Stalin

The USSR in 1924 Communism A Communist State A Communist Economy A Communist Society The Power Struggle 1 The Split in the Politburo Personality Clashes Lenin’s Testament Stalin’s Power The Power Struggle 2 Stalin The reading of Lenin’s Testament Arguments Attacking the Left and the Right The Assassination of Trotsky Collective and Kulaks Peasants and Collectivisation Liquidation of Kulaks and the Famine Key Words The 5-Year Plans 1 st 5-year plan Motives The plan in action The results Workers and their Work New work practices The Stakhanov Movement Problems Slave Labour and the Labour Camps Slave labour Labour camps The Kolyma camps Purges, Show Trials and Terror Murder of Kirov The Great Purge Show trials The Great Terror Life Under Stalin’s Rule The Cult of Stalin Religion Culture and censorship Family Life

The USSR in 1924

Communism

A Communist State

A Communist Economy

A Communist Society

The Power Struggle 1

The Split in the Politburo

Personality Clashes

Lenin’s Testament

Stalin’s Power

The Power Struggle 2

Stalin

The reading of Lenin’s Testament

Arguments

Attacking the Left and the Right

The Assassination of Trotsky

Collective and Kulaks

Peasants and Collectivisation

Liquidation of Kulaks and the Famine

Key Words

The 5-Year Plans

1 st 5-year plan

Motives

The plan in action

The results

Workers and their Work

New work practices

The Stakhanov Movement

Problems

Slave Labour and the Labour Camps

Slave labour

Labour camps

The Kolyma camps

Purges, Show Trials and Terror

Murder of Kirov

The Great Purge

Show trials

The Great Terror

Life Under Stalin’s Rule

The Cult of Stalin

Religion

Culture and censorship

Family Life

Communism, A Communist State, A Communist Economy and A Communist Society

Communism, A Communist State, A Communist Economy and A Communist Society

The ideas were based on Karl Marx’s writings Everything was to be equal – those who had things should share with those who do not Socialism would eventually take over the capitalist countries because workers would get fed up of being exploited The idea was that people would work together for the good of everyone The government would share the profits and everyone would receive the benefits e.g. Better housing, medical care and education The government would eventually fade away once everyone learns to work for each other – this is then known as Communism

The ideas were based on Karl Marx’s writings

Everything was to be equal – those who had things should share with those who do not

Socialism would eventually take over the capitalist countries because workers would get fed up of being exploited

The idea was that people would work together for the good of everyone

The government would share the profits and everyone would receive the benefits e.g. Better housing, medical care and education

The government would eventually fade away once everyone learns to work for each other – this is then known as Communism

Lenin took over Russia in the revolution in November 1917 Russia became the USSR and it became a one-party state After 1921, groups within the party were banned – 750,000 people were purged There are now 6 republics in the USSR Each have their own government Main government for national matters Much like in the USA with the state and federal laws Local councils called Soviets Soviet had Congress of Soviets which acted as the country’s parliament There was then a Central Committee chosen by the Congress This then had a small Council of People’s Commissars – the Sovnarkom There was a parallel Communist Party – the officials were members of the Soviet so the Party controlled national and local governments

Lenin took over Russia in the revolution in November 1917

Russia became the USSR and it became a one-party state

After 1921, groups within the party were banned – 750,000 people were purged

There are now 6 republics in the USSR

Each have their own government

Main government for national matters

Much like in the USA with the state and federal laws

Local councils called Soviets

Soviet had Congress of Soviets which acted as the country’s parliament

There was then a Central Committee chosen by the Congress

This then had a small Council of People’s Commissars – the Sovnarkom

There was a parallel Communist Party – the officials were members of the Soviet so the Party controlled national and local governments

Right vs. Left and Stalin vs. Trotsky

Right vs. Left and Stalin vs. Trotsky

The Left Opposition was: Against the NEP Need to protect USSR from West Force people to work The Rightists were: Continue NEP Less industrial Peasants and townspeople made prosperous Stalin had many jobs including: The Party’s Orgburo General Secretary Member of the Politburo Head of the Control Commission Trotsky was seen to be arrogant, rude, vain and full of himself – making him unpopular although Lenin thought he’d be a good successor Stalin on the other hand was liked but the members of the Politburo but not my Lenin Lenin’s testament told them of his fears of Stalin but Zinoviev came to his rescue K T Z B T R Katie’s Better

The Left Opposition was:

Against the NEP

Need to protect USSR from West

Force people to work

The Rightists were:

Continue NEP

Less industrial

Peasants and townspeople made prosperous

Stalin had many jobs including:

The Party’s Orgburo

General Secretary

Member of the Politburo

Head of the Control Commission

Trotsky was seen to be arrogant, rude, vain and full of himself – making him unpopular although Lenin thought he’d be a good successor

Stalin on the other hand was liked but the members of the Politburo but not my Lenin

Lenin’s testament told them of his fears of Stalin but Zinoviev came to his rescue

What it said: Of Stalin had unlimited authority as Secretary but found him too rude and is intolerable as Secretary General, not as loyal as expected, less polite, less considerate and less capricious. He suggested removing him of his post Of Trotsky it said he was distinguished has an outstanding ability, but shows excessive self-assurance, excessive preoccupation with purely administrative work What happened after it was read: In May 1924 the testament was read out to great embarrassment of Stalin However, Zinoviev told the Central Committee of the Communist Party that Stalin had worked in harmony with himself and Kamenev (both of whom were plotting against Trotsky) since Lenin’s death After the speech, the Committee decided to keep Stalin at his post and also never publish the testament to save him from further embarrassment

What it said:

Of Stalin had unlimited authority as Secretary but found him too rude and is intolerable as Secretary General, not as loyal as expected, less polite, less considerate and less capricious. He suggested removing him of his post

Of Trotsky it said he was distinguished has an outstanding ability, but shows excessive self-assurance, excessive preoccupation with purely administrative work

What happened after it was read:

In May 1924 the testament was read out to great embarrassment of Stalin

However, Zinoviev told the Central Committee of the Communist Party that Stalin had worked in harmony with himself and Kamenev (both of whom were plotting against Trotsky) since Lenin’s death

After the speech, the Committee decided to keep Stalin at his post and also never publish the testament to save him from further embarrassment

TROTSKY Trotsky wanted Permanent Revolution He didn’t think that Communism would survive in the USSR alone so he wanted to spread it He was scared that the West would try to destroy the Communism in the USSR Trotsky resigned in 1925 from his post of Commissar for War STALIN Stalin on the other hand wanted Socialism in One Country He thought that the USSR came first and everyone else second He argued the Comintern, short for Communist International, which helped revolutions in other countries had all failed in 1919

TROTSKY

Trotsky wanted Permanent Revolution

He didn’t think that Communism would survive in the USSR alone so he wanted to spread it

He was scared that the West would try to destroy the Communism in the USSR

Trotsky resigned in 1925 from his post of Commissar for War

STALIN

Stalin on the other hand wanted Socialism in One Country

He thought that the USSR came first and everyone else second

He argued the Comintern, short for Communist International, which helped revolutions in other countries had all failed in 1919

1924 Trotsky made unpopular and voted down at every meeting Trotsky is booed at meetings 1925 Kamenev is dismissed Trotsky resigns Zinoviev is dismissed 1927 Trotsky is expelled Zinoviev is expelled 1928 Trotsky is deported 1929 Bukharin resigns Tomsky resigns Rykov resigns 1940 Trotsky is assassinated K T Z B T R 1. Joins 2. Attacks 3. Leaves 4. Attacks

1924

Trotsky made unpopular and voted down at every meeting

Trotsky is booed at meetings

1925

Kamenev is dismissed

Trotsky resigns

Zinoviev is dismissed

1927

Trotsky is expelled

Zinoviev is expelled

1928

Trotsky is deported

1929

Bukharin resigns

Tomsky resigns

Rykov resigns

1940

Trotsky is assassinated

Problems of the peasants, Collectivisation, liquidation of the Kulaks, and famine

Problems of the peasants, Collectivisation, liquidation of the Kulaks, and famine

About 100million Soviets were peasants 9/10 owned one horse 8/10 had farms of less than 5hectares Used old fashioned tools and methods About half reaped grain by hand, using sickles or scythes About 1/3 ploughed with wooden ploughs The only way to get money for industry was to tax peasants NEP led to increase in food but not all the extra went to the workers in the towns This was because the government was buying the grain for too little and peasants kept a little more for themselves Stalin said in 1928 the USSR was 2million tonnes short on food Stalin took emergency actions but it was not enough so he introduced collectivisation

About 100million Soviets were peasants

9/10 owned one horse

8/10 had farms of less than 5hectares

Used old fashioned tools and methods

About half reaped grain by hand, using sickles or scythes

About 1/3 ploughed with wooden ploughs

The only way to get money for industry was to tax peasants

NEP led to increase in food but not all the extra went to the workers in the towns

This was because the government was buying the grain for too little and peasants kept a little more for themselves

Stalin said in 1928 the USSR was 2million tonnes short on food

Stalin took emergency actions but it was not enough so he introduced collectivisation

People were to work together and put their land, animals and equipment together in kolkhoz (a collective farm) There would be no profits, the government would buy the grain at a fixed price and the peasants would get wages A kolkhoz consisted of 50-100 families working on an average of 450hectares of land They were more efficient than before and had Machine Tractor Stations to help with ploughing and harvesting There was one to every 40 farms

People were to work together and put their land, animals and equipment together in kolkhoz (a collective farm)

There would be no profits, the government would buy the grain at a fixed price and the peasants would get wages

A kolkhoz consisted of 50-100 families working on an average of 450hectares of land

They were more efficient than before and had Machine Tractor Stations to help with ploughing and harvesting

There was one to every 40 farms

In 1929 there was 5million people living in kulak families One family owned two or three horses, several cows, and had a large-median farm They employed peasants at busiest times of the years They were most likely to oppose the new plan as they had the most to lose In December 1929 Stalin wanted to liquidate them There was 3 categories: Actively hostile who the OGPU, political police, deported Wealthiest kulaks were also deported Least harmful kulaks were allowed to stay but given the worst land They land was given to the local kolkhoz 1.5million people were deported There was no arrangements and they were left to die ¼ of them died of starvation, disease, ill-treatment or/and the cold

In 1929 there was 5million people living in kulak families

One family owned two or three horses, several cows, and had a large-median farm

They employed peasants at busiest times of the years

They were most likely to oppose the new plan as they had the most to lose

In December 1929 Stalin wanted to liquidate them

There was 3 categories:

Actively hostile who the OGPU, political police, deported

Wealthiest kulaks were also deported

Least harmful kulaks were allowed to stay but given the worst land

They land was given to the local kolkhoz

1.5million people were deported

There was no arrangements and they were left to die

¼ of them died of starvation, disease, ill-treatment or/and the cold

By February 1930 the government said that half the peasants joined collective farms Many peasants hated collectivisation These peasants would kill their animals, destroy their crops, equipment and buildings This lead to the fall in food production and then led to famine Over the next 3 years 5-6million people died of starvation

By February 1930 the government said that half the peasants joined collective farms

Many peasants hated collectivisation

These peasants would kill their animals, destroy their crops, equipment and buildings

This lead to the fall in food production and then led to famine

Over the next 3 years 5-6million people died of starvation

The Plan, The Motives, The Results

The Plan, The Motives, The Results

In December 1917 the Vesenkha was set up which then set up the Gosplan in 1921 to help increase industrial output

In December 1917 the Vesenkha was set up which then set up the Gosplan in 1921 to help increase industrial output