The Impact of Stalin on Russia and the Russian People
By 1929, Stalin had become sole leader of Russia.
He said, "We are between 50 and 100 years behind the west. We must
make good this difference in 10 years or go under."
He wanted things to change in Russia quickly and so he brought up the
five year plans, these were to modernise the Russian economy. He also
brought up the idea of collectivisation. This was to modernise Russian
agriculture.
These two things would transform Russia. Stalin had "borrowed"
Trotsky's ideas, which was very ironic.
Stalin introduced the five year plans because he wanted to
industrialise the Soviet Union, he felt it was matter of life or
death. If his plans failed he believed the Soviet Union's enemies
would crush it. He wanted rapid industrialisation; this was what
Trotsky had wanted! Stalin gave the responsibility of devising the
plans to GOSPLAN, the state planning bureau. The idea was that the
state would decide targets for industrial production, and would use
central planning and direction of the nation's resources to achieve
the priorities set out in each plan
The first five year plan was launched in 1928. It was to b focused on
building up heavy industry's like coal and steel. Propaganda was used
to try to make the workers finish in just four years. The targets were
tough but enormous increases in production were achieved. The first
five year plan was a success.
The second five year plan (1933-7) concentrated on improving things
like transport and production of machinery.
The third five year plan (1938-41) ran for only three and a half years
before it was interrupted by war.
More and more resources were transferred into defence related
industry's. When war broke out in 1941, Germany was attacking the
world's second greatest industrial power. Fifteen years before, Russia
had been a backward agriculture nation.
Russia would not have survived against Germany without the changes
which the five year plans had brought.
Collectivisation was an attempt to reorganise Russian farming.
As Warren Bennis, a scholar on the subject of leadership, once said, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” This statement certainly holds true no matter what type of leader you look at. From cruel dictators such as Joseph Stalin, who fought and killed to stay in power, to peaceful leaders like Mohandas Gandhi, who used nonviolent tactics to emancipate India from the United Kingdom, to Jesus Christ, who started a religion and spread his message of love and forgiveness far across the globe, they all had a vision of how they wanted to change the world, for the better, or for the worse.
The impact Stalin has had on the world is immense and at some periods in history devastating. Contrasting, Unknown Stalin by Zhores Medvedev and Stalin:Breaker of Nations by Robert Conquest, to gain different historical perspectives of Stalin. Medvedev does not go into much detail into Stalin’s rise to power in the beginning of the book but starts with his death. He takes an approach giving a historical portrayal of Stalin that focuses not only on how callus and brutal he could be, but how all of his success was made possible by his patience and intelligence . In contrast, Conquest’s book he begins with Stalin’s birth, like many biographies, and his rise in the ranks in the Bolshevik party, but his book is more intimate as it explains his emotional states. Conquest argues that Stalin's main goal was the preservation of his vision of Maxist-Leninism and the removal people he deemed as enemies of that vision. These books take different paths to understanding Stalin as a person and as the Head of State of the Soviet Union. Is Stalin's portrayal as a megalomaniac with an insatiable lust for control, fear and power accurate and how must we use his other social positions, husband, father, friend, and fellow revolutionary, to answer this question. Looking through these two books we can find the sides ignored by many and the sides that were rightly feared of Stalin.
The Effect of the Bolshevik Rule on Russian Culture Bolshevik cultural policy was based on spreading their values to the population. They attempted to promote equality to create a classless society. In addition to removing class differences they attempted to give equal status to women and to young people. In order to encourage women to work state funded crèches were established and laws passed to give women parity in terms of pay with men. The state tried to destroy the old concept of families by legalising abortion and enabling people to obtain divorces much more simply.
was able to hold on to leadership of the Soviet Union. He was able to
Has there ever been a more ruthless and evil leader than Adolf Hitler? According to statistics, Joseph Stalin was far more heinous. Joseph Stalin is considered one of the most controversial leaders in world history. Although the Soviet Union was transformed into a modern superpower under his rule, the ethics used are questionable. The 5 year plan came to be as an outline for Russia’s development. In addition, Stalin’s glorification came as a necessity to motivate people. Also, in order to maintain his control, Stalin exterminated his opposition.
In order to conclude the extent to which the Great Terror strengthened or weakened the USSR the question is essentially whether totalitarianism strengthened or weakened the Soviet Union? Perhaps under the circumstances of the 1930s in the approach to war a dictatorship may have benefited the country in some way through strong leadership, the unifying effect of reintroducing Russian nationalism and increased party obedience.
People say that the Stalin’s Great Purges could otherwise be translated as Stalin’s Terror. They grew from his paranoia and his desire to be absolute autocrat, and were enforced the NKVD and public show trials. When someone went against him, he didn’t really take any time in doing something about it. He would “get rid of” the people that went against industrialization and the kulaks. Kulaks were farmers in the later Russian Empire. (“Of Russian Origin: Stalin’s Purges). There were many reasons as to what caused the Great Purges but the main one seems to be Stalin. He believed that the country had to be united under the circumstances that he becomes the leader if it was to be strong. The Soviet Union was industry was weal and in the decline, obviously lacking the capacity to produce enough meal and heavy machinery for the imminent war.
Throughout history, revolutions have developed in response to a variety of conditions. These revolutions have often resulted in significant political, economic, and social change. As the 1900’s rolled in, European nations were at peace, that is until the darker forces were pushing Europe toward war. Those darker forces included nationalism and alliance systems that would help fuel the Great War or World War I. The effects of World War I were massive including the Treaty of Versailles and the enormous amount of human casualties as well as economic losses. During World War I, another revolution broke out in Russia, removing Russia from the war and transformed the Russian empire into the first Communist state. There were many causes of the Russian Revolution including the weakness of the Czar and World War I. Finally, there were many effects of the Russian Revolution, two of which included the establishment of a communist government as well as a new economic policy.
at age 26. He no idea what was involved, what to do and went along
When Stalin became leader of the USSR the quality of life and standard of living dropped considerably. For instance the people had no personal freedom. Meaning that they had to worship Stalin as all other religions had been abolished and most churches had been demolished. The people who went into those churches that were left standing were arrested or punished otherwise. Soon there were food shortages. Somewhere between 1932 and 1933 over 6 million people died of starvation. This was the greatest man made famine in history. The famine came as a result of Stalin’s unrealistic goals . Also, people had poor family lives. Abortions came a dime a dozen as did divorces. Wedding rings were banned. There was insufficient housing, as some people had to live in tents. This may be because of workers not working hard enough. Maybe if the workers worked harder they could have received better housing.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal was a package of economic programs that were made and proposed from 1933 up to 1936. The goals of the package were to give relief to farmers, reform to business and finance, and recovery to the economy during the Great Depression.
The Effects of Stalin on Russia Much like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin was one of the most ruthless and despised people in the recorded history of the world. Stalin, though, found it fit to abuse his people in any way he saw fit. This man started what history now calls "The Great Purge. " Through the late 1920's when the rest of the world was living it up as the roaring 20's came to an end, Joseph Stalin was setting the stage for gaining absolute power by employing secret police repression against opposing political and social elements within his own Communist Party and throughout society.
Some of Stalin's economic policies that he so barbarously enforced. were good for the economy of the USSR, but took a devastating toll on. the people who had to carry it out. One of these policies was The Five. Year Plans.
Joseph Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 until his death in 1953. His rule was one of tyranny, and great change from the society that his predecessor, Lenin, had envisioned (Seton, 34). Stalin put into effect two self proclaimed "five-year plans" over the course of his rule. Both were very similar in that they were intended to improve production in the nation. The first of these plans began collectivization, in which harvests and industrial products were seized by the government and distributed as needed. The government eliminated most private businesses and the state became the leader in commerce. Stalin also initiated a process called "Russification". (Great Events, 119)"
Every Day Stalinism, by Sheila Fitzpatrick gives the real accounts of life under the control of Joseph Stalin. Fitzpatrick states her claim as to how Stalin remained in power for over twenty-five years by using methods of oppression and by implementing modernity.