Russia (Stalin): 15/25 - general

when did Lenin get sick, and when did he die

ill from 1922 (suffered many strokes), died on the 21st Jan 1924

rank T, S, B, Z/K, R/T from left-wing to centre to right-wing

left wing (anti-NEP, rapid industrialisation, worldwide revolution)

• Trotsky

• Zinoviev, Kamenev

centre: STALIN

• Rykov, Tomsky

• Bukharin

right wing (NEP, socialism)

Trotsky - good qualities for rise to power - (3+)

• As Commissar for War and the main organiser of the November Revolution who had built up the Red Army which defeated the Whites

  • so had worked closely with Lenin (previous leader)

  • Lenin himself appeared to favour Trotsky, offering Trotsky the position of deputy chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, which Trotsky refused twice.

• charismatic/good speaker - able to rally and persuade crowds

• popular with younger and more radical bolsheviks

Trotsky bad qualities (7)

PERSONALITY

• old Bolsheviks viewed him as an outsider + Jewish

  • only joined the Bolsheviks in August 1917 after siding with the Mensheviks in 1903 during the split of the Russian Soviet Democratic Labour Party. He joined when success was already likely

• was arrogant, aloof and rude - often offended senior party members

• fell ill in 1923 while Lenin was dying - so was weak just when he needed to be most active

even though Lenin liked Trotsky - many leading communists disliked this apparent favouritism

TROTSKY’S POLITICS

• many didn’t like his idea of worldwide revolution because it meant he might involve the USSR in new conflicts

• worry that Trotsky’s radical policies might split the party

• people worried Trotsky could become a dictator because he had a lot of military support

Zinoviev and Kamenev

• 2 good qualities

• 2 bad qualities

good:

• old Bolsheviks - joined 1903

• Kamenev was party secretary in Moscow, and Zinoviev in Leningrad (power bases)

• Zinoviev - close friend of Lenin.

bad:

• both opposed Lenin about the timing of the November revolution

• old and ineffectual

• not involved in the civil war

Bukharin:

• 3 good qualities (Lenin quote about him)

• 4 bad

good:

• Lenin called him the ‘golden boy‘ of the Bolshevik party (popular)

• Lenin supporter

• was the editor of the communist newspaper, Pravda.

bad:

• criticised Lenin and Trotsky for the Treaty of Brest Litvosk

• supported the NEP - so he became unpopular with the left wing.

• too young and inexperienced

• little political skills/cunning

what’s the difference between Permanent Revolution and Socialism in One Country + whose is whose

Permanent Revolution (Trotsky)

• should help other countries working class to have a communist revolution (go global)

Socialism in One Country (Stalin)

• accept worldwide revolution is unlikely

• build up the USSR without outside help (become self-sufficient)

what did Stalin argue Permanent Revolution showed about Trotsky

• that he didn’t believe in Russia - that it couldn’t keep up on its own

when and how did Stalin probably gain Lenin’s trust?

• after the October Revolution 1917 (in which Stalin wasn’t involved - was just editor of Pravda) - he was made Commissar for Nationalities in the new gov. His offices were close to Lenin’s (so got trusted)

• in 1919, senior trusted Bolsheviks (Sverdlov) died of the Spanish flu, so Lenin was left with few administrators and looked to Stalin

  • Lenin appointed Stalin head of Workers’ and Peasants’ inspectorate.

  • in May 1919, Lenin put Stalin in charge of the Ogburo (controls party organisation) and into the Politburo (main assembly)

  • In 1922, was appointed General Secretary

early on - where did Stalin and Trotsky come into conflict

• In the civil war, Stalin was sent to organised food supplies/defend from the Whites

  • but he didn’t like having to carry out Trotsky’s orders and was removed from his military post for disobedience

quote, what was Stalin described as: a ___ ____

a grey blur

what was the Politburo

highest policy-making authority of the party - made all the decision

where did Stalin’s long-term power base come from?

• party secretary: could control what was discussed at Politburo and what members received

• Ogburo: control party structure - could put his supporters in key positions

• could control party membership - allowed him to get rid of more radical members (who may support Trotsky)

what program did Stalin launch in 1923

• Lenin Enrolment programme from 1923 to 1925. This recruited over 500,000 largely uneducated and poor members who were loyal to him.

  • almost doubled party membership to one million

  • only 8% had received higher education and less than 1% had completed any form of higher education - easy to manipulate

Stalin’s weak qualities (3+)

• Stalin was harshly criticised by Lenin in his 'Testament'. If this became public knowledge it would undermine him.

• He did not take part in the October Revolution.

• Not popular or well-known in the party (not charismatic)

  • unpopular with Lenin, Trotsky

rise account brief stages (5)

1. Lenin’s funeral

2. suppression of Lenin’s testament

3. attack on Trotsky

4. Left-wing chaos

5. Right-wing chaos

detail: Lenin’s funeral

1. Lenin’s funeral

• Stalin tricked Trotsky into missing Lenin’s funeral (gave him the wrong date) → severely damaging Trotsky’s reputation and political prestige

• set himself up as Lenin’s disciple: was a pallbearer, and made a speech

• Stalin hoped to transfer to himself the prestige, respect and loyalty associated with Lenin — as if it would be a natural progression for Stalin to take over Lenin

what did Lenin’s testament say, when did he write it

Trotsky:

Stalin:

K/Z

• Trotsky is the most capable, but too arrogant

• Stalin was too powerful and rude, so should be removed as General Secretary, too corrupt

• Kamenev/Zinoviev didn’t support the October 1917 revolution so shouldn’t be trusted

• warned that Trotsky vs Stalin could cause splits in the party

• Bukharin is valuable but doesn’t understand Marxism

written in 1922 after his second stroke

why (near his death) did Lenin become worried about Stalin

1922 onwards (post-strokes)

• became aware of the power Stalin had gained

• worried about how Stalin was abusing his power by intimidating and bullying the Communists governing Georgia

  • so Lenin started an investigation into that Georgian affair and it confirmed his fears

detail: suppression of Lenin’s testament

• Lenin’s wife Krupskaya gave Lenin’s secret testament to the Central Committee in May 1924 (before 13th Party Congress)

• Kamenev, Zinoviev and Stalin agreed not to release it

  • so fewer people knew about Lenin’s criticisms of them

  • K/Z also though Stalin presented no threat and wanted Stalin’s help defeating Trotsky - they thought releasing it would make Trotsky seem better

  • K/Z came to Stalin’s rescue, arguing that the Testament was no longer important as Stalin had changed his policies, and the political climate meant it was important for the party to maintain a united front.

• Trotsky stayed quiet - mistake

• The Central Committee voted to keep Stalin in the role of General Secretary and not publish Lenin’s Testament, and in June 1924, the Fifth Congress of Comintern elected Stalin in the place of Trotsky as a full executive member.

what was the ban on factions, and when

1921 - Party members found guilty of forming factions could be expelled from the Party as punishment.

as part of: On Party Unity, when there was tension over NEP vs war communism

detail: attack on Trotsky

• Trotsky criticised the party for becoming bureaucratic (slow/complicated) and less democratic

• even though he was charismatic he was defeated in votes because of Stalin’s many minions in congress

  • and couldn’t appeal to supporters because of Ban on Factions

• in 1924, K/Z try to throw Trotsky under the bus → question his loyalty, suggest opposition to Lenin before 1917

• Trotsky retaliates with K/Z’s unwillingness to back Lenin for the October revolution 1917.

• Meanwhile, Stalin stays in the background as Left K/Z tears itself apart

• Since K/V were still scared of Trotsky taking power, they ‘allowed‘ Stalin to bring more supporters into positions of power

• Trotsky is removed as Commissar for War in Jan 1925

detail: left-wing chaos

• a new alliance emerges between Stalin and Bukharin

• 1925 Stalin’s Socialism in One Country is popular with right wing - fits with NEP as route to socialism

• at 14th (next) party congress - K/Z attack Stalin, call for vote of no confidence in him.

  • but they lose every vote because Stalin has basically complete control of delegates

• 1926 - K/Z join old enemy Trotsky and make a direct appeal to party members (even try to organise a demonstration in Moscow — Kamenev power base secretary)

  • but accused of ‘factionalism‘ against Ban on Factions, so all three lose positions of power, and in 1927 are expelled from the party

detail: right-wing chaos

• 1928 - Stalin attacks right-wing and NEP, advocates for rapid industrialisation and force to make peasants cooperate

  • Bukharin and right wing are worried Stalin’s methods may lead to a return of War Communism

  • under pressure from the right, Stalin agreed to stop grain seizures in 1928 and try raising the price of grain

  • but when the food shortage worsened in 1929, the party supported Stalin and Bukharin was removed from his post

  • then mass collectivisation introduced

• 1929 congress - Bukharin is outvoted by Stalin’s supporters

• Bukharin, Rykov, Tomsky, are removed from Politburo and other party bodies

Stalin wins!!

when did Stalin join the Bolsheviks

1903

1912 - was invited onto the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party because they were short of working class leaders

• Stalin stayed in Russia as a point of contact while others were in exile in other European cities

why did Stalin become leader of the USSR: characteristics/qualities

characteristics/qualities

• older member than Trotsky (Stalin joined 1912) and with genuine poor roots

  • very loyal/unlikely to cause splits in the party

• political genius

  • see all his actions, P2 → e.g. pragmatist, switching alliances from left to right (K/Z, then B) to attack/weaken rivals

  • cunning, ruthless

• more down to earth and practical that other leading Bolsheviks → best at managing bureaucratic, centralised party

• perceived as a ‘grey blur’, as dull and mediocre - stayed in the background as opponents destroyed each other

why did Stalin emerge as leader: his actions (general: 4)

• public opinion → used Lenin’s funeral to trick and humiliate Trotsky and associate himself with Lenin’s prestige/the disciple

• suppressed Lenin’s Testament (so it didn’t taint his reputation)

• control of party → held key positions in Oguro/Politburo/ as General Secretary, so he could control membership and positions - appointed his minions

  • and other wanted him on their side as he could deliver votes in congress

  • also could expel members who might support Trotsky

• pragmatism → adopted popular policies

  • NEP: supported NEP when it was popular (1924-28), then switched to Rapid Industrialisation when it became unpopular (1928+)

  • switching alliances - right/left then dropping them

• ideology → Socialism in One Country was more popular to the party/masses, than Permanent Revolution - Stalin’s gave Russians a special historic role, more patriotic

trotsky quote about boring politics

drudgery of politics

Why did Stalin rise to power? weakness of the opposition

Trotsky (main opponent):

• young Bolshevik - joined in 1917 — not trusted/potentially disloyal

• arrogant/disrespectful despite being a charismatic speaker, seemed dismissive/aloof with older Bolsheviks

  • stubborn - felt his uncompromising views would lead to splits in the party

  • was popular with younger, radical members

    • leading to splits?

• poor political drive/skill → didn’t like to get involved in the ‘drudgery of politics‘ - bad at alliances, compromises, etc.

  • didn’t try to build up his power base, allowed Stalin to quietly erode what he had. Like other contenders, Trotsky underestimated Stalin

  • party majority didn’t like Permanent Revolution

• for three years from later 1923, Trotsky suffered serious illness - fevers, possible malaria

what happened to Trotsky 1925

and to K/Z/T in 1927

January 1925 - lost his position as Commissar for War

in December - lost his Politburo seat

1927 - K/Z/T were expelled for their role in ‘United Opposition‘ - when they campaigned for more democracy and openness in the party

K/Z were readmitted in 1928 after recanting their views

how/where/when did Trotsky die

August 1940 in Mexico, murdered by a hit man with an ice pick

what happened in 1929 to Tomsky, Rykov and Bukharin

were accused of ‘right deviation’ , lost their posts in the party

why did Stalin want to industrialise the USSR quickly?

1. increase military strength

   • Russia needs well-developed industry to produce weapons for war

   • Stalin became increasingly paranoid that the USSR would be attacked

2. self-sufficiency

   • wants to make USSR less dependant on Western manufactured goods

3. increase gain and supply production

   • in the past, backwards agriculture/the economy’s dependence on it caused huge problems

     • no longer wants to be at the mercy of peasants or a bad harvest

(establish himself as a leader among Bolsheviks, successor/equal of Lenin and make a lasting impact)

(improve living standards, make USSR socialist)

despite grain supply ______ under the NEP and ______ had receded, the peasants were ______________ the quantities of grain the government needed for its industrialisation plans

grain supply had INCREASED ENOURMOUSLY under the NEP

and fear of FAMINE had receded

the peasants were NOT PRODUCING enough for industrialisation

in 1913 Russia exported ____ million ___s of grain

but even in the best years of the NEP, the amount never exceeded _____ million

1913 - exported 12 MILLION TONS

best years of the NEP - never over 3 MILLION TONS

evidence of low grain produce’s devastating effects on foreign trade

1926-7 → exports were at 33 percent of their 1913 levels

(because of decline in grain exports)

why was there little grain on the market (around the end of the 1920s) (3)

1. agriculture still very backward (in 1927 - over 5 million inefficient wooden ploughs were in use)

2. smaller plots of land due to post-revolution division of large estates. And on these small holdings, most of the produce was eaten by its people

3. peasants were angry at the government

in 1926, despite a good harvest, state collections were just ______ of the predictions for that year as peasants consumed more of their produce

despite a good harvest in 1926, state grain collections were just HALF of the PREDICTIONS for that year (as peasants had eaten more of their produce)

what tactic did the government try to use to fix this (not enough grain on the market)

• gov collected taxes in money instead of grain

• stopped private traders from buying peasants grains for around double what the state was offering → meant peasants had to sell for lower prices, and thus sell more to pay money taxes

what was the peasant response for the new taxation system

• the peasants fed grain to their animals (instead of selling it for cheap), since meat prices were going up

• and held back grain, hoping for the price to rise

and what was the government’s response to the peasant resistance to the new taxation system

+fact for what low harvest in 1928 meant gov had to do in cities

• the low harvest in 1928 meant gov had to ration bread in cities

• Stalin sent officers to increase grain seizures, close markets, and arrest those who resisted the seizures, charging them as kulaks under Article 107 of the criminal code which passed in 1927

  • relationship between gov and peasants deteriorates further

  • some party members disapprove of Stalin’s methods

why did the peasants not care about having surplus money

basically nothing to buy with it since industry is not producing many consumer goods

did the peasants continue to hide grain? what happened to those who did, and what was the result

peasants and kulaks began to hide their grain

Those found resisting were arrested following the 1928 harvest,

which resulted in serious unrest and bread shortages in rural areas.

urban workers and the NEP (general)

• not much change after promised improvement

• high unemployment rates

• women forced out of jobs after the red army is demobilised

• poor housing - family of 7 to one room

• crime issues - parentless kids = gangs

what was decided in December 1927 at the 15th party congress

(brief)

end of the NEP, first Five Year Plan

• rapid industrialisation

• high targets for industry

• collectivisation - 15% of households to be collectivised

issues with the NEP according to Stalin’s gov.

or why was there support for rapid industrialisation

• not socialist enough (party members accepted the NEP’s non-socialist flaws because it was necessary for the regime to continue, but now they wanted to move forwards)

  • there had been a continuing debate about it…

• threat of invasion - poor relations with France and Poland, Britain had cut off diplomatic ties, suspicions about the Japanese (now needs industry to build armaments

• general issues - high unemployment, low wages, peasants starting to hold back food, food shortages

It was not really until the grain crisis of 1927 and 1928 that Stalin came around to abandoning Lenin’s NEP and favouring rapid industrialisation.

also helped Stalin to drop Bukharin

when was collectivisation announced vs enforced

1927, enforced 1929

briefly, what is collectivisation

policy of uniting small, individual farms into larger collective farms

• some ‘peasant-owned‘, some state-owned

• forced to share resources and work towards government targets

why collectivisation, what problems would it solve?

the hope:

• more land would be more efficiently worked (by tractors + machines), and more people trained by experts = higher food production

• mechanised agriculture would require less manual labour = free up peasants to move into the cities and work in industry

• easier to export goods (fewer collection points)

• socialist living ideal, to live communally and share resources

in mid 1929, less than __ percent of peasants were on collective farms. But just 6 months later, Stalin announced that __ percent of grain producing areas would be collectivised by the end of the year (1930)

mid-1929: less than 5% of peasants were on collective farms

Stalin announced that 25% of farms would be collectivised by the end of the year

why was collectivisation carried out so rapidly/forced at the end of 1929

• severe food shortages 1928-29 - they need to produce more food and improve industry

• crack down on peasant resistance

what did party members assume about collectivisation, and what did they think of the reality

• assumed it would be voluntary

• some were horrified it wasn’t

why was collectivisation resisted by Bukharin/what happened with him

Bukharin/the right were worried that Stalin’s methods would lead to a return of War Communism (grain requisitioning, violence/rural unrest, food shortages, rationing, etc.)

• 1928 - Stalin agreed to stop grain seizures and try raising the price of grain to encourage peasants to put more on the market

• but with worsening food shortages in 1929, party swung behind Stalin, and Bukharin and the rights were removed from key posts

  • then Stalin announced rapid collectivisation

who were the Kulaks (officially vs unofficially)

• officially: one or two horses, hire labour a few times a year, small market surplus (wealthy peasant)

• unofficially: anyone officials decided was one

what did people do not to be classed as a kulak

• got rid of animals and other resources

• stopped hiring labourers

Stalin quote december 1929 kulaks

‘the liquidation of the kulaks as a class’

what was the aim of the class warfare

• what was the problem with this

to scare the middle/poor peasants into joining collective farms

• ties between fellow peasants much stronger than ties to support communist state

• (would not give up kulaks because they were relatives or friends or just on anti-state principle)

  • even local party officials disagreed with liquidating the kulaks

when did Stalin set up the 25 thousanders and who were they

winter 1929–30

• (because local party officials weren’t completely compliant)

• Stalin enlisted an army of 25,000 urban party activists to revolutionise the countryside

• they were backed by secret police - OGPU and military

what was the task for the 25 thousanders

• were given a number of kulaks to find in a certain area (whether they existed or not)

• and to persuade the middle/poor peasants to sign a register that they want to be collectivised

• they would take the land, animals, tools of the liquidated kulaks and use them as the basis for the new collective farm

problem with the 25 thousanders running a collective farm / lack of kulaks

• richer peasants (kulaks) were probably the best farmers, so getting rid of them meant fewer experienced, enterprising farmers

• 25 thousanders have no real knowledge on how to run a farm

what three categories of punishments for the kulaks

• shot or Gulag labour camp, deported to Siberia, expelled from farms (settled on poor land)

what did the 1st Feb 1930 decree contain:

• local party organisations can use ‘necessary measures‘ against the kulaks

by the end of collectivisation - up to _____ people had been deported to Siberia or labour camps

by the end of collectivisation - up to 10 million people had been deported to Siberia or labour camps

crazy

example of how propaganda was good at getting people to snitch

• one thirteen year old girl denounced her mother for stealing grain

(alternately, good for poor peasants to get their neighbours shiny equipment and animals for the new collective farm)

was there peasant resistance? some details

yes!

• riots and armed resistance (often needed troops brought in to restore peace)

• peasants burnt crops, tools and houses rather than give them over to the state

• slaughter animals and eat them

by ____, ___% of all cattle, pigs and sheep in the USSR had mostly been eaten by peasants

by 1930, 25 - 30% of all cattle, pigs and sheep in the USSR had mostly been eaten by peasants

example of peasant resistance: one riot lasted for ____ days and ____ _____ had to be brought in to restore order

lasted for FIVE days and ARMOURED CARS had to be brought in

what did Stalin write in an article in the Pravda in March 19____

that his officials had moved too far too fast - said they had become ‘dizzy with success‘

what did Stalin do then (what did it do for the wrongly classified peasants)

and who was he pressured by

• called for a return to voluntary collectivisation, end to extreme coercion

  • so then huge numbers left the collective farms

  • allowed the many peasants who had been wrongly classified as kulaks to have their property restored

• (made it seem like central government had little control over bad things happening in rural areas)

pressured by the Politburo

and once the next harvest had been gathered in… Stalin…

restarted the campaign at full force

by 1931, over ____ of peasant households had been collectivised

by 1931, over HALF of peasant households had been collectivised

By 1931, 50% of Soviet households were part of collective farms.

By 1935, ___ % of Soviet households were part of collectives

By 1936, the official figure had shot up to ____

By 1931, 50% of Soviet households were part of collective farms.

By 1935, 75% of Soviet households were part of collectives

By 1937, the official figure had shot up to 90%

how much grain had the state requisitioned by the end of 1931

23 million tons

while the state continued to requisition grain, there was a massive drop in grain production. why?

(chaos of collectivisation)

• urban activists’ lack of farming knowledge/skills

• not enough animals to pull the ploughs (eaten by peasants) + not enough tractors to fill gaps

• drought in 1931

why is it difficult to know the numbers for how many people were killed in the 1932-34 famine?

• it was largely ignored by the government (who didn’t want to acknowledge that collectivisation had failed)

• targets/amount requisitioned remained v. high compared to the much reduced production

• continued to export grain to other countries (though less than previous years)

how many people were convicted of cannibalism during the famine

More than 2,500

Stalin passed decree for "Preventing the Mass Exodus of Peasants who are Starving” in January 1933

meaning? and how many deaths because of that?

peasants were restricted from travelling and migrating.

• some historians estimated this policy itself led to 150,000 deaths.

what law was passed in August 1932

ten year sentence for stealing socialised property - e.g. 5 ears of corn

later this was changed to the death penalty

how many people sent to the Glulag in 1930-31

Stalin in person had written the circular ordering the blockade of the Ukrainian countryside on January 1933. In February 1933 alone, _______ Ukrainian peasants who had tried to flee their villages were stopped by OGPU troops; _______ were sent back to their homes, thus condemned to certain death; the remainder were either sent to camps or deported

2 million people to the Gulag in 1930 and 1931

Stalin in person had written the circular ordering the blockade of the Ukrainian countryside on January 1933. In February 1933 alone, 220,000 Ukrainian peasants who had tried to flee their villages were stopped by OGPU troops; almost 200,000 (190,000) were sent back to their homes, thus condemned to certain death; the remainder were either sent to camps or deported

what was total million tons of grain produced in 1913?

and that compared to 1935

1913 - 80 million tons

1935 - 75 million tons

(after more than 20 years, worsening of agriculture (leaves Russia in the dust))

1928 - 1935

• grain harvests dropped significantly then increased slowly (same with cattle and pigs)

• state procurement increased

you got this queen

2 ways collectivisation was successful

• peasants from starving, overpopulated countryside fled to towns/cities, providing labour for new factories

• state procurements stayed high to feed growing workforce for industrialisation

2 ways collectivisation wasn’t successful

• counter prev. point (provided resources for industrialisation) - but then lots of valuable resources had to be diverted to agriculture

  • e.g. tractors because animals have been eaten, activists and secret police, etc.

• human cost - estimate 7 million died