Stalin Social Aspects

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Recommended: Stalin's leadership during World War 2

Noah Brandon Ms. Osborn World History Honors 12/2/16 Effects of Stalin on Social Aspects in Russia Due to World War I and other factors, Russia’s military was weak as two Revolutions in 1917 shifted the Russian Government from the Monarchy of Czar Nicholas II to the rise of the Bolsheviks and the rise of the Soviet Union. The Bolsheviks were a Marxist group led by Vladimir Lenin who with Soviet workers’ councils, overthrew the former government and formed the USSR. During all of this, Stalin was gaining power through the Bolshevik Party and gaining a political following in the process. He became Lenin’s Successor and made drastic changes in Russia. Stalin increased traditional education with a common core subject matter replacing the Bolshevik …show more content…

Under Lenin, divorce was made a lot easier and the importance of marriage was lessened. Laws were put into place that relaxed marriage. For example, to file a divorce, only one partner had to make a simple declaration without even telling the other partner. The structure of family and marriage had been completely dissolved. This resulted in many out of marriage births and most of these children ended up homeless. Stalin saw these homeless children as a stain on the perfect communist society that he strived to create. Stalin therefore put emphasis on family while maintaining the working equality of men and women. All jobs were open to women as they weren’t required to stay home and take care of the children like the traditional Mother. Families were also paid a child allowance by the State for staying a married couple. The changes that Stalin made to rebuild family structure included making divorce more difficult, restricting contraceptive methods, banning abortions, and increased penalties for criminal behavior by …show more content…

The two prior social factors discussed prior had been mostly positive changes while Stalin did not increase the overall health and wellbeing of his people. One of the most prevalent problems in Russia under Stalin was overcrowding. In the capital of Moscow, 94% of apartments consisted of only one room. This was shared among entire families consisting of Grandparents, parents, and children. Halls and stairways outside apartments were filled with people who were lacking any type of housing. Those who did have an apartment were sharing not only with their own family but with others. Almost everything in the apartments was communal including Kitchens (as well as cooking utensils, pots, pans etc.), washrooms, and toilets. Running water and electricity were scarcely available. All housing blocks were constructed almost effortlessly looking of very poor quality by Western standards. They were also maintained by the State and little to no effort was put to keep them in a sound state. Living conditions in the countryside were little better. While peasants may not have suffered the overcrowding of urban workers and food may have been a little more abundant, there was usually no electricity, running water or adequate sanitation available. In both the cities and country there was a flourishing black market in food and clothing but those found guilty of illicit trading were treated like

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