak households (5 million people). Disastrous disruption of agricultural productivity. Catastrophic famine in 1932-33 (Ukraine) Prices system did not function to signal the shortage. Scapegoats for failures put on trial and millions served as slave labour in gulags (labour camps). The Human costs were incalculable.

Serious Flaws Parts for industrial machinery were hard to get No parts to repair worn out machines Factories were kept idle for weeks Ex-peasants were used as skilled workers. had no idea how to operate the machines Damaged the machines Products produced were frequently so poor that they could not be used.

Propaganda of the Five Year Plans

Agriculture: Collectivisation

Collectivisation

Before After the Russian Civil War ‘’prodnalog’’ (food tax) was introduced. However there was little encouragement for improvement in techniques by the local communes food shortages in the cities peasants chose to consume their produce rather than sell it Soviet Communist Party saw collectivisation as the best remedy Before the revolution, peasants controlled only 2,100,000 km² Social and ideological goals would also be served through mobilization of the peasants

Agriculture is developing slowly, comrades Agriculture is developing slowly, comrades. This is because we have about 25 million individually owned farms. They are the most primitive and undeveloped form of economy. We must do our utmost to develop large farms and to convert them into grain factories for the country organised on a modern scientific basis.

Collectivisation: Before Individual farms (Kulaks) Each has own farmhouse, tractor, equipment, etc. Farmers make $ based on how productive they are… The more productive, the more $ they make!

Collectivisation of farms * Collective farm – state (government) owned, all equipment and housing, * Everyone gets paid the same wages. * All profits go to government, which then pays the workers. * No incentive, no ownership of land. * By 1935, almost ALL agriculture in the Soviet Union has been COLLECTIVIsED Workers live in a communal village, in gov’t housing projects

How did agricultural production improve?

Was Collectivisation Successful?

Collectivisation Many of the peasants refused to cooperate with the Collectivization efforts of Stalin, so, what did they do? (From 1932 to 1933, 10 millions peasants died due to FAMINE) To wipe out any remaining resistance, Stalin unleashed terror to crush opposition through a series of PURGES

The purges

BEGINNING OF THE GREAT PURGE In 1933, Stalin launched purge of party members Cut membership by 33% The purpose of this purge was to advance Stalin’s political career and eliminate anyone who compromised his power Also result of desire to get rid of rank-and-file members who might one day support Stalin’s rivals Accomplished with little bloodshed Series of show trials

The Bloody purges “Death solves all problems- no man, no problem” He used execution and mass imprisonment to destroy any potential political opposition. Paranoia and fear were major components in his reason for the purge. He would take preemptive actions to help further himself. Anyone was perceived as a potential threat to the regime’s authority-including senior officers and strong political members 750,000 were executed between 1936 and 1938 and those who were not executed were sent to forced labor camps, collectively known as the Gulag

The purges Even with his opponents removed, Stalin still felt insecure. He conducted a policy of purges between 1934-1938. Millions were arrested, executed or sent to labour camps. Stalin used the NKVD, the secret police, to undertake the ‘Great Terror’. Stalin purged: 90% of the army’s top officers, every admiral in the navy, 1 million Communist Party members, some 20 million ordinary Russians.

Short Term effects Long Term effects Eliminated the majority of Stalin’s adversaries Immediately placed Stalin as the supreme dictator (work at Gulags) facilitated industrialization Everything the Bolshevik party and revolution had stood for was demolished The fear stalin Instilled remained within the people during his political career Brought Russia’s economy on grounds similar to those of the western world Gave future leaders of Russia a chance to exploit previous leaders’ influence to gain power

The cult of personality

Stalin’s face is seen everywhere. His name is spoken by everyone Stalin’s face is seen everywhere. His name is spoken by everyone. His praises are sung in every speech. Every room I entered had a portrait of Stalin hanging on the wall. Is it love or fear? I do not know. A foreigner describes the glorification of Stalin in the USSR.

“Long live the great Stalin!” 1938 Idol worship of leaders was a large part of Soviet Russia.  Stalin was an idolized figure, and is pictured in many propaganda posters as a well put together, kind looking, yet still serious man.  Here, his image is shown with lines of young women carrying flowers, and crowds of smiling, arms- bearing young men.  Everyone remains with a smile on their face while preparation for war is in full-swing. poster could be seen as using the transfer method, because Stalin’s presence in the picture is such a strong one, and his image was very powerful in Soviet Russia. 

‘Uncle joe’ This homely image shows stalin holding up a young child. What else does the image signify?

What is this poster meant to tell us about stalin? “captain of the ship” What is this poster meant to tell us about stalin?

Marx, engels, lenin, and stalin, 1936 Discuss the interpretation of this image from 1936.

Effects of stalin’s rule

The effects of stalin’s rule Millions of people suffered in Stalin’s purges – workers, peasants and members of the Communist party. There was brutality, persecution, executions and forced labour. Millions died of starvation and over-work. The shops were empty. clothes were dull and badly made and household items difficult to find Although the USSR was a Communist state, the dictatorship of Stalin was just as complete, and in some ways even more bloody, than that of Hitler. But despite these appalling tragedies, there were some positive aspects to Stalin’s rule. For example schools were built and social insurance schemes were introduced. Russia became a modern industrial country.

“long live the great stalin, 1938” The Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 When Germany attacked the USSR in 1941, Stalin used the same ruthlessness to defend his country. The defence of the USSR was the bloodiest war in history and cost the lives of millions of people and the destruction of thousands of villages, towns and cities. The final victory in 1945 was, like everything else, put down to the personal leadership of Stalin by the Soviet propaganda machine. After the war, Stalin built up the USSR as a superpower, in opposition to the USA. This conflict was known as the Cold War. Stalin died in 1953.