2013 Unit 2.2 Part 1 Stalin PDF

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Maris Stella High School 2013 Secondary 3 History Elective (2204/03) Chapter 2: Stalins Soviet Union
CHAPTER 2: STALINS SOVIET UNION

I. BACKGROUND
In the 20th century, the ideas of a German thinker, Karl Marx, began to spread. Marx argued that society was divided into 2 antagonistic classes the bourgeois (the rich people) and the proletariat (the poor working class). The bourgeois exploit the poor with low wages and poor working conditions and thus the proletariat suffered. Marx believed that the proletariat would eventually rise against the bourgeois to create a communist society one in which wealth is shared equally among the people. In Russia, many who suffered under the Tsars rule were inspired by Marxs ideas. Some of them formed political parties, one of which was the Social Democratic Party formed in 1898. In 1903, this partys members could not agree on the best way to establish a communist society and they split into 2 groups the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks were led by Vladimir Lenin and they believed in seizing power by force, through strikes and violent demonstrations. The Mensheviks, however, believed in changing society slowly. In February 1917 (March 1917 according to Russian calendar), a series of strikes hit Russia. The Tsar ordered his soldiers to put down the revolt but they refused. Without support from the army or his people, the Tsar had no choice but to abdicate. A provisional government was set up to run the country. However, in October 1917, the Bolsheviks toppled the provisional government and took over power the world 1st communist regime, led by Lenin, was established. In 1924, the former territories of the Russian empire were combined to form the Soviet Union or USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).
When Lenin died in January 1924, there was a struggle to replace him as the leader of the USSR. Among the candidates were Leon Trotsky, Lev Kamenev, Grigory Zinoviev, Nikolai Bukharin, and Josef Stalin. Eventually Stalin emerged victorious to become the next leader of the USSR.
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II. INQUIRY QUESTION: WAS STALINS RISE TO POWER EXPECTED?

Pick your favorite candidate for the next leader of the Soviet Union! Potential Candidates to Succeed Lenin: Leon Trotsky Joined the Bolsheviks in 1917 before that he was a member of the Mensheviks (Bolsheviks rivals) Made many anti-Lenin speeches before he joined the Bolsheviks Played a leading role in the October Revolution in 1917 and in the civil war Brilliant man with great public speaking and writing skills Did not try to win over the support of key members of the Bolshevik Party as he believed he would definitely succeed Lenin. He was Lenins choice as successor
Lev Kamenev Member of the Bolshevik Party since its formation in 1903 Trusted by Lenin He had good leadership and organizational skills He had acted as Lenins deputy before Not keen for the Bolsheviks to launch the October Revolution as he felt that the timing was not right this was one instance when he opposed Lenin. Lenin was disappointed in Kamenev for failing to support him
Grigory Zinoviev
Member of the Bolshevik Party since its formation in 1903 and was trusted by Lenin He had good leadership and organizational skills Like Kamenev, Zinoviev too had opposed Lenin on the timing of the October Revolution
Joseph Stalin
Did not play any significant role in the October Revolution or the Civil War Seen as a quiet man who was neither liked nor disliked by Party members Was seen by Trotsky and many others as a dimwitted person Lenin was sceptical about whether he would make a good leader
Who is best likely to emerge the next leader? Why? What qualities should a person possess to lead Soviet Union after Lenins death? Charisma Competence able to come up with good policies Heart for citizens Good speaker Popular with people in country and in the party Has resources to gain supporters Political astuteness Integrity and character Experienced in leadership posts Blessings of Lenin
A. STALIN THE LEAST LIKELY LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE

1. Lack of Personal Qualities of a Leader A Historians view of Stalin Stalin seemed to have none of the characteristics normally expected of a great leader: he had nothing like the charisma of Lenin and Trotsky, all his rivals were better public speakers than he was, he was not a war hero, and he was certainly nowhere near the intellectual equal of Trotsky or Bukharin. In fact Trotsky described Stalin as the Partys most eminent mediocrity a man destined to play second or third fiddle What were Stalins shortcomings? How would each shortcoming make him an unlikely leader? Not charismatic therefore unable to attract people to support him Not a good public speaker unable to persuade people to support him Not a war hero people would not be impressed with him Not intellectual people would not respect him for being able to think intelligently 2. Lack of Support from Lenin Lenins Political Testament: Stalin is too crude and this defect is entirely unacceptable in the position of General Secretary. I therefore propose to comrades that they should devise a means of removing him from this job and should appoint to this job someone else who is distinguished from comrade Stalin by the single superior aspect that he should be more tolerant, more polite and more attentive towards comrades, less capricious. How would Lenins Political Testament affect Stalin if it was read out during a meeting of all communist party members? The communists might then have removed Stalin from the post of General Secretary and dropped their support for Stalin Stalin might then not have be able to rise to power
To sum up why
Stalins rise to power was not inevitable because in actual fact, he lacked support from Lenin. Lenin has written a will in early 1923 expressing his misgivings about Stalin. He felt that Stalin was not suitable as the Secretary-General and wanted him removed from the position. Lenin also stated that he preferred Trotsky to be the Secretary-General because Trotsky was more loyal to the communist party. The will was meant to be read at the Party Congress at which all important members of the Party would be present. Since Stalin was the on the verge of losing his important post as Secretary-General, there was a chance he would no longer be able to make use of that prestigious position as Secretary to gain support and would thus not been able to rise to power. o Stalins rise to power was not inevitable because he faced numerous rivals. Trotsky was a key rival capable of challenging Stalins rise to power. Trotsky had the favor of Lenin and he also had the support of students and the Red Army. In other words, Trotsky had the potential to challenge Stalin. Hence it was never guaranteed that Stalin could rise to power. Moreover, even after getting rid of Trotsky, Stalins rise was not inevitable because his allies Kamenev and Zinoviev were still around to challenge him. In fact after the two of them got rid of Trotsky, they turned around and criticized Stalins idea of Socialism in One Country. Hence challenges to Stalins power were present and thus his rise to power was not inevitable.
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B. REASONS FOR STALINS RISE TO POWER

1. Position as Secretary General A historians description of Stalin: As the Party Secretary, Stalin controlled all party appointments, promotions and demotions. He made sure that local trade unions, cooperatives and army units were led by communists loyal to Stalin himself. He also kept detailed files on all managers of industry and all party members. Even the secret police came under his control. He assigned Trotskys supporters posts as far away from Moscow as possible. How can control over appointments, promotions, and demotions help Stalin? By controlling promotions, he ensured that these people were indebted to him and thus would support his rise to power By controlling demotions, he ensured his opponents lose power and would not be able to oppose him and also served as a warning to potential opponents that way there would not be many opposing his rise to power Who made up Stalins support base? Important Communist Party members A historians view of Trotsky: Trotskys unpopularity with the most influential of the leading Bolsheviks greatly reduced his chances of success. Some were jealous that he rose to the top so quickly after joining the party much later than them. Although he had support among students and in the Red Army, he was not popular with industrial workers who remembered his suggestion of strict military discipline for workers. He could be extremely arrogant: he often treaded Kamenev, Zinoviev, and Stalin with condescension and even contempt. By the end of 1924, almost all his support in the Communist Party had disappeared. Did Trotsky have much support? Why? No, because (1) some were jealous of him, (2) he was arrogant and treated others with contempt, (3) workers did not like his recommendation to discipline them How is Trotskys support base different from Stalins? Trotskys support base came from students and Red Army but Stalins support base came from important political party members Which support base had more power in determining the next leader? The important political party members Why was Stalin able to defeat Trotsky to rise to power? Stalin used his position as Secretary General to consolidate support whereas Trotsky did not have any support from important party members thus with greater support, Stalin was able to rise to power
To sum up this factor

1 reason for Stalins rise to power was because of the advantageous position he occupied in the Communist Party. His position as the General Secretary was important because it was a sign of Lenins favor. As the Party Secretary, he has the authority over 700 officials. He controlled, in essence, all party appointments, promotions and demotions. He made sure that local trade unions, cooperatives, and army units were led by loyal communists responsible to Stalin himself. He also kept detailed files on all managers of industry and all party members. Even the secret police came under his control. This helped him gain support from those he put in power because those people who owed their posts to Stalin dared not oppose him. Hence his position as Party Secretary allowed him to consolidate a strong support base. His strong support base came in useful when they supported him against Trotsky. Hence Stalin was able to rise to power. o Trotskys supporters within the party were assigned posts as far from Moscow as possible. In fact he drew his support from a narrow base: youths, students, and the Red Army. Party members considered Trotsky arrogant. Trotsky himself was also complacent about building support within the Party because he thought Lenin would pick him to be the successor. In other words, Trotsky, unlike Stalin, did not try to build up a support base and did not have the support of important party members. Because Trotsky did not have a strong support base, he was unable to compete effectively with Stalin. Thus Stalin had an edge over him and was able to rise to power.
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2. Stalins Socialism in One Country Socialism in One Country vs. Permanent Revolution: Stalin went against Trotskys theory of permanent revolution. Trotsky wanted Russia to continue to spread the revolution world-wide i.e. try to turn other countries communist by supporting revolutionaries in other countries. In opposition to this, Stalin put forth the idea of socialism in one country. Stalin basically argued that socialism must first be firmly established in Russia and that Russias economic and military strength must be built up. Stalin felt that it was only when Russia was strong enough then should it think of spreading communism abroad. Considering that the Russians had just finished fighting 4 years of WW1 and 3 years of civil war, would they support the idea of trying to spread communism overseas or would they support the idea of consolidating communism at home? Why? Most would support the idea of consolidating communism at home because the idea of world revolution suggested more fighting something the Russians were tired of after the civil war Why would most uneducated Russians support Stalins idea of socialism in one country? The idea was more easily understood by uneducated Russians How did Stalins idea of Socialism in One Country help Stalin rise to power? Stalins idea was more easily understood and had more support from those tired of conflict and thus they supported him rather than Trotsky and Stalin was then able to rise to power

Stalins rise to power was because of the appeal of his political ideas. Stalin maintained that socialism was possible within one country. This did not mean that Stalin abandoned the idea of a world revolution. What it meant was that Russia would serve as the world's shining example of socialism until the world revolution did take place. Stalins rival, Trotsky maintained that only a world revolution would permit Russia to carry socialism to its proper conclusion. Socialism, in other words, could not succeed in one country. There must be either a world socialist revolution or Russian socialism was doomed to failure. Such complicated ideas were hard for Russians to understand. So, he failed to get much support for his ideas. This weakened his support base and affected his chance of rising to power. On the other hand, Stalin won support because many who were not very educated agreed with his simple interpretation of Socialism in one country i.e. USSR should become strong first before focusing on bringing about a world revolution. As people understood Stalin, Stalin was able to gain greater popularity than his rival Trotsky. This gave him an edge over Trotsky and helped him rise to power. Secondly, at a time when Russians were tired of civil war, the idea of Socialism in one country that focused on making USSR strong appealed to people more than ideas of world revolution. The idea of world revolution seemed to imply more fighting something which the Russians were weary of. They believed that Stalins idea was more practical and thus Stalin was able to get more support which helped him come to power.
3. Cult of Lenin
What role did Stalin play during Lenins funeral? Chief mourner Why did Stalin play that role during Lenins funeral? To make himself appear close to Lenin so that those who supported Lenin would support him Who was missing during the funeral? Trotsky A biography of Trotsky: Trotsky was recovering from an illness when Lenin died. He telephoned Stalin to ask when the funeral was to be held. Stalin said, On Saturday, you cant get back in time anyway so we advise you to continue with your treatment. This was a lie. The funeral was on Sunday and Trotsky could have reached Moscow by then. Why did Stalin lie to Trotsky? Stalin lied to Trotsky so that Trotsky would miss the funeral which would in turn cause people to have a very bad impression of Trotsky After Lenins funeral, how did people view Stalin and Trotsky? Stalin was perceived as a loyal supporter of Lenin whereas Trotsky was seen as not respectful of Lenin How did Stalins actions help him rise to power? By making himself appear close to Lenin, he gained the support of many communists who were supportive of Lenin. This enhanced his support base even further and thus he was able to rise to power.

Another reason for Stalins rise to power was the development of the cult of Lenin. After Lenins death in 1922, Stalin tried to show that he was very close to the late leader. This was because Lenin was a widely respected figure and he hoped that by portraying himself as a close follower of Lenin, Lenins supporters would support him too. So, he developed a cult around Lenin to show his devotion to Lenin. Lenins body was embalmed and displayed and Stalin presented himself as the chief mourner. Hence, Lenins supporters saw him as a man who was true to Lenin right to the end. This gained him support from those who had been loyal to Lenin. On the other hand, Trotsky was not even present during Lenins funeral. This was because Stalin had given the wrong date of the funeral to Trotsky so that Trotsky would miss the funeral. Many Party members got angry with Trotsky because his absence seemed to them to be a lack of respect for Lenin. As a result, Stalin was able to put himself in a more positive light compared to Trotsky and able to gain support of both the masses and party members. Such support helped Stalin rise to power.
4. Stalins Political Maneuvers After Lenins death, Stalin worked together with Kamenev and Zinoviev against Trotsky. When Trotsky criticized Kamenev and Zinoviev for opposing the timing of the October revolution, Stalin defended Kamenev and Zinoviev. Kamenev and Zinoviev were also willing to work with Stalin. Zinoviev speaking to other communist leaders about Lenins Last Testament that called for Stalins removal from the post of Secretary-General: Comrades, every word of Lenin is law to us But we are happy to say that Lenins fears have proved baseless. I have in mind the point about Stalin. You all have witnessed our harmonious cooperation in the last few months; and like myself, you will be happy to say that Lenins fears have proved groundless. Why did Kamenev and Zinoviev defend Stalin against Lenins Last Testament? Because they saw Trotsky as a greater threat and Stalin as a lesser threat to the leadership position because Trotsky appeared more intelligent and because Lenin had indicated he favoured Trotsky over Lenin Because Trotsky had criticized them and was condescending to them A historians description of events from 1925 to 1927: With Trotsky out of the running for the leadership post, Stalin began to turn against Kamenev and Zinoviev. Kamenev and Zinoviev also began to oppose Stalin and Bukharin. Many saw this as their bids for leadership. Kamenev and Zinoviev then decided to work with Trotsky against Stalin and spoke out in support for Trotskys idea of permanent revolution. Stalin cunningly turned the oppositions arguments against them. He pointed out that their support for permanent revolution proved that he cared more for foreign countries than for Russia. That meant they were all traitors. As a result, Trotsky, Kamenev, and Zinoviev were expelled from the Communist Party, leaving Stalin and Bukharin supreme. Now that Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev were gone, what would be Stalins next move? Now that only Stalin and Bukharin were left, Stalin would move against Bukharin A historians description of events from 1925 to 1927: Stalin started to criticize Bukharins policies. He removed Bukharins supporters from their posts all over Russia and replaced them with his own allies. In November 1929, Stalin delivered a scathing 3 hour speech, full of sarcasm and insults directed against Bukharin, and shortly afterwards, Bukharin was removed from power.
How did all these political maneuvers help Stalin rise to power? By systematically removing all his opponents, there was no one left to oppose him and thus Stalin was able to rise to power.

Lastly, Stalins political maneuvers also helped him to rise to power. Stalin made use of rival groups within the party he cooperated with his political enemies Kamenev and Zinoviev to get rid of Trotsky. Lenin has written a will in early 1923 expressing his misgivings about Stalin and wanted him removed from the position. Lenin also stated that he preferred Trotsky to be the Secretary-General. The will was to be read at the Party Congress. However Kamenev and Zinoviev managed to persuade the Politburo not to read out Lenins will. This dealt Trotsky a severe blow in his chances to defeat Stalin. It also ensured Stalin remain secure in his position as Party Secretary and gave him the chance to make use of his position to gain more supporters. Stalin also then quickly moved to remove Trotskys post as the Commissar of the Red Army so that Trotskys support base would be further undermined. Hence Trotsky was unable to challenge Stalin effectively for power. Hence it can be seen that Stalins political maneuvering of getting allies to support him and cunningly getting rid of Trotsky helped Stalin move a step close to his rise to power. o Once Trotsky was removed, Stalin joined with Bukharin against Kamenev and Zinoviev especially when the two of them began to oppose Stalin. They actually turned around to try to work with Trotsky against Stalin and spoke out in support for Trotskys idea of permanent revolution. Stalin then cunningly pointed out their support for permanent revolution proved that they cared more for other countries than for Russia and that they were thus traitors. As a result, he effectively managed to get them expelled from the Communist Party at a time when they were about to challenge Stalins position. In other words, Stalin used his political cunningness to effectively remove his most credible rivals and thus he was able to rise to power. o Having removed Kamenev and Zinoviev, he turned against Bukharin. With Trotsky exiled from the country, with Lenin dead, with Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Bukharin dealt with, Stalin was now ready to take over control of the USSR. Thus it can be seen that Stalin was a shrewd politician who made numerous political maneuvers to systematically get rid of other politicians who posed a challenge to his power and position. Eventually there was no real challenge to his authority and thus he could emerge as the unchallenged leader of the USSR.
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III. STALINS LEADERSHIP

1. Collectivization What is collectivization? Stalin forced peasants to give up their small plots of land and animals. The land and animals were pooled with those of other families to make a farm large enough to use machinery and modern farming methods efficiently. These collective farms now belonged to the state. The government provided each collective farm (also called kolkhoz) with machinery such as tractors. The peasants, who no longer owned the farms, were to work on these state-owned collective farms for a low fixed wage. The government would buy the produce of each farm at low fixed prices. Stalins speech about reasons for collectivization Look at the kulak farms: their barns and sheds are crammed with grain. They are waiting for prices to rise. So long as there are Kulaks there will be sabotage of our grain needs. The effect will be that our towns and industrial centers, as well as the Red Army, will be threatened with hunger. We cannot allow that. We must break the resistance of this class of kulaks and deprive it of its existence. Moreover, look at the peasants now they are using old-fashioned, inefficient farming methods. *kulaks: rich peasants What were the problems Stalin faced when it comes to agriculture? Why did such problems come about? Shortage of grain for towns and the army was caused by kulaks who kept the grains for profit Inefficiency in farming was caused by old-fashioned and inefficient farming methods What aims did Stalin have when it comes to agriculture? Get rid of kulaks Raise output Raise efficiency Why did Stalin have these 2 aims in mind? Stalin wanted to get rid of kulaks because they hoarded grains which resulted in the workers and soldiers not having enough food Stalin wanted to increase output because he wanted to sell the surplus abroad in order to make money needed to develop the country Stalin wanted more workers in industrial centres. This meant that there would be peasants available to farm the fields. That was why agricultural methods had to be made more efficient How could collectivization help to achieve the 2 aims? Collectivization meant that all peasants, including the kulaks, needed to surrender their farms that way, kulaks would not be able to hoard grains and Stalin would then have enough grains to feed the workers, army, and to sell the surplus Machinery to be given to collective farms would make farming efficient
A landless Russian peasants view of collectivization Collectivization sounds good. With collectivization, I will get the same pay as those peasants who now have land while I have nothing. It will make life more equal.
Russian peasant who rented the land he worked on gave his view of collectivization It is a good idea. We no longer need to pay absurdly high rent to work on the land
A kulaks view of collectivization In the past, we got high prices for selling our crops. That was fair, given the amount of effort and time we spent in the fields. With collectivization, we will have to sell our produce at very low prices to the government.
A collectivized farmers view of collectivization It sounds fine for those of us who work hard, but what about those who are lazy? Why should we share our hard-earned money with them? What were peasants attitudes towards collectivization? Those rich peasants did not support collectivization Those poor ones without land supported collectivization How then did the Soviet government manage to bring about collectivization? Those who resisted were punished sent to labour camps or shot Methods Used to Bring About Collectivization Stalin adopted a policy of collectivization by force. He ordered Communist officials to force farmers to hand over their crops. Young Communist Party members went around looking for food and would confiscate any crops they found. Backed by Stalins secret police, Party officials were sent to countryside to form collective farms. These officials often forced the farmers to sign documents agreeing to the formation of collective farms. They would take over the fields, livestock, farming tools and buildings of farmers. Orders were given to shoot farmers who resisted or to send them to labour camps. As a result, thousands of kulaks were rounded up and either killed or sent to labour camps.
Outcomes of Collectivization Item Grain (Millions of tonnes) Cattle (Millions) Pigs (Millions) Sheep & Goats (Millions) 1928 73.3 70.5 26.0 146.5 1929 71.1 67.1 20.4 147.0 1930 83.5 52.3 13.6 108.8 1931 69.5 47.9 14.4 77.7 1932 69.6 40.1 11.6 52.1 1933 68.4 38.4 12.1 50.2 1934 67.6 42.4 17.4 51.9 1935 75.0 49.3 22.6 61.1
What were the results of collectivization? On the whole agricultural output was lower compared to 1928 From 1933, output increased in all areas Impact of Collectivization on Soviet citizens:
A historian describing the outcome of collectivization: Collectivization was carried out at enormous cost to the Soviet people, especially those who opposed because they were sent to labor camps (gulags). Some were killed. By 1937, over 90% of peasant farms had been collectivized and the Kulaks had been destroyed. How did collectivization affect Soviet people? Please give evidence. Harsh treatment of peasants who opposed sent to labour camps or killed Elimination of kulaks kulaks had been destroyed Famine seen in how the children were so skinny Farmers who did not like collectivization rioted and engaged in armed resistance to try to stop collectivization. Stalin responded by ordering 17 million horses used in farming to be killed so that farmers would be forced to use tractors instead. Peasants who refused to cooperate were sent to the gulags to work on Stalins ambitious construction projects. Severe food shortages occurred because the farmers burnt their crops and grew less food rather than send them to the communist officials. The decline in crop production was made worse by natural disasters such as droughts and floods. Severe famine occurred, the most severe occurring in Ukraine. Stalin even sold some of the crops to other countries to raise money to buy machines from other countries.
2. Industrialization Aims of Industrialization Stalin speaking to factory managers on the need to industrialize Tsarist Russia suffered many defeats because of her backwardness. All those countries defeated her because she was weak. This is why we must no longer lag behind. Do we want our Motherland to be defeated and lose her independence? If you do not want this, you must put an end to backwardness in the shortest possible time. We are 50 to 100 years behind the advanced countries. We must catch up in 10 years or they will crush us. According to Stalin, why was there a need to industrialize? To become modern Tsarist Russia had fallen because it was weak and did not industrialize so USSR needed to industrialize so that it would not be weak and would not fall to the West To catch up with the West Stalin was determined to modernize Soviet industry. Stalin wanted to transform the USSR from a backward agricultural country to a modern industrial one for various reasons: Prestige: Stalin wanted the USSR to catch up with the Western world. This would also mean that USSR would be less dependent on the West for industrial goods. Security: Stalin believed the USSR was likely to be attacked by Western capitalist states and that it would be defeated unless it modernized. A modernized industry would enable him to build up the Soviet armed forces Successful Communism: By creating and sharing wealth among the Soviet people, he hoped to get peoples support for communism Agriculture: Improved industry was essential to produce the machinery necessary to modernize farming this was essential for collectivization To achieve industrialization, Stalin drew up 5 year plans with targets for workers to meet. 1st Five Year Plan 19281932 Increase production in energy and heavy industry such as electricity, coal, iron, oil, and steel so as to enable the USSR to increase its armaments quickly All private businesses that had been allowed during Lenins time were closed down or taken over by the Soviet government 2nd Five Year Plan 19331937 Concentrate on consumer goods and better housing for Soviet people In 1934 the focus turned to armaments again due to the threat from Hitlers Germany Emphasized new industries e.g. lead, zinc, tin and chemicals 3rd Five Year Plan 1937 Concentrate on the production of household goods and luxuries such as bicycles and radios this was an attempt to provide Soviet citizens with some of the consumer goods common in other industrialized countries Focus on armaments industries tanks, airplanes, weapons The government took complete control of the economy this is called a planned economy.
Methods Used to Achieve Industrialization
Prisoners in a labor camp building a canal
How did Stalin get enough labour? He made use of forced labour prisoners in labour camps to do hard labour Which other group of citizens did Stalin utilize to meet his industrialization targets? How did he try to attract this group of people into the work force? Women were encouraged to work to help achieve Stalins industrialization plans. Facilities such as crches were provided in factories to encourage women in the work force A Russian newspaper article about Stakhanov Alexi Stakhanov, a coal miner, is a hero of the Soviet Union because on the night of 30-31 August 1935, he shifted 102 tons of coal almost 15 times the normal amount for a single shift. He will be rewarded with a medal, a new house, and other benefits. Workers, follow Stakhanovs example. How did the Soviet government try to meet the industrialization targets? Through propaganda/ encouragement Workers were encouraged follow role models such as the miner Stakhanov Through rewards medals, house, holiday at a discount, other benefits As the labor force was uneducated, the government started a big campaign to teach Russian workers new skills. New colleges, schools and universities were built. Primary education was made compulsory. Thousands of teachers, scientists, and engineers were trained. These teachers, scientists, engineers, factory managers, and skilled workers were paid much higher wages than ordinary workers. These people, together with Soviet officials, received extra benefits such as better housing and the right to buy scarce foods. Other than positive reinforcement, the government also used punishments to pressure workers to meet targets. The Soviet government imposed fines for lateness and bad workmanship. Workers who were absent for more than a day were sacked. Secret police encouraged workers to inform on one another. Anyone blamed for obstructing work could be sent to labor camps or shot.
Outcomes of Five Year Plans: Item FIRST FIVE YEAR PLAN: TARGETS AND ACHIEVEMENTS National Income (milliard roubles) Coal (million tons) Oil (million tons) Pig Iron (million tons) Steel (million tons) Total Employed Labour Force (millions) Item Coal (million tons) Oil (million tons) Pig Iron (million tons) Steel (million tons) 1927 (Actual) 24.4 35.4 11.7 3.3 4.0 11.3 1933 (Actual) 64.3 21.4 6.2 5.9 1932/3 (Target) 49.7 75.0 22.0 10.0 10.4 15.8 1937/8 (Target) 152.5 46.8 16.0 17.0 1932/3 (Actual) 45.5 64.3 21.4 6.2 5.9 22.8 1937/8 (Actual) 128 28.5 14.5 17.5
What were the results of Stalins Five Year Plans? Targets were not met However, industrial output did increase in fact, by 1940 the USSR was the worlds 2nd largest industrial power What do you think might happen to Soviet officials whose factories failed to meet targets? They would be severely punished or demoted How did Soviet officials deal with it? They pushed workers very hard to meet the targets? They falsified production figures to avoid being punished The targets thus became a numbers game. What might be compromised in the process of trying to meet the numbers? Why would these be compromised? Quality was compromised because (1) workers rushed to meet targets and did not bother about quality of the products made and (2) workers were not trained and thus lacked the skills needed for industrialization Welfare of workers was compromised because factory managers needed to meet targets and would threaten and force workers to work long hours with little rest Stalins industrialization program also resulted in new industrial centers being established. Huge towns and industrial centers were built from scratch deep inside the USSR where they could be safe from invasion. Another result was that urban population increased. Between 1929 and 1939, the population of cities rose by 29 million.
SECOND FIVE YEAR PLAN: TARGETS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Impact of Industrialization on Soviet citizens: One impact of industrialization was that new elites emerge. Stalin needed experts in some areas of his industrialization programs. Hence teachers, scientists, engineers, factory managers, and skilled workers were paid much higher wages than ordinary workers. These people, together with Soviet officials, received extra benefits such as better housing and the right to buy scarce foods. They thus enjoyed a higher standard of living, contrary to communist principles Year 1929 October 1930 December 1930 January 1931 March 1931 August 1932 November 1932 December 1932 Rules for Workers All factory workers had to work 7 days a week Workers were not allowed to move around the factories during working hours Factories would not hire people who left their previous jobs without permission Workers would be sent to prison if they broke any rules in the factories All factories were to keep notes on a workers job record Workers who stole from factories would be sentenced to death Workers could be dismissed if they missed a single day of work Workers had to make a passport for any travel within the Soviet Union
An eyewitness account of conditions during the building of the Belomor Canal At the end of the day, there were corpses left on the worksite. Two were frozen back to back leaning against each other. At night Soviet officials came to collect and dispose the corpses. Why were there corpses at the worksite? Because workers were worked too hard How did industrialization affect workers? Workers suffered from the pressure of meeting targets Workers lived in fear that they might make mistakes or fail to meet targets Workers suffered from lack of freedom There were some improvements in education and health for the workers and their families. All workers children received free primary education and free healthcare schemes were extended to cover most of the workforce. It proved impossible to build enough houses for the millions of peasants who flooded into the cities. Most families had to live in overcrowded and rundown buildings. Due to emphasis on heavy industries, industries that produced basic goods were neglected. There was a great shortage of consumer goods, including clothes and shoes. The Russians suffered in the bitterly cold winters because they could not buy suitable clothing and their houses were poorly heated. Basic goods had to be rationed. Shortage of basic goods led to high prices and this worsened their suffering because their wages actually fell by 50% between 1928 and 1933. Crime, alcoholism and juvenile delinquency, increased. However, after 1935, the situation began to improve. Rationing ended in 1936 as production increased and more goods became available. Workers received cheap meals and free uniforms. Free education, subsidized health care and provision of leisure facilities such as cinemas, public parks, sports fields, and gymnasiums, helped to improve lives.
3. Propaganda Cult of Stalin Stalin created the cult of Stalin in which Stalin was worshipped as a leader. Pictures and statues of him were everywhere and places were named after him. The Stalin State Prize and the Stalin Peace Prize were named in his honour. People at meetings had to clap when his name was mentioned. He was given titles such as Father of Nations, Gardener of Human Happiness, Brilliant Genius of Humanity, and Great Architect of Communism. His name was even included in the new Soviet national anthem. Since religion posed a threat to the cult of Stalin, Stalin continued his attack on religions. Christian leaders were imprisoned and churches closed down. Mosques and schools were closed and pilgrimages to Mecca were banned. Culture and Censorship Writers, artists, film makers, and even composers had to support the communist government by following the policy of Social Realism. This meant that their work had to give simple, optimistic messages to show that communism was developing. Books which did not follow what the communist party believed in were changed or destroyed. History was rewritten to glorify Stalins part in the October 1917 revolution. Photographs were faked to show Stalin next to Lenin. Images of Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev, and Bukharin (his political rivals) were eventually removed. Education Children were taught that Stalin was the Great Leader. Stalin chose the subjects and the information that children should learn. They learnt Stalins version of history. History lessons were changed to show how Stalin played a key and heroic role during the October 1917 revolution. Other leaders such as Trotsky were presented as incompetent or ignored totally. There was very strict discipline in schools. Teachers were closely watched to ensure they teach positive things about Stalin. However, on a more positive note, he did ensure that by 1939 the majority of Soviet people could read.
4. State of Terror Purges A historians account of Kirovs murder Before 1934, Stalin dealt with opponents by expelling them from the Communist Party or sending them into exile. In 1934, a group of Bolsheviks approached Sergei Kirov, head of the Communist Party in Leningrad, to stand as an alternative candidate for the post of Secretary-General the post held by Stalin. Kirov told Stalin about it. On 1 December 1934, Kirov was murdered. Who did historians believe arrange for the murder of Kirov? Stalin Why was Kirov arranged to be killed? He was asked to stand as a candidate for the post of Secretary-General and this caused Stalin to see him as a potential rival who must be eliminated Stalin used Kirovs death as an excuse to launch an attack against his opponents. He accused them of murdering Kirov and planning to assassinate him. Some of those arrested were Kamenev and Zinoviev. The secret police were given a quota i.e. they had to arrest a minimum number of enemies of the people. Those arrested were forced to sign confessions to implicate others. 1 million lower-ranking Party officials were expelled and were either shot or sent to labour camps. Later, even ordinary Russians were purged. Millions of Russians scientists, military men, teachers, writers, workers were also arrested and either shot or sent to labour camps. People were encouraged to inform on their fellow workers, neighbours, and family members. There was much fear and suspicion. As no evidence was needed for an arrest, anyone who had a grudge could get rid of another person by reporting him to the secret police. Hence ordinary citizens lived in fear. How did the purges benefit Stalin? Those who opposed him were removed and thus there was no threat to his power There would be no more people who dared to oppose Stalin Show Trials Some political rivals such as Kamenev and Zinoviev were put on show trials during which they confessed to all the charges against them. After their confessions, they were executed.

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CHAPTER 2: STALINS SOVIET UNION

II. INQUIRY QUESTION: WAS STALINS RISE TO POWER EXPECTED?

A. STALIN THE LEAST LIKELY LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE

B. REASONS FOR STALINS RISE TO POWER

To sum up this factor

To sum up this factor

To sum up this factor

To sum up this factor

III. STALINS LEADERSHIP

Methods Used to Achieve Industrialization

Prisoners in a labor camp building a canal

SECOND FIVE YEAR PLAN: TARGETS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

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