Studied by 2 people1921
chinese communist party is founded in hops of carrying out a new communist revolution in china
march 1926
GMD massacred striking workers and established military dictatorship
april 1927
GMD suppressed communist workers’ revolt in shanghai, killing thousands
1927
GMD massacred striking workers in wuhan, killing approximately 30,000
1921
anglo-soviet trade agreement was the first positive contact
1926
relations between britain and USSR strained when soviets behaved subversively during the general strike
soviet leadership saw the strike as a political act and beginning of proletarian movement
dispute over wages
russian central council of trade unions sent £26,000 to the trades union congress, who sent the money back as they didn’t want to be accused of being in the pay of the soviets
achieved the encouragement of die-hard anti-soviets in britain
1925
locarno treaties between european nations worried russia - could be isolated again
1926
treaty of berlin
importance of rapallo as basis of friendliness between russia and germany
if either country was attacked by a third party, the other would remain neutral in the conflict
joint promise not to join any economic boycott launched against germany and russia
treaty would remain for 5 years and that the two countries would discuss their further relationship in the future
june 1926
USSR received large financial credits from german banks
july 1928
at the sixth comintern congress, stalin proposed his view that the time was right for an attack on anti-communist social democratic parties, due to the weaknesses of capitalism
stalin prepared the comintern for a fight to spread communism around the world
trotsky condemned stalin for being hypocritical
stalin was either reverting to his true belief now that the need for ‘socialism in one country’ was over or he wanted to fight bukharin, his now strongest opponent
1932-33
peasants suffered during a famine
made worse by deliberate government policy
january 1930
stalin announced 25% of grain-farming areas were to be collectivised that year
march 1930
peasants were scared by treatment of kulaks and 58% of peasant households had been collectivised
propaganda and force used
october 1930
20% of households collectivised
1931
rate of collectivisation increased gradually until it was at 100% in 1941
1932
kolkhozes could sell leftover produce to each other - only free market permitted in the USSR
1938
95% of threshing, 72% of ploughing, 57% of spring sowing, and 48% of harvesting was carried out mechanically
many machines were labour intensive and manual labour was still needed
1939
19 million had migrated into towns
for every three peasants who joined a collective farm, one became an urban worker
peasants who joined collectives were hostile to the regime for the ‘new serfdom’ they had been placed in
august 1932
anyone caught stealing from a collective farm could be gaoled for 10 years
october 1931
drought hit many agricultural areas
spring 1932
drought and kulak deportations brought a severe drop in food production and famine in ukraine
1932-33
famine spread to kazakhstan and northern caucasus
1930-37
sergei ordzhonikidze was the commissariat for heavy industry leader
1931
offensive against ‘bourgeois specialists’ was quietly dropped due to the loss of valuable personnel causing so many problems
scapegoats for hold-ups, break downs, and problems in the supply industry
pre-1917 managers, engineers, and technical staff who survived NEP because of their skills and abilities
1937
USSR was self-sufficient in machine-making and metal-working
1934-36
‘three good years’ because pressure was not too intense, food rationing ended, and families had more disposable income
1938
exceptionally hard winter and diversion of materials to military caused difficulties to plan
1941
USSR had succeeded in creating the industrial base for a powerful arms industry
1930
average worker in coal industry changed jobs three times a year
quicksand society
1931
less than 7% of workforce were skilled - estimate
1933
only 17% of those recruited to industry had any skills
untrained, clumps workers were damaging imported expensive machinery and turning out poor-quality goods
1938
labour books and internal passports issued
gave details of worker’s labour history, qualifications, and any misdemeanours
difficult to survive without a labour book
1940
absenteeism became a crime with two offences bringing a prison sentence
april 1930
all prisoners sentenced to more than three years were sent to labour camps
mid-1930s
number of forced labourers increased during the great purges in the mid-1930s
1928-33
in leningrad and moscow meat, milk, and fruit consumption declined by 2/3
1931-33
volga-white sea canal constructed
constructed using forced labour
12,000-25,000 died
first major project completed using forced labour in the USSR
propaganda of convict ‘reforging’ themselves in useful labour
october 1932
dneiprestoi dam opened
largest soviet power plant at the time and one of the largest in the world
began generating electricity during the first five year plan and four further generators were added during the second five year plan
1935
moscow metro opened
one 11km line and 13 stations
part of the second five year plan, which focused on urbanisation
ambitious architectural project designed to prove socialist metro could surpass capitalist design
massive recruitment campaigns launched for the unskilled workers
1932
six american engineers awarded for ‘order of the red banner of labou’ for work on dnieprostoi dam
1933
engineers for the metropolitan-vickers electrical company were arrested and deported, ending the role of british business in the USSR
july 1928
at the sixth comintern congress stalin proposed his view that the time was right for an attack on anti-communist social democratic parties, due to the weaknesses of capitalism
stalin prepared the comintern for a fight to spread communism around the world
trotsky condemned stalin for being hypocritical
stalin may have been reverting to his true beliefs once the need for ‘socialism in one country’ was over
stalin may have wanted to fight bukharin, his now strongest opponent
1939
19 million had migrated to tows
for every three peasants who joined a collective farm, one became an urban worker
1937
USSR was self-sufficient in machine-making and metal-working
1938
exceptionally hard winter and diversion of materials to military caused difficulties for third five year plan
1941
USSR had succeeded in creating the industrial base for a powerful arms industry
1928-33
in leningrad and moscow meat, milk, and fruit consumption declined by 2/3
1936
factories had to pay for fuel, raw materials, and labour with their own money
managers had to count and spend profits carefully
bribery and corruption became embedded within the system
1936
work norms raised between 10% and 50% - it became harder for managers to deal with protesting workers
‘work norms’ = state regulations managers were expected to apply in the workplace
made it difficult for managers to earn good will of their workers
any attempt to bypass regulations or lower the norms could result in accusations of sabotage
1931
wage differentials introduced
some proletariat thrived, some struggled
wages varied, bonuses awarded, pay by the piece, better houses
reward for those who stayed in their jobs and worked hard
1935
rationing phased out but market prices were still high and important socialists could obtain more goods more cheaply
1929
female workers (approximately 29% of the workforce) were largely concentrated in lowest paid jobs requiring least skills
textiles and other light industry
january 1930
zhenotdel department of russian communist party devoted to women’s affairs is closed down
1935
women entered soviet industry in unprecedented numbers and represented 42% of all industrial workers
1936
party made an effort to technically train and promote more women into management positions
1940
43% of industrial workforce was female
august 1935
aleksei stakhanov cut 102 tonnes of coal in 5 hours, 45 minutes
expected in 14x that amount of time
human determination and endeavour might increase productivity
1937-38
young men who accomplished heroic endeavours featured on the front cover of pravda more than stalin
1937
vera mukhina produced a giant stainless steel sculpture called ‘worker and kolkhoz woman’ for the world trade fair
two figures with sickle & hammer raised over their heads in workers’ solidarity
1925
tsaritsyn is renamed stalingrad in his honour
1929
stalin was seen as rather cold and distant and the leadership was portrayed as an anonymous collective body making joint decisions
few images of leaders appeared in the press
1929
stalin received 350 greetings (some from organisations that didn’t exist) for his 50th birthday
stalin was portrayed as lenin’s faithful pupil and companion-in-arms
1931
portraits of marx, engels, lenin, and stalin appear on special collections
few individual portraits of stalin
1938
the history of the all-union communist party is published
history reinterpreted in stalin’s favour
1935
impossible to speak of stalin not in growing terms
portrayed as vozhd- genius with great windows and prophetic powers
1949
celebrations of stalin’s 70th birthday were extremely elaborate
organised by 75 leading figures & included whole politburo
galas and greetings every day from 21st december 1949 to august 1951
giant portrait of stalin was suspended over moscow and lit up at night by a battery of searchlights
1928
major artist association changed its name to ‘association of artists of the revolution’
1951
major artist association changed its name to ‘russian association of proletariat artists’
emphasis placed on artists with proletarian background
realist painters left the organisation as they couldn’t adapt to the new demands
aleksander gerasimov and isaak brodsky attacked - traditional, realist painters
april 1929
pavel petro bytor accused film-makers including eisenstein of doing nothing for workers & peasants in an essay
principal task of cinema was to raise cultural levels of the masses
1917
new divorce law introduced
either partner was allowed to end the marriage due to incompatibility
1917
people’s commissar for social welfare passed laws which:
guaranteed paid maternity leave for 2 months before and after birth
allowed nursing mothers to work shorter hours & take time to breastfeed babies at work
excused women from heavy work or night work
set up a commission for the protection of mothers & infants
maternity clinics, milk points, nurseries
1920
abortion accessible to those who wanted it
1922
when idea of state provision for creches, kitchens, and laundries was costed it was more than entire national budget
1927
2/3 of marriages in moscow ended in divorce and over 1/2 in russia
1917
47% of urban workforce were women
1917
10% of communist party members were women
1928
12.8% of communist party members were women
1918
5% of voting delegates at party congress were women
percentage decreased over succeeding years
1919
zhenotdel, women’s department of party, set up to make women active defenders of revolution through propaganda and agitation
focused on social services, education, and training
making sure laws protecting women in factories were being enforced
1923
number of schools and pupils were barely half the totals of two years earlier
many children left school under the NEP
1925
teachers’ wage was a fraction of an industrial workers’
schools didn’t have proper resources and teachers were very badly paid
1927
survey of schoolchildren aged 11-15 showed they had become increasingly negative towards communism and 50% believed in god
december 1919
‘liquidation of illiteracy’ decreed for all citizens 8-50
illiterates who refused to learn faced criminal prosecution
1920-26
five million people in european us sis went through literacy courses
1921
union of the militant godless was established
held events - debates to prove god didn’t exist
newspapers attacked clergy as fat parasites living off the peasantry
relics and icons ridiculed
1921-22
famine used by lenin to demand church give up its valuables for famine relief
bitter resistance to those sent to seize the valuables
unarmed civilians fought soldiers equipped with machine guns
often old men and women
1922
8000 people executed or killed in the anti-church campaign
metropolitan of petrograd, 28 bishops, 1215 priests
politburo were alarmed by this level of resistance and suspended action
lenin overruled the politburo - opportunity to smash the church
lenin ordered to be informed, on a daily basis, how many priests had been shot
april 1932
decree abolished all proletarian artistic and literary organisations, and ordered all artists into one organisation
1932
term ‘socialist realism’ first appears
depicted life as it ought to be, not what it was
subjects were men and women inspired by ideals of socialism and building a growing future
1934
union of writers defines ‘socialist realism’ as the definitive soviet artistic method
stalin liked realism, as it could be easily understood by the masses and told a story
good for propaganda
1932
stalin decided RAPP had served its purpose
criticised for being too narrow, and was abolished
union of soviet writers included non-proletarian and non-party writers
maxim gorky, a non-party member, was the first head
socialist realism proclaimed to be the basic principle of literary creation
1918
komsomol (young communist league) set up
members aged 14 to 28
1927
membership of komsomol reached 2 million
applicants could be rejected on grounds of immaturity & insufficiently proletarian social origins
‘soldiers of production’ in industrial drive
imposing labour discipline - collecting state procurements of grain
leading campaign against religion
monitoring bureaucracy, exposing official abuses, unmasking hidden enemies
1930
80% of russia’s village churches were closed
1939
only 12/168 bishops active in 1930 were still at liberty
may 1936
new family code
abortion outlawed for everyone but women who’s health was threatened and women with hereditary diseases
divorce made harder: both partied had to attend divorce proceedings, cost introduced to divorce
fixed child support payment amount
mothers with six children to receive 2000 roubles a year for five years
1935
voroshilov, member of the politburo, urged NKVD should be instructed to immediately clear moscow of homeless adolescents and delinquents out of parental control
increased attempts to get children off the streets and into appropriate institutions
parents could be fined for the hooliganism of their children
risked having them taken away & put into orphanages that parents would pay for the maintenances of
april 1935
politburo decree made violent crimes committed by juveniles from twelve years of age punishable in the same way as those committed by adults
archives show no actual executions of adolescent hooligans
1941
russia was highly industrialised & urbanised
all russian farms had been collectivised
the free market had been ended
1926-31
in 1926 17% of the population lived in towns
in 1931 33% of the population lived in towns - almost doubled
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