Why Stalin Was Able to Hold on to Power in the Soviet Union Stalin was ruthless in order to stay in power, there are many reasons that helped him hold on to his position. Through the Purges Stalin was able to eliminate or clear out all opposition within the party. Anyone who threatened his position, or disagreed with some of his policies, was purged. They were purged in great Show Trails, in order for the Stalin to have a motive for punishing them. They would be forced to confess false crimes, such as plotting against Stalin. For example Zionviev and Kamenev were put on trail for plotting to kill Stalin and even Lenin. This was obviously untrue but they confessed to this and were executed. This clearing out of the Communist party greatly helped Stalin stay in power, this is because it simply left no opposition to oppose him and threaten his position. But party members weren't the only group to get purged, in fact absolutely no one in Russia could escape the prospect of being purged. The public was purged in order to create an atmosphere of terror within Russia. No one smart enough would dare say or do anything remotely against Stalin under risk of being sent to a prison camp or executed. Purging the people helped Stalin because all Russians knew the risks of being against Stalin, preventing any kind of public dislike let alone another Revolution. To make the purges successful Stalin had the help of his NKVD (secret police). They created an atmosphere of fear and crushed opposition. They were responsible for accusing the people of crimes against Stalin in order to purge them. They encouraged everyone to denounce ot... ... middle of paper ... ...levant, because they all helped each other. For example, propaganda may not have been so successful without Stalin's Economic Policies, because they were Stalin's greatest achievement and were one of the main focuses of propaganda. But more importantly the purges and show trails may not have been so successful without the secret police and the propaganda. The secret police undertook the job of interrogating and threatening those on trail for being purged, without them the Show Trails would not be in Stalin's favor. The propaganda helped the purges by encouraging Russian's to denounce traitors, it helped the show trails by portraying those on trail as evil traitors. So to conclude it is obvious that all reasons were important, but the Purges were vital in helping Stalin stay in power, because they eradicated opposition.
Stalin used the media in order to convince the Russian citizens that there were saboteurs and spies within Russian population. Stalin used the secret police and military forces to carry out the arrests of so called saboteurs and spies that were plotting against the motherland of Russia. There were many innocent people put into work camps and jails because they stood up against the false charges of the saboteurs. "'And why was Alik arrested?' 'Oh, Natasha, if you only knew the kind of crude language he used in front of everyone in line. I'm sure now that his lounge was the undoing of Koyla,too'"(87) When Alik stood out and spoke his mind, leading to his arrest. This is very similar to when Sofia Petrovna stood up for Natasha at the print house, and then had to resign from her job. The media's attention to the saboteurs and spies gave Stalin and the government power to arrest or cast out individuals in the Russian work force and society, because they were a threat to the motherland,even if they were just acting slightly out of line.
The Great Purges led to thousands of party members, military officials and civilians being executed or sent to the GULAGS. Whether the purges did remove enemies of Stalin is questionable, due to the fantastical. methods of the NKVD. The NKVD set quotas, and operated using public information to the public. By 1936 it is estimated 1 in 5 people were NKVD.
In conclusion, many soviets citizens appeared to believe that Stalin’s positive contributions to the U.S.S.R. far outweigh his monstrous acts. These crimes have been down played by many of Stalin’s successors as they stress his achievements as collectivizer, industrializer, and war leader. Among those citizens who harbor feelings of nostalgia, Stalin’s strength, authority , and achievement contrast sharply with the pain and suffering of post-revolutionary Russia.
Stalin control over the juries and convictions saw to the death of 500,000 or imprisonment of any sort of opposition he thought of as a threat to his leadership. Stalin had supports in key jobs, juries, solicitors and all important judges who saw to Stalin being right on all his false accusations. The accusations he set forward were to clean out any oppositons with in or out of his party and any doubt of his ruling ways. Another factor which led on to Stalin keeping power in the USSR was his cult of personality, he played it in such a manner that the general public didn’t fear him rather they admired him. Also communism was extremely popular amongst the people and they saw him as “dictator of the people”.
Though it existed for over 70 years, many of the Soviet Union’s structures were put in place before and during Stalin’s reign. Milovan Djilas succinctly summarized the general Soviet system in his book, The New Class when he wrote “There is no fundamental difference in the Communist system between governmental services and party organizations, as in the example of the party and the secret police. The party and the police mingle very closely…the difference between them is only in the distribution of work” (Djilas, pg 73). The system Djilas described was one where the Bolshevik party was in absolute control of the government and all its functions. This included the bureaucracy, and secret police, as well as the military. As a result, the Bolshevik party was in total control of all the Soviet Union’s levers of power. It was effectively an autocracy of the Communist party, at the head of which rested Joseph Stalin, whose power was absolute and as close to god-like, as anyone had ever had. Nikita Khrushchev testified to Stalin’s autocratic power in his book, Khrushchev Remembers, when he wrote, “Stalin adapted all methods of indoctrination to his own purposes. He demanded unthinking obedience and unquestioning faith” (Khrushchev, pg 8). Khrushchev was undoubtedly politically biased against Stalin, but his statement seems to be in line with the latter’s record of achievements. The purges of
However, the idea of the benefits to totalitarianism can only be successfully argued had Stalin made the right decisions later and shown the consequences of the purges to be worth the suffering.... ... middle of paper ... ... These effects coupled with the already existent military problems (rudimentary communications without radio and the total lack of appreciation of modern war techniques) must have posed a real threat to the security of the Soviet Union and damaged her ability to defend herself later. Alec Nove is right in suggesting that it was the Great Terror that made Stalin's advisers too afraid to inform him of the German invasion and this had huge human costs as Soviet forces were caught sleeping.
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.
Stalin’s hunger for power and paranoia impacted the Soviet society severely, having devastating effects on the Communist Party, leaving it weak and shattering the framework of the party, the people of Russia, by stunting the growth of technology and progress through the purges of many educated civilians, as well as affecting The Red Army, a powerful military depleted of it’s force. The impact of the purges, ‘show trials’ and the Terror on Soviet society were rigorously negative. By purging all his challengers and opponents, Stalin created a blanket of fear over the whole society, and therefore, was able to stay in power, creating an empire that he could find more dependable.
The length of time the Soviet regime ruled over Russia was quite remarkable for how oppressive the government was to its own people. There are numerous factors that played a role in how the Soviet Union stayed in power for so long, but I think there are only a few reasons that established its power for the 74 years. The first factor that helped the Soviet regime to stay was the fear and terror that was installed in the citizens of Russia at this time. When the gulags became popular during the Stalin era everyone in the country had to be somewhat concerned of being arrested. People would have to continually prove their loyalty to communist Soviet Union or people would think they are a “foreign agent”.
Stalin’s leadership of the Soviet Union can be best described as a period of terror and censorship. In other words, he was very strict, considering the fact that he created the totalitarian government. In order to create this type of government, Stalin used fear and propaganda. He took part in The Great Purge, which was a campaign of terror that was supposed to eliminate anyone who threatened Stalin’s power. He also relied on secret police, who would arrest and execute any traitors. The online blog, “The Reasons For the Failure of The Russian Revolution”, brings up information on how Stalin planned to rule as dictator of Russia. It has been noted, “This ‘reshaping’ had three main aspects: the elimination of all dissent; the liquidation of all forms of democracy and of working class organisation; the slashing of the living standards of the working class and the physical annihilation of millions of peasants” (Text 5). This quote explains how Stalin wanted to industrialize Russia, which includes the deaths of several peasants of Russia. The Russians did not just die from The Great Purge, but also from Stalin’s Five-Year Plan. The Five-Year Plan was an attempt to industrialize the Soviet Union. It was also a plan for increasing the output of steel, coal, oil, and electricity. He had control over economic resources, including farms and
Stalin had twenty-one trials throughout the Blood Purges, but he had four key trials. Almost every Bolshevik participant in the revolution was imprisoned because of his hatred towards them. Most of the men imprisoned were political leaders that were a threat to Stalin. His first greatly known trial was the sixteenth trial which took place in late 1936. That trial involved Zinoviev, Kamenev, Smirnov, and Rachkovsky.
boosted the USSR’s economy. Therefore Stalin had created a country which seemed corrupt at the time, but later on it improved by the hard work Stalin had forced upon them.
Stalins rise as a dictator over the USSR in 1929, was a struggle for power. It was set by Lenin, in his testament, that Stalin was not to takeover control as the party leader, and to be removed from his position as General Secretary, as Stalin in Lenins eyes had lack of loyalty, tolerance, and politeness. However, different factors, such as Lenins funeral, Stalins position as General Secretary and the rise of bureaucracy, and Stalins relationship to Kamenev and Zinoviev, made it possible for Stalin to become the undisputed leader over the USSR in 1929. This essay will discuss the methods and the conditions, which helped Joseph Stalin rise to power.
In order for it to work, Russia had to become an industrial power at all costs. Stalin removed anyone he though could possibly turn against his plan and stay in the way. Over the next few years, he executed many of the old Bolsheviks who had led the revolutions as well as many military officers.
His death facilitated the infiltration of Stalin?s supporters into the political police which Stalin eventually used against his opponents. It was also fortunate for Stalin that Lenin?s testament was not publicized. If Lenin?s negative views on Stalin succeeding him had been aired, there would have been no possibility for Stalin?s victory. Another reason for Stalin?s victory was his influence over the party machine through his key positions in the Politburo and Orgburo and as General Secretary. This power allowed Stalin to appoint his supporters to key positions in the party.