1. THE USSR & Stalin 1924-1939 MAN of Steel
History D. Smith/mbss

2. THE USSR & Stalin The Rise of Stalin
From a poor background, was not an intellectual
From the Caucasus; claimed to be a man of the people
Was ruthless and calculating, rose to a position of power in the innermost circles of the party.
1922- appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party, he was called “Comrade Card-Index”
It wasn’t a popular position, but deceptively powerful; he controlled the appointment of key positions in Russia
By 1923, Lenin was worried about the power Stalin had, his temperament, and his potential abuse of power.

3. THE USSR & STALIN The Rivals Remember WAR COMMUNISM, the NEP?
Stalin supported the NEP; Trotsky wanted War Communism to continue
Trotsky wanted to pursue “World Revolution”, while Stalin wanted to pursue “Socialism in One Country”
After a civil war, Trotsky’s plans sounded like more hardship, while Stalin appealed to the patriotic.
Note: Trotsky and Stalin were at odds.

4. THE USSR & Stalin The Struggle For Power
Stalin moved quickly to isolate and remove challengers.
1925- Trotsky removed from post as Commissar for War
1926- Stalin gets supporters elected to the Central Committee, eliminating his need for previous allies who were dismissed the same year.
1927- Trotsky exiled from the Soviet Union
As he eliminated opponents, he removed the allies who helped him at each stage, until in he was in total control- all of his potential challengers were defeated.
**Trotsky would be killed by a Soviet agent in Mexico, in 1940, with an ice-pick to the head.

5. THE USSR & Stalin The Economy
By the late 1920s, Russia was still NOT industrialized
7,448 cars, 263 busses
120 million peasants (1/2 grain harvested by scythes & sickles)
Fewer than 20 out of 100 families lived in cities
Stalin worried the USSR risked invasion by western powers if they didn’t modernize.
GOSPLAN- the state planning commission, designed the forced modernization through “Five Year Plans” - goals for agricultural & industrial production.
Created a command economy (gov’t controls production, distribution and consumption)

6. THE USSR & Stalin The First Five Year Plan (1928-1932)
1st Priority: Increase output of heavy industry,
Heavy Industrial production to increase by 330%
Pig Iron- 300%, Coal- 200%, Electric Power- 400%
2nd Priority: Increase agricultural output by 150% to support industrialization in the cities
: Massive projects such as dams, mines and industrial factories were completed.

7. THE USSR & Stalin The First Five Year Plan (1928-1932)
To achieve these goals, strict discipline and harsh consequences for failure were imposed; many projects relied on slave labour.
Although only goals that were met were in oil, the plan was a qualified success.
The quality of goods was not high, nor had the standard of living improved for most people.
Success of the plan came at a high cost

8. THE USSR & Stalin Collectivization
Increases in agricultural output were needed to feed the rising workforce in the cities, so in 1929, Stalin ordered farms to be collectivised.
Collectivisation meant smaller farms were joined together into larger farms & the land was worked using modern methods.
Many landless peasants complied, but Kulaks resisted by burning their crops & killing their animals.
Kulaks owned land, had employees, & made profits off their surplus.

9. THE USSR & Stalin 1932-1933 Famine
In 1932, as collectivization was being instituted, the state seized grain from farmers to feed the cities.
The resistance of the Kulaks and other farmers led to considerable destruction.
Many Kulaks were arrested and sent to prison camps (the Gulag), about 20,000 were executed.
As a result, the Ukraine experienced a harsh famine, in which ~4 million people perished.
This was permitted by the gov’t to enforce obedience & support the 5 year plan.

10. THE USSR & Stalin The Purges
In 1934, Stalin began to eliminate his opposition, not with exile or prison terms, but by killing them.
Suspects would be tried in show trials, where they would publically admit to treason, & later be executed.
Having eliminated his political opponents, he purged the Army in 1937.
By 1938, Stalin had eliminated all the members of the 1st Bolshevik government, and ~1/3 of the officers in the Red Army had gone missing.

11. THE USSR & Stalin Cult of Personality
Stalin had many cities and villages named after him and had awards bestowed upon himself.
Statues of him exaggerated his height (actually ~5’6”)
New history enhanced his role in the revolution
During WW2, his name was put in the anthem.
The NKVD (secret police) carried out Stalin’s oppression and elimination of opposition.
Due to a lack of records, estimates of deaths resulting from Stalin’s regime range from 10 million (6 from famine/4 from death camps & execution) to 30 million.

12. THE USSR & Stalin Subsequent Five Year Plans
The 2nd Five Year Plan continued the focus on heavy industry.
The goals were still extreme, but slightly reduced compared to the first.
The 3rd 5 Year Plan focused on light industry and consumer goods.
By the mid thirties, the standard of living was slowly starting to rise.
Do the ends justify the means?

13. THE USSR & Stalin Foreign Affairs
August 1939, the USSR & Nazi Germany signed a non-aggression pact.
They also secretly divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
Stalin was seeking time to modernize his forces and a buffer of land, while Hitler was eliminating the risk of a two front war.

14. Written Response
Describe how Stalin transformed the peasant- based Soviet economy into a modern industrial state between 1928 and 1941.

15. Written Response first Five-Year Plan began in 1928
emphasis on heavy industry (steel, coal, dams, power, military hardware & tractors at the expense of consumer goods)
collectivization of agriculture, forced peasants onto collective farms
collectives meant many peasants could move to the city to work in new factories
elimination of kulaks as a class—sent to gulag
workers encouraged with prizes, medals, etc.
consumer goods not a priority
3rd Five-Year Plan focused on military development to face fascists by force/coercion
Political Prisoners
secret police, NKVD arrest citizens, ruthless suppression of human rights
forced labour camps, the gulag, show trials, executions, getting rid of people who opposed the Five-Year Plans and collectivization
use of propaganda
the cult of Stalin was created to spread fear and encourage productivity
By 1940, the Soviet Union had reached British levels of industrial output in several areas.
1932–1934—famine. Grain exported to pay for machinery for factories.
Education, health care expanded to prepare new generation of workers.
Housing and transportation infrastructure improved.
Strict totalitarian control.
Decimation of the Ukraine to support the Five-Year Plan
Women had a greater role in the workplace than their counterparts in the West