The death of the creator of the Soviet Communist Party and founder of the USSR, Vladimir Lenin, left the young Soviet Union craving the leadership from a man of the same stature. At first, the brilliant leader of the Red Army and also the appointed candidate by Lenin, Trotsky, seemed to be the one to take control of the USSR. Instead, Joseph Stalin took control of the Soviet Union, using many vindictive political moves and his position as General Secretary. As the leader of the Soviet Union, Stalin strengthened and stabilized the structure of the nation to become a world superpower and industrial colossus. In many ways, Stalin transformed himself to replicate Lenin by adopting his ideas and goals, although the way in which he met these goals are highly controversial by historians.
Revolutionary Leadership USSR 1924 – 1957 What methods of control did Stalin use during the 1930's? How did these methods During the 1930's, Joseph Stalin used many brutal but effective methods of control to gain a hold on the USSR and keep his power. “To gain a victory and be feared was a triumph for him.” (Joseph Iremashvilli, on Stalin) These methods affected the Soviet Union in many ways. Such as a rapid decrease in living standards, famines resulting in countless orphaned children, and the Gulag system of forced Labour camps. Stalin and his associates in the Politburo and the NKVD influenced the Soviet people with these methods so much that in some cases the lowest class of people would exclaim statements like: “When the woman I love gives me a child, the first word I will teach it shall be 'Stalin'” (A.O.
This source describes Russia in 1917. The Russian armies eventually collapsed in 1917, but this was due more to poor leadership, inadequate supplies and political developments at home, than to defeat in the field. Russia’s cities experienced food shortages. There was inflation and enthusiasm for the war had been replaced by discontent and waves of strikes. By early 1917 all the ingredients for revolution existed in Russia.
There can be no ignoring the effect that World War I had on Russia, with the crippling affects of a major war and the resulting breakdown of infrastructure within the Russian Empire. From 1903 when the Bolsheviks were formed a rising threat had emerged to Tsardom, The Marxist intellectual Vladimir Lenin was emerging as an influential light in the revolutionary movement. His earlier pamphlet entitled ‘What is to be done?’ outlined his need for more organisation, discipline, and leadership within the socialist parties. His idea of having a tight-knit exclusive organisation of professional revolutionaries showed he had the coherent theories to be a real threat to Tsarism. According to Alan Wood, Lenin described the 1905 revolution as a ‘dress rehearsal’.
Also, the totalitarian state supports extreme nationalism. Stalin used propaganda, censorship, and terror to force his will on the Soviet people. Government newspapers glorified work and Stalin himself. Secret police spied on citizens, and anyone who refused to praise Stalin and the state faced severe punishment, even death. Thus we can see that by the end of the 1920s, Stalin had definitely created a totalitarian state, but to what extent?
Eastern Europe, including both the small Eastern nations and Russia, were absolutely devastated by war. The Soviet had 20 million dead. Because of this, the vengeful Soviet Union wanted to lash back at beaten Germany, aiming at both fierce punishments of Nazi leaders and dismantling German factories and basically making German economic recovery impossible. The Soviets' damages were so immense that they were determined to rebuild their shattered land by extracting enormous reparations from the Germans. This is why the Soviet Union sought to take over many of the eastern lands that were once under German control Poland and Hungary became nearly dependent to the Soviets, and the Soviets also began to eye obtaining Greece and later Turkey.
In a series of five-year plans, Stalin poured the nation's resources into building steel mills, electric power stations, and other industries needed in a strong modern state. He also forced millions of peasants to give up their land and work on collective farms, large, government-run enterprises. Many peasants opposed the change, and millions died in Stalin's brutal crackdown. “Ousting the capitalist elements in the countryside is an inevitable result and component part of restricting the capitalist elements, the policy of restricting the kulaks exploiting tendencies....Ousting the capitalist
What was the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad in the War between Germany and Russia by 1945? The Battle of Stalingrad was potentially the most brutal and devastating conflict on the Eastern Front, with a combined loss of nearly 2 million men. By 1945 it was clear that by failing to capture Stalingrad, Germany not only militarily suffered a tremendous blow, but domestically as well. Hitler had lost all faith and support in his Generals over Stalingrad, and likewise, his Generals started to see through their Fuhrer for what he really was, as did the German public; who no longer believed the lie that Germany was winning on the Eastern Front. For Russia, Stalingrad gave hope to the people, causing a surge of morale and support thereafter.
16% of the 1.8million who died at war were conscripted and all families were somehow impacted by the war, which consequently led to a decline in the popularity of the Royal Family. People famously said “what family is going to survive war with all six sons alive?” in reference to the Kaiser’s six sons as awareness was spreading that there was an inequality of sacrifice among classes. The divisions between classes which had previously existed were now even greater. Peasantry and rural producers felt alienated by government regulations and were now hampered by the lack of labour and there was also huge resentment towards the Junkers who maintained their tax privileges until 1916. The urban working class also suffered due to the rise of the black market, which was the source of
Organizations such as the HUAC were corrupt and overflowing with power at the time, ruining lives for their own self indulgence. It was a time to be afraid of everyone and everything, because you never knew who might be a communist spy for Russia. O 2. Red Scare (first and second) The first red scare was brought about by the immense and widespread fear of Bolshevism