notes 11 stalin + soviet union Flashcards
(7 cards)
bolsheviks party
1917-1991
1917 - collapse of tsarist russia led to rise of the bolsheviks party
(1918 - they change their name to the communist party)
- bolsheviks (led by vladimir lenin) promised “peace, land, and bread” to an exhausted russia, freedom from tsarist ways
- opposed any war
- wanted to create a radical new state (“october revolution”)
- property nationalized (seized) from business owners and the middle and upper classes to be “centrally managed” –> command economy
↪created a housing shortage, people’s houses were either taken or they were given roommates, created conflict between people
- brutal civil war 1917-1923
- people didn’t necessarily support communism but figured it was better than a tsarist gov
- scapegoats: the bourgeoisie –> anyone in middle or upper class that opposed communism
rise of stalin
1921 - clear that economic centralization wasn’t working, lenin introduced “new economic plan” (NEP) to allow some private companies
- NEP said that gov would take a certain percent of production, and companies could sell the rest, creating incentive to make more
1924 - lenin dead from stroke, stalin maneuvres to power (creates conspiracies to eliminate opposition)
1927 - stalin has full control
- believed in orthodox marxism (command economy), wanted to eliminate NEP
- stalin wants to move toward mass production, rather than war communism
- wants to entirely change russias terrible agricultural system to make it efficient to feed everyone
war communism vs NEP
war communism:
gov takes all extra good produced by individuals
↪no incentive to make more than what they need, so gov doesn’t take any if they don’t have surplus
NEP (lenin):
gov takes a certain percentage of produced goods
↪individuals forced to make more than they need, supplying gov
↪incentive to make above what they need because they are able to sell extra after the government takes its percentage
stalin’s 2 economic policies
both established in 1928
- industrialization (autarky)
- series of 5 year plans
↪GOSPLAN - analysis of all economic data in ussr to make production plans (goals, quotas, resource distribution, etc.)
- organized centrally (specifically from moscow)
- largely focused on military needs rather than those of citizens
- punishment in prison camps when quotas aren’t met –> careerism (lying about quotas) which messes with production plan
⬇️
- ussr economy did grow but never as much as planned - collectivisation
- reorganisation of agricultural system –> goal: big farms allowing for mechanization
- kulaks (previously successful farmers) resisted this transition, then considered bourgeoisie and sent to prison camps
⬇️
- most productive farmers are gone, production falls
- government seizure of grain –> mass famine
- farms are now state-owned, farmers paid by gov —> no incentive to produce more
the GULAG
slave labour/prison camps in ussr under stalin
- important part of economic modernization
- initially mostly kulaks
- prisoners would get resources and build various infrastructure (mines, railways, pipelines, etc.)
↪much of it was not built up to standard to meet quotas, there was no incentive, and bad conditions
- 10s of millions of citizens in them
- very harsh conditions (COLD), higher death rate than slavery in the usa
life under stalin
- “modern serfdom” - you were assigned your job and weren’t allowed to leave or change position
- terror + suppression much more than nazi germany
- most trials were “show trials” that ended up sending many innocent people to prison camps
- stalin’s cult of personality was even longer and more intense than hitler’s
- much propaganda
- “elections” were held for show - there was only one party, and pre-filled ballots that you technically can change but people would see
the great purge
1936-1938
stalin’s move to eliminate political opposition, but also anyone else expressing dissent
killed millions
after this stalin only tightened his grip more on the army and the party
