The terror and cultural coercion of Stalin’s rule made a mockery of the original theories and promises of

communism

The Soviet Union Under Stalin

A Totalitarian State

Stalin’s Five-Year Plans:

Stalin imposed government control over the Soviet Union’s economy.

In 1928, he proposed the first of several “five-year plans”

building heavy industry

improving transportation

increasing farm output.

A Totalitarian State

The Soviet Union developed a command economy

Government officials made all basic economic decisions.

In a capitalist economy, a free market determines most economic decisions.

The private businesses compete to win the consumer’s choice.

This competition regulates the price and quality of goods

Mixed Results in Industry

Government pushed the factory workers and managers by giving bonuses to those who succeeded and punishments for those who failed.

Between 1928 and 1939, large factories, hydroelectric power stations, and huge industrial complexes rose across the Soviet Union.

Oil, coal, and steel production grew.

Mining expanded and new railroads were built.

Forced Collectivization in Agriculture

Stalin brought agriculture under government control

All peasants were to farm on state-owned farms or collectives.

On these collectives the gov’t would provide tractors, fertilizers, and better seed and the peasants would learn modern farm methods.

All farm animals and implements were to be turned over to the collective

Houses and personal belongings could be kept.

Forced Collectivization in Agriculture

Some of the peasants did not want to give up their land or sell their crops at the state’s low prices, so they resisted.

They killed farm animals, destroyed tools, and burned crops.

Stalin believed that kulaks, wealthy farmers, were behind the resistance so he vowed to “liquidate the kulaks as a class”, the gov’t confiscated their land and sent them off to labor camps.

Thousands were killed, or died from being overworked.

Forced Collectivization in Agriculture

Peasants also resisted by growing only enough to live by

So the gov’t took all of the grain and left the peasants to starve.

1932- Terror Famine, 5-8 million people died of starvation in Ukraine alone.

Stalin’s Terror Tactics

Government used tactics such as secret police, torture and violent purges to ensure obedience.

Stalin committed crimes against humanity and constantly violated his people’s rights.

Police spies would open private letters or plant listening devices.

Grumblers or critics were sent to Gulag, a system of brutal labor camps, many died.

No free press, censorship

The Great Purge

1934: Cracked down on Old Bolsheviks( party activists from the early

days of the revolution),

Army heroes

Industrial managers

Writers

Ordinary citizens.

Charged from counterrevolutionary plots, to failure to meet production quotas.

The Great Purge

1936-1938; “show trials” communist leaders would admit to crimes after being tortured or families threatened.

4 million purged, some historians estimate much more

Results of the Purge

Increased Stalin’s power Lost experts in industry, economics,

engineering, writers, thinkers, military leaders, half of it’s military officers

Bites them in the butt when Germany invades USSR. in 1941

Mini Quiz

1. What was the name of Stalin's plan that would build heavy industry, improve transportation, and increasing farm output?

2. What was the name of state-owned farms ran by groups of peasants?

3. Name a tatic used by Stalin to ensure obedience.

Communist Attempts to Control Thought

Propaganda Made himself a god-like figure Censoring opposing ideas, imposing Russian culture

on minorities, and replacing religion with communist ideology.

Loudspeakers in factories and villages, movies, schools, billboards, posters

Communist successes and the evils of capitalism.

Censorship and Acts

Gov’t controlled what books were published, what music was heard, and which works of art were displayed.

Socialist realism – show Soviet life in a positive light and promote hope in the communist future.

Rarely allowed to be realistic

Soviet writers published stories outside their country, or if they refused to conform they were prosecuted.

Russification

Russification – making a nationality’s culture more Russian.

1936- 11 Soviet Socialist Republics

Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic – old Russian heartland and was the largest/dominant republic

At first Stalin promoted independence in the other republics. But in the late 1920s changed his mind and tried to make these non-Russian countries more Russian; appointed Russians to high-ranking positions in non-Russian SSrs and required the Russian language to be used in all schools and businesses.

War on Religion

Atheism- belief that there is no god; became an official state policy.

Many priests and religious leaders were among the purged.

Communism became the new religion with its own ‘sacred texts’.

The writings of Marx and Lenin- shrines, tomb of Lenin, religious icons in home became portraits of Stalin.

Millions still worshipped, both private and public in defiance of the government

Soviet Society Under Stalin

The head of the society was the members of the Communist Party, instead of the old order which were landowning nobles.

Only a fraction of Soviet citizens could join the party, many joined to get ahead not for beliefs.

Soviet elite:

Best apartments, vacation homes, special shops w/ scarce goods

industrial managers, military leaders, scientists, and some artists and writers.

Purges often fell on the elite

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits All children attend

communist-built school, technical schools and universities

After-school programs- sports, cultural activities

Free medical care, day care, inexpensive housing, public rec

Drawbacks Political classes to train

teenagers for membership

Also taught communist values, atheism, and love of Stalin.

Entire families in one apartment

Meat and fresh fruit were in short supply

Women in the Soviet Union

Won equality

Gained access to education

A wide range of jobs.

1930s- working in medicine, engineering or the sciences

Worked in factories, in construction, and on collectives

Soviet Forgein Policy

1919- Comintern, the Communist International.

The purpose was to encourage world-wide revolution. Aided revolutionary groups Urged colonies to rise up against mother

country. U.S. “red scare”,

Britain cuts of ties (1926 strike)

Joined league of nations

Looking Ahead

Stalin dies in 1953 USSR is a military superpower A world leader in heavy industry The reality of communism fell far short of Lenin’s

promises

lives of terror far inferior to lives in the west

Mini Quiz

1. What was on of the benefits of communism? 2. What is the word for “making a country

more Russian”? 3. What was on of the topics of the

Comintern?