Authoritarian Leaders - Key Terms
Joseph Stalin (1878-1953)
Bolshevik party
Far-left faction of the Marxist Labor party - led by Lenin
Eventually become the Communist party of the USSR, running the country with the ideas of Karl Marx
Came to power through the October Revolution, seizing control of Russia in October 1917
Withdrew Russia from WW1
Implemented rapid communist policies (abolished private property, nationalized land, and gave control to workers)
Known for democratic centralism and implementing a forced socialist transition from Tsarist Russia
October Revolution - 1917
Also known as the November Revolution (due to calendar differences)
Tsar abdicates in March (due to the February Revolution), provisional government takes over for 8 months (was unpopular due to their choice to stay in WW1)
Bolsheviks take over in October and seize power
Final phase of the Revolution, establishing Lenin as the new leader of Russia
Leads to a Civil War (communists win)
Politburo
Short for Political Bureau
The centralized power of the communist party (included Stalin, Trotsky, Kamenev, and Zinoviev)
True center of power - decisions made here had the force of law
Made up 1/3 of the permanent body of the USSR government (collective presidency of the USSR)
Leon Trotsky
Held a high position of power in Lenin’s government (People’s Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs of the Soviet Union)
Russian revolutionary figure (2nd most important leader after Lenin)
2nd in command during USSR early years and helped win the Civil War
Main obstacle for Stalin after Lenin’s death (main rival in the bid for power)
How Stalin beat Trotsky:
Stalin used his position as General Secretary to recruit new members in the USSR government that were loyal to him. This polarized Trotsky.
Stalin allied with Kamenev and Zinoviev who feared Trotsky would become a dictator
Stalin promised Socialism in One Country (opposite to Trotsky’s permanent revolution)
Socialism in One Country was more appealing to the USSR (they were tired from war)
It also made Trotsky seem idealistic and dangerous)
Stalin told Trotsky the wrong date for Lenin’s funeral: Trotsky ended up looking unloyal to the public - Stalin was able to paint himself as the true successor
Stalin hid Lenin’s testament which warned against Stalin gaining power
Stalin accused Trotsky of factionalism (which was banned) and slowly removed him from power
Eventually, Trotsky was banished from the USSR, fleeing to Mexico where he was assassinated by Soviet agents.
New Economic Policy (NEP) - 1921-1928
Temporary measure taken by Lenin to help stabilize the economy after war
Included capitalist features and retreated from strict communism
Led to significant economic recovery
Supported by Trotsky
Later used by Stalin to gain political influence over Trotsky (accused him of not being fully communist)
Abandoned by Stalin in 1928, getting replaced by Stalin’s 5-year plan
Lenin’s Enrollment - 1923-1925
Effort to enroll more members of the proletariat in to the communist party
Continued after Lenin’s death in January 1924
Gained more active party members
Utilized by Stalin to fill the party with inexperienced and loyal members, aiding in his rise to power
Lev Kamenev and Grigory Zinoviev
2 high-ranking Soviet officials - popular revolutionary figures
Used by Stalin to dispose of Trotsky
Eventually discarded by Stalin when consolidating power
Forced to go on show trials and make false confessions - caused other to falsely confess too
Executed during the Great Purge in 1936 - accused of involvement in the murder of Sergei Kirov
Outmaneuvered by Stalin (Stalin outmaneuvered his opponents through shifting alliances)
Nikolai Bukharin (1888-1938)
Described by Lenin as the most valuable person in the communist party
Prominent figure - formulated the these of Socialism in One Country
Stalin’s chief ally (initially)
Purged in 1938 during the Great Purge
Opposed Stalin’s violent, rapid collectivization policies - accused of conspiring to overthrow the Soviet State
Collective farms (Kolkhoz)
Individual peasant households were groups together on one farm
Didn’t work: Led to famine, population decline, destruction of livestock, and lowered agricultural productivity
Gave government control over food
Suppressed peasants, leading to civil unrest and poor conditions for the working class
Kulaks
“Wealthy peasants” - peasants who were better off than others (still peasants, though) - owned land
A group targeted by Stalin in an attempt to united others through hate
Elimination of Kulaks led to worse famines
An excuse to eliminate whichever peasants he wanted
OGPU - 1923-1934
Joint state political directorate
Secret police and intelligence agency
Primary tool for Stalin’s consolidation of power
Used to suppress opposition and enforce collectivization
Responsible for the original Red Terror (political repression)
Implemented the 5 year plan
Managed the initial Gulag system
Absorbed into the NKVD (which eventually becomes the KGB)
Gosplan - 1921-1991
State Planning Committee
Governed the Soviet economy and directed industrialization
Economic planning agency: created and administered 5 year plans
5 year plans
1: 1928-1932
2: 1933-1937
3: 1938-1942
Used to industrialize, collectivize, and build up military (especially the third one- closest to WW2)
Achieved major industrial growth at a massive human cost (~6-9 million deaths)
Purges and Great Purge (1936-1938)
Used to maintain power and destroy political and domestic opposition
Purged party, military, and people
Stalin gained absolute authority
Ended up having a horrible military in WW2 (all experienced officers were purged)
Party lost many revolutionary figures (Trotsky, Kamenev, and Zinoviev)
Massive population decrease (~1/3 of all people died)
estimated 1 million deaths in the Great Purge
681, 000 confirmed executions in the Great Purge
Led by Nikolai Yezhov (eventually also purged in 1940)
Ryutin Affair - 1932
Attempt by Martemyan Ryutin to remove Stalin from power
Arrested by OGPU and executed in the Great Purge
Last real attempt to oppose Stalin from inside the party
Led to decline of the Right Opposition
Showed Stalin he wasn’t in full control yet - increased repression
Kirov Assassination - 1934
Sergei Kirov (1886-1934) was a high political figure and a strong Stalin supported
Assassinated in his office by Leonid Nikolayev in December 1934
Used by Stalin to start Moscow trials (show trials) and the Great Purge - catalyst
Led to the arrests of Kamenev and Zinoviev
Fully entrenched Stalin’s dictatorship
NKVD - 1934-1946
Stalin’s secret police
Worked with the Red Army
Led purges, execution, deportations, and mass arrests
Primary instrument of state terror, repression, and political control
Massive organization
Predecessor to KGB
Gulags - 1918-1960
System of prison/forced labor camps - “re-education”
Used to suppress political opponents and maintain power
Around 1.2-1.7 million deaths
Comintern - 1919-1943
Communist International
Advocated for the spread of communism and worldwide revolution
Founded by Lenin
Led and centralized by the USSR
Made other countries more scared of communism than of Nazi Germany
Dissolved by Stalin in 1943 to improve wartime alliances with the US and UK
Treaty of Rapallo - 1922
Signed in Italy
Diplomatic and economic relations between Germany and the USSR
Made Western countries feel threatened
USSR finally had an ally and an alliance against Western powers
Canceled mutual financial claims from WW1 and promoted economic cooperation
Allowed Germany to secretly rebuild its military in Soviet territory
Violated Versailles restrictions and infuriated the Allies
Anti-Comintern Pact - 1936
Fighting against international communism
Germany, Japan, and Italy (Italy joined in 1937)
Major threat to Stalin’s regime
Isolated the USSR and put Stalin on high alert
Followed by the Tripartite Pact with the US as the main enemy
Munich Agreement - 1938
Between Germany, UK, France, and Italy
Gave the Sudetenland to Germany
USSR was not invited
Stalin felt that the Western powers gave Germany a free hand to attack him
Nazi-Soviet Pact - 1939-1941
Also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Non-aggression pact
Meant to prevent a 2-front war for Germany and prevent a war that the USSR wasn’t ready for
Scared and shocked the Western powers, who relied on the USSR to tank some German aggression
Stalin used it to paint himself as a great leader
Divided Eastern Europe into sphered of influence and split Poland
Grand Alliance - 1939-1945
The Allies of WW2
US, UK, and USSR aimed to fight against the Axis powers
Put aside significant ideological differences for total victory
Allowed the USSR to now be a part of the major world powers and subsequent affairs
Used in propaganda
Often tense
Dissolved into the Cold War
Soviet Satellite States
Made up the communist bloc around the USSR
Stalin set up pro-Soviet governments, violating earlier agreements
Used as a buffer against potential future aggressions
Served the needs of the USSR: Expansion of communism and a buffer zone against the West
Under heavy political, economic, and military control by the USSR during the Cold War