Stalin and the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union Under Stalin

Learning Objectives

The main objective is to understand Stalin's aspirations to transform the Soviet Union into a prominent industrial superpower and the methods he employed to achieve this goal.

Understanding Communism

Definition: Communism is characterized as a system of social organization in which all property is communally owned, and each individual contributes and receives based on their capacities and requirements. This ideology emphasizes collective ownership and the need for a classless society, where distribution is based on need rather than wealth.

Key Historical Context

Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)

  • Bolshevik: A member of Lenin's political party which followed Marxist principles and advocated for the overthrow of capitalism through a worker's revolution.

  • New Economic Plan (NEP) (1921): Introduced by Lenin as a temporary economic policy allowing for some private ownership; this aimed to transition the economy back toward capitalism after the disruptions of the Russian Civil War. Key components included:

    • Peasants were permitted to produce for personal sustenance and sell surplus crops in markets.

    • Business ownership of small industries was allowed, while factories and large industries remained under state ownership.

Power Struggle Post-Lenin

After Lenin's death in 1924, a power struggle ensued among the Soviet leadership. Notably, Lenin had warned his comrades about Joseph Stalin, suggesting:
Quote from Lenin: "Stalin is too rude and this defect becomes intolerable in the Secretary-General. That is why I suggest the comrades think about a way of removing Stalin from that post."
This recommendation highlighted Lenin's concerns regarding Stalin's temperament and ambitions within the party structure.

Joseph Stalin

  • Tenure: Dictator from 1924 until his death in 1953.

  • Totalitarian State: Stalin's rule exemplified a totalitarian regime characterized by a centralized and dictatorial government that exerted control over all aspects of life.

Five-Year Plan (1928-1933)

  • Objective: The central aim was for the Soviet Union to emerge as an industrial superpower. Key components of the first Five-Year Plan included:

    • Shift from NEP: Stalin abandoned Lenin's NEP in favor of full communism with a focus on rapid industrialization.

    • Financing through Grain Exports: The industrial expansion was financed primarily through the export of grain.

    • Productivity in Agriculture: Increased productivity on farms was essential to supply more workers for industrial positions.

    • Central Planning: The government dictated what, where, by whom, and how much was produced across all sectors to facilitate the industrial transformation of the nation.

    • Revolutionizing Agriculture: The plan aimed to modernize agricultural practices alongside industrialization efforts.

Collectivization of Agriculture

  • Kulaks: These were wealthier farmers who resisted Stalin's collectivization policies. The collectivization involved:

    • Forcing farmers to abandon private land ownership and work on collective farms (kolkhoz).

    • The kulaks were labeled as "enemies of the revolution" due to their opposition and were often persecuted.

The Great Purge

  • What It Entailed: The Great Purge was a period of severe repression and persecution within the Soviet Union during the late 1930s. It entailed purging the Communist Party and widespread terror against perceived enemies of the state.

Gulags

  • Definition: The Gulags were forced labor camps that became infamous during Stalin's regime. They housed political prisoners, dissidents, and other individuals deemed threats to the state. The extensive use of Gulags played a crucial role in maintaining Stalin’s control over the populace and enforcing his policies.

Practical Assignments

  1. Stalin's Justifications for the Five-Year Plan: Stalin emphasized the urgency of development by asking:

    • “Do you want our Socialist fatherland to be beaten?” He insisted that backwardness would lead to oppression and the nation must accelerate its progress to avoid devastation from advanced countries.

    • He noted that the Soviet Union lagged 50 to 100 years behind advanced nations and asserted that they must close this gap within ten years to survive.

  2. Stalin on Collectivization and Kulaks: In his rationale for collectivization, Stalin asserted:

    • “The solution lies in enlarging the agricultural units… in changing the agricultural base of our national economy….” He outlined a vision to integrate small farms into larger collective entities that were scientifically equipped, thereby eliminating capitalist elements from agriculture.

    • Stalin's determination to combat the kulaks involved a pronounced offensive against them to ensure their elimination as a class within the agricultural sector.

  3. Insights on Stalin: The content of Stalin's rhetoric reveals insights into his ideology and vision for Soviet agriculture, his prioritization of collectivization, and his aggressive stance towards capitalist elements within the economy.