communism in Russia

Authoritarian Regimes
Case Study:
Communist Russia

3
How Communism came to Russia
 Before 1917, Russia was
ruled by an emperor
called the Tsar. He was a
very powerful man who
controlled everyone in
Russia.

4
 Under the Tsar, the
rich people owned
large areas of land,
big businesses and
houses and occupied
important posts in
the government.
The peasants and
the town workers
were very poor.

5
 Russians had been
influenced by a German
writer, Karl Marx. He
believed that workers
would one day rise up
against the rich and
overthrow the
government. He also
thought that the wealth of
the rich should be shared
equally among the people

6
Main Ideas of Communism
 Class Differences- Two main
classes of people
 The Bourgeois – the rich,
owned factories, controlled
the government
 The Proletariat – the poor and
powerless, workers who
worked in factories

7
 Marx and Engels believed
that the bourgeois would
continue to become richer
while the proletariat would
be exploited by the
bourgeois and become
poorer. This would lead to a
revolution and overthrow of
the government. The
bourgeois would be robbed
of their power.

8
 The revolution spread to other countries.
Workers who are discontented with their
working conditions would rise against the
capitalist.
 The rule of the Bourgeois would come to an
end and power would pass into the hands of
the ordinary people.
 In this new world there would be no private
ownership of property.

9
“FROM EACH ACCORDING TO
HIS ABILITY
TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS
NEEDS”…
 Everything will
belong to the
community
 This would be
known as the
“Communist
society”.

10
 Marx’s followers were
called Communists.
In Russia, the
Communists were
lead by Lenin, the
founder of the
Bolshevik Party.

11
 In March 1917, Russian
workers went on strike.
Instead of fighting the
workers, the soldiers
joined them. Without a
proper army, the Tsar
was forced to give up his
throne. In Nov 1917,
Lenin set up the first
Communist state in the
world

12
Spread of
Communism
 From 1919 onwards,
Russia helped to set up
Communist parties in
many countries.
Gustav Klutsis, 1931
The USSR is the crack brigade
of the world proletariat

Was the rise of Communism in
Russia inevitable?
What led to the rise of
Communism in
Russia?
Stalin?
What was the impact
of Stalin’s regime on
the people of
Communist Russia?
1. Why and how the
Communists took power
in Russia.
2. The inevitability of the rise
of Communism.
1. How Stalin rose to
become dictator of
Communist Russia.
1. Stalin’s actions.
2. How they affected the
lives of his people.

Communism in Russia?
 Many opponents of the Tsar were inspired by the
Communism ideology.
 Some of them established political parties.
 The Social Democratic Party was established in
1898.
 In 1903, it split into two groups:
 Bolsheviks (led by Vladimir Lenin)
– To seize power by force, through strikes and violent
demonstrations.
 Mensheviks
– Gradual reform of society.

Impact ofImpact of
World War IWorld War I
and the falland the fall
of the Tsarof the Tsar
Failure of theFailure of the
ProvisionalProvisional
GovernmentGovernment
OctoberOctober
19171917
RevolutionRevolution
BolshevikBolshevik
victory in thevictory in the
Russian CivilRussian Civil
WarWar
What led toWhat led to
the rise ofthe rise of
CommunismCommunism
in Russia?in Russia?

Impact of World War I and
the fall of the Tsar
Most Russians wanted the Tsar
to end the war
• Living conditions of Russians
deteriorated as a result of World War I
— severe food and coal shortages.
• Repeated defeats at the hands of the
German Army — the Tsar was blamed
for this, especially after he decided to
take direct command in 1915.
• Russian soldiers, who were poorly
equipped and fed, were demoralised and
deserted in large numbers.
• By 1917, there was little respect for the
Tsar and many soldiers found it
pointless to continue fighting.
The farmers wanted land
• Land was mostly in the hands of rich
landlords.
• The peasants demanded a fairer
distribution of land.
The Russians wanted food
• Russia’s involvement in World War I
necessitated the transportation of food
to the frontlines to feed the soldiers.
• The railway system could not cope with
the double burden of sending crops
from the countryside to both the cities
and the frontlines.
• Food shortages and skyrocketing
prices in the cities led to riots in the
country as workers demanded more
food — ’bread riots’.

Impact of World War I and
the fall of the Tsar
February 1917:
Series of strikes in
the capital city,
Petrograd.
12 March 1917:
The Tsar ordered
soldiers to put down
the revolt, but the
soldiers joined the
striking workers
instead and took
over public buildings
and police stations,
released prisoners
and looted food
shops.
15 March 1917:
Knowing that he had lost the
support of the army and his
people, the Tsar abdicated. A
Provisional Government was
established to run the country
in place of the Tsar. The
Provisional Government was
to bring about a peaceful
change of government in
Russia, from the Tsar’s
autocracy to an eventual
democracy with an elected
parliament.
BackBack

Failure of the Provisional
Government
 The Provisional Government had several
important tasks:
 To hold elections for the Russian people to choose
their own government by the end of 1917.
 To grant a full and immediate amnesty to all political
and religious prisoners and exiles.
 To cooperate with the committees of workers,
peasants and soldiers, called soviets, which had taken
over the major Russian cities, like Petrograd.

Failure of the Provisional
Government
 However, the Provisional Government failed because it basically did not
address the very issues that brought about the downfall of the Tsar:
Chose to keep Russia inChose to keep Russia in
World War I:World War I:
• To maintain the integrity of tiesTo maintain the integrity of ties
with her allies.with her allies.
• To defend her nationalTo defend her national
honour.honour.
 German army continued to
defeat the Russians.
 Resources absorbed into
war effort.
 Living conditions of the
people remained poor.
 Support for the Bolsheviks
grew at the expense of the
Provisional Government.
Did not carry out landDid not carry out land
reforms:reforms:
• Rich landowners in theRich landowners in the
Provisional GovernmentProvisional Government
delayed the redistribution ofdelayed the redistribution of
land to the peasantsland to the peasants..
 Peasants, who made up
the masses, were
dissatisfied.
 They murdered or chased
away the landowners and
seized the land for
themselves.
Had to struggle forHad to struggle for
power with the soviets:power with the soviets:
• Soviets — groups ofSoviets — groups of
Russian workers,Russian workers,
peasants and soldiers whopeasants and soldiers who
had organised themselveshad organised themselves
into councils that wouldinto councils that would
govern an area — wieldedgovern an area — wielded
great influence with thegreat influence with the
Russian people.Russian people.
BackBack

October 1917 Revolution
 Lenin won support for the Bolsheviks with his promises of land,
bread and an end to the war.
 The Provisional Government ordered the arrest of Lenin when the
Bolsheviks continued to incite riots in July 1917 in Petrograd. Lenin
fled to Finland.
 However, unrest continued when the commander of the Russian
army, General Kornilov, tried to overthrow the Provisional
Government by force.
 The Provisional Government had no choice but to turn to the
Petrograd Soviet and the Bolsheviks who dominated it, for help to
deal with this menace.
 They armed the Bolsheviks, who formed their own army, the Red
Guards.

21
Dimitry Moor, 1919
Proletarians of all
countries, unite!
Soldier, farmer and worker: the
new rulers. The text
'Proletarians of all countries,
unite', is taken from the
Communist Manifesto by Karl
Marx and Friedrich Engels
(1848). The emblem of a
hammer and a plough, in the red
star at the centre above, is soon
replaced by the familiar hammer
and sickle.

October 1917 Revolution
 Although the Provisional Government managed to put down
General Kornilov’s troops with the help of the Red Guards, the
confrontation had exposed the fact that the Provisional
Government was weak and true power in Petrograd was
actually held by the Bolsheviks.
 In October 1917, Lenin returned to Russia and overthrew the
Provisional Government. The Red Guards took over key
buildings in Petrograd and arrested the members of the
Provisional Government.
 The Provisional Government was swept from power after
eight months.
 Lenin established the world’s first Communist regime.
 He fulfilled his promise of ending the war by signing the Treaty
of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in March 1918.
BackBack

Bolshevik victory in the
Russian Civil War
TheThe
Bolshevik’Bolshevik’
ss
opponentsopponents
Social
Revolutionaries
(set up in 1901 with
the aim of leading the
peasants in a violent
revolution against
landlords and
government officials)
Wealthy
landowners
(lost their land due to
the Bolsheviks)
Army and navy
officers
(against the
unfavourable terms of
the Treaty of Brest-
Litovsk)
Monarchists
Other
conservatives
A bitter three-year civil warA bitter three-year civil war
was fought in Russia betweenwas fought in Russia between
the Bolsheviks and theirthe Bolsheviks and their
opponents.opponents.

24
Designer unknown,
1919
A general military
training is a safeguard
for freedom
In the years following
1917, the Soviet Union
is torn by a bloody
civil war between the
'Reds' (the
communists) and the
'Whites'. This poster
calls for the farmers to
fight on the side of the
Reds.

Bolshevik victory in the
Russian Civil War
 The Red Army was a much more disciplined
and united force under the leadership of Leon
Trotsky.
 In comparison, its enemies fought as
fragmented and isolated forces.
 The Red Guards eventually won the war in
1921.

26
Nikolay Kochergin, 1920
Long live the Red Army
Trampled beneath the feet of the Red Army are the defeated White
generals and the idol of Mammon, symbol of capitalism.

In 1924, the former territories of theIn 1924, the former territories of the
Russian Empire were combined toRussian Empire were combined to
form theform the
MoscowMoscow
became thebecame the
new capitalnew capital
of theof the
USSR.USSR.
Soviet UnionSoviet Union oror USSRUSSR..
(Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics)
The Bolshevik Party adopted a
new name, the Communist
Party.
Communist Russia
was born.
The Bolshevik Party adopted a
new name, the Communist
Party.
Communist Russia
was born.
BackBack

Was the rise of Communism in Russia inevitable?Was the rise of Communism in Russia inevitable?
Critical Thinking
Given the depths of the suffering and the disillusionment of the Russians caused by Russia’s
setbacks in World War I, do you think the Russian people cared more about the political system
and ideology or changes that would quickly make living conditions better for them?
What if democracy had been successfully established in Russia? Could it allWhat if democracy had been successfully established in Russia? Could it all
have turned out differently? Did democracy have a chance of succeeding?have turned out differently? Did democracy have a chance of succeeding?

Critical Thinking
What were Russia’s problems? What
promises did Communism hold for the
Russian people?

End of involvement in World War I:
Most Russians wanted their country to be
out of World War I. This was due to the
deteriorating living conditions and
devastating losses on the battlefields.
Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks,
promised to end the war.
An illustration of Russians listening toAn illustration of Russians listening to
a Bolshevik leader in the mid 1910s.a Bolshevik leader in the mid 1910s.
What were Russia’s problems during that time? What
promises did Communism hold for the Russian people?

Redistribution of land:
The peasants wanted a fairer system of
land redistribution.
Communism advocated the equal
distribution of wealth among the people
in the society.

End to food shortages:
The severe shortages of food supplies in the
cities and skyrocketing prices caused great
hardship to the Russian people.
The Communists promised them more food.

Critical Thinking
What was ‘the democratic leaders’ referring to?
Why did it fall from power after a mere eight
months? What were its failures?
Do you think that the Communists capiltalised on the
Provisional Government’s failures by promising to
solve that very problems that the Provisional
Government failed to address?
Would the Provisional Government have succeeded if
they had more time?

35
Designer unknown, 1920
What the October
Revolution has given to
working and peasant
women
The woman gestures
towards a library, a
mensa, a workers club, a
school for adults and a
'house of mother and
child'. The 'October
Revolution' is nowadays
usually referred to as the
November Revolution,
due to differences in
calendar systems.

Rise of StalinRise of Stalin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4A1FuPyzvQ&feature=email
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnl-YZ3tG70&feature=email

OutwittedOutwitted
his rivalshis rivals
Trotsky’sTrotsky’s
weaknessesweaknesses
Stalin?Stalin?
EstablishmentEstablishment
of dictatorshipof dictatorship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4A1FuPyzvQ&feature=email

Outwitted his rivals
 When Lenin died in January 1924, there was a struggle to
replace him as leader of the Soviet Union.
 Among the candidates were:
Leon
Trotsky
• Played a leading role in the October 1917 Revolution and the Civil War.
• Brilliant man with great public speaking and writing skills and was
respected as a political thinker.
• Regarded by Lenin as ‘the most able man in the Party’.
• Lenin’s choice as successor.
• Did not try to win over the support of the key members of the Bolshevik
Party, as he believed that he would definitely succeed Lenin.
Lev
Kamenev
• Member of the Bolshevik Party since its formation in 1903.
• Trusted by Lenin.
• Had good leadership and organisational skills.
• Acted as Lenin’s deputy before.
• Opposed Lenin on the timing of the October Revolution.

Grigory
Zinoviev
Josef
Stalin
• Member of the Bolshevik Party since its formation in 1903.
• Trusted by Lenin.
• Had good leadership and organisational skills.
• Also opposed Lenin on the timing of the October Revolution.
• Did not play any significant role in the October Revolution or the Civil
War.
• Seen as a quiet man, neither liked nor disliked by Party members.
• Was seen by Trotsky and many others as a ‘dim-witted’ person.
• Lenin was sceptical about whether he would make a good leader.
• He was doubtful about Stalin’s ability to use power with sufficient
caution.
• He also felt that Stalin was rude, impatient and not attentive to his
comrades. He wanted to remove Stalin as Secretary-General
Outwitted his rivals
 TrotskyTrotsky was considered the front-runner.was considered the front-runner.
 In 1924, no one expected Stalin to become Lenin’s successor.In 1924, no one expected Stalin to become Lenin’s successor.
 Yet by 1929, he had managed to outwit all his rivals to become theYet by 1929, he had managed to outwit all his rivals to become the
leader of the Soviet Union. How did he do that?leader of the Soviet Union. How did he do that?

Pretended to have been close to
Lenin
When Lenin died in 1924, everybody expected
Trotsky to take over the leadership. Instead,
Stalin schemed his way into power, using his
position as General Secretary, and a series of
ruthless political moves .

Lenin
 Stalin & Lenin never
sat together for this
photo. It was
‘remastered’ in photo
lab in the 1930s.
Why?

Lenin Lenin making a
speech taken in
1920. The figures
standing next to the
rostrum are Trotsky
and Kamenev. When
this photograph was
re-published after
Stalin came to
power, Trotsky and
Kamenev were
removed. Why?
Trotsky and Kamenev
were removed

Lenin Lenin’s negative opinions towards Stalin in his will were
not made public. “I am not sure that Comrade Stalin will
always use his power properly. Comrade Trotsky, on the
other hand, is distinguished by his outstanding ability”.
Lenin’s will.
 When Lenin died, Stalin organised the funeral and gave
himself the role of chief mourner, making it seem as if
he had always been close to Lenin.
 He also tricked his biggest rival, Trotsky, into missing
Lenin’s funeral by giving him the wrong date.
 As a result, many party members were angry with
Trotsky’s apparent lack of respect for Lenin when he
failed to appear at the funeral.

Made alliances
 Stalin formed alliances with other members to
get rid of his opponents.
 For instance, he formed an alliance with
Kamenev and Zinoviev because he knew that
they wanted his support in their struggle against
Trotsky for the leadership of the Communist
Party.

Made alliances
 However, once Kamenev and Zinoviev had
served their purpose by helping Stalin to
eliminate Trotsky as a rival candidate, Stalin
found new allies to remove them as well.
Zinoviev, one of Lenin’s closest associates, defended Stalin against
Lenin’s call, in his will, for Stalin’s removal
“Comrades, every word of Lenin’s is law to us … But we are happy to say that
in one point Lenin’s fears have proved baseless. I have in mind the point about
Stalin. You have all witnessed our harmonious cooperation in the last few
months; and like myself, you will be happy to say that Lenin’s fears have proved
baseless.”

Used his position as Secretary-
General
 Stalin used his power as Secretary-General to appoint
his supporters to important posts.
 Thus, many key Party officials were loyal to him and he
controlled the central Party machine.
 He also controlled the local Party committees,
spreading his influence even more broadly among the
rank and file members.
 As a result, Stalin was able to pack a 1925 Party meeting
with his supporters, who voted to remove Trotsky from
his posts.
BackBack

Trotsky’s weaknesses
Over-confident
• Believed he would succeed
Lenin and was complacent
about building support within
the ranks of the Party.
• Drew his support from a
narrow base: the youths,
students and the Red Army.
• Came across as arrogant to
most Party members.
Over-confident
• Believed he would succeed
Lenin and was complacent
about building support within
the ranks of the Party.
• Drew his support from a
narrow base: the youths,
students and the Red Army.
• Came across as arrogant to
most Party members.
Lack of support for his idea
• His idea of world revolution
did not find broad acceptance
among Party members
because they were weary at
the prospect of more fighting.
• In contrast, most Party
members felt that Stalin’s
idea of ‘Socialism in one
country’ was more practical.
Lack of support for his idea
• His idea of world revolution
did not find broad acceptance
among Party members
because they were weary at
the prospect of more fighting.
• In contrast, most Party
members felt that Stalin’s
idea of ‘Socialism in one
country’ was more practical.
BackBack

Establishment of dictatorship
 Stalin established an authoritarian regime and he was the
dictator who ruled over it with absolute political powers.
Absolute powerAbsolute power
Complete control over his
government.
Could make laws without seeking
agreement from the people or other
members of the government.
Banned other political parties from
the Soviet Union. Any person who
opposed him was beaten, jailed or
even killed.

Establishment of dictatorship
 Used propaganda to persuade people to accept and obey
him as the rightful leader of the country.
 For example, he exaggerated his achievements.
 He also made writers and journalists write about him as a hero of
the people.
 Exercised control through the education system.
 Centralised education system under strict government control.
 Schools had to teach Marxist and Leninist ideas and instil
complete loyalty to the state among the students.
BackBack

What is Propaganda?
 Propaganda is a form of communication that is
aimed at influencing the attitude of a community
toward some cause or position so as to benefit
oneself.
 Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus
possibly lying by omission) and uses loaded messages
to produce an emotional rather than rational
response to the information presented.
 Propaganda can be used as a form of political
 warfare
BackBack

What is Propaganda?
While Lenin was uncomfortable with the popular
personality cult that sprung up about him, the party
exploited it during the civil war and officially enshined
it after his death.As early as 1918, a biography of
Lenin was written, and busts were produced.With his
death, his embalmed body was displayed (to exploit
beliefs that the bodies of saints did not decay), and
pictures books of his life were produced in mass
quantities
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What is Propaganda?
BackBack
Stalin presented himself a
simple man of the people,
but distinct from everyday
politics by his unique role
as leader.His clothing was
carefully selected to
cement this image.

Use of Propaganda
 This poster
shows Stalin on
equal footing
with Marx and
Engels who are
the father of
Communism.
And Lenin who
is the hero of
the Russian
Revolution
BackBack

What is Propaganda?
BackBack
Study the great path of
Lenin and Stalin
Propaganda presented
Stalin as Lenin's heir,
exaggerating their
relationship until the
Stalin cult drained out
the Lenin cult—an effect
shown in posters,
where at first Lenin
would be the
dominating figure over
Stalin, but as time went
on became first only
equal, and then smaller.

Use of Propaganda
 This 1937
Soviet Union
poster shows
children
thanking the
party and
"Dear Stalin"
for a "Happy,
Joyful
Childhood."
BackBack

Use of Propaganda
 This poster
portrays Staliln
as the Father of
the new USSR..
BackBack

Use of Propaganda
 Stalin
propaganda
poster,
reading:
"Beloved Stalin
—good fortune
of the people!"

BackBack

Use of Propaganda
 This poster
portrays Stalin
as their good
fortune. He is
the “saviour”
who will deliver
Russia and
Russians out of
their misery and
make them
prosperous.
BackBack

Use of Propaganda
 Stalin is seen
here as very
popular and
much loved by
the people of
Russia.

BackBack

OutwittedOutwitted
his rivalshis rivals
Trotsky’sTrotsky’s
weaknessesweaknesses
Stalin?Stalin?
EstablishmentEstablishment
of dictatorshipof dictatorship

Impact of Stalin’s Rule
Crisis and Conflict: Communist Russia Copyright 2006 62

CommunistCommunist
RussiaRussia
became anbecame an
industrialisedindustrialised
countrycountry
Farms inFarms in
Russia wereRussia were
collectivisedcollectivised
DevelopmentDevelopment
of aof a
terror stateterror state
Tight controlTight control
over cultureover culture
What was theWhat was the
impact ofimpact of
Stalin’sStalin’s
regime onregime on
CommunistCommunist
Russia?Russia?

What was the impact of
Stalin’s regime on
Communist Russia?
 Stalin aimed to modernise and develop the
Soviet Union into a great country, more
powerful than Britain and the USA.
 Two measures he implemented to achieve these
were:
 Rapid industrialisation.
 Collectivisation of culture.

What was the impact of
Stalin’s regime on
Communist Russia?
 To consolidate his dictatorship and absolute
power, Stalin also undertook two oppressive
measures:
 Development of a terror state.
 Tight control over culture.
 All these measures left a huge impact on the
people of Communist Russia and would endure
as the legacies to Stalin’s regime.

Communist Russia became an
industrialised country
 Stalin talked about putting ‘the Soviet Union on an
automobile and the farmer on a tractor’.
 he wanted to transform the Soviet Union into a modern
industrial state, one which was strong enough to stand up and
defend its independence against other countries, instead of
suffering humiliating defeats.
Stalin in a 1931 speech to factory managers explaining the need for
industrialisation
“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?
………”

 Not just industrialisation, but rapid industrialisation!
 Stalin believed the country needed to be developed
rapidly to be prepared for an attack by the non-
Communist countries whom he thought might invade the
Soviet Union.
Stalin in a 1931 speech to factory managers explaining the need for
industrialisation
“If you do not want this, you must put an end toIf you do not want this, you must put an end to
backwardness in the shortest possible time. We are 50 tobackwardness in the shortest possible time. We are 50 to
100 years behind the advanced countries. We must catch100 years behind the advanced countries. We must catch
up in 10 years or they will crush us.up in 10 years or they will crush us.””

 As a result, his economic plans focused on
developing heavy industries such as steel,
metallurgy, chemicals, oil, coal and
electricity.
 To develop the steel industry, new industrial
cities such as Magnitogorsk were built from
scratch mainly using forced labour (i.e. people
arrested for various reasons).

 Steel produced by the new factories was used
for building industrial products such as
tractors and railways.
 High output targets for oil and coal were also
set so as to generate more electricity to keep
the new factories going and for the needs of
the people.

Labour and expertise that helped fuel the
development of the new industries.
Foreign experts who
were sympathetic to the
Communist cause were
hired to teach the
Russians, especially in
technical areas.
As many more job
opportunities were
created, more women
were employed.
Farmers were also
encouraged to move to
the cities to work in the
industries.

How did Stalin implement
industrialisation?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXGThPeOJu4&feature=email
Stalin implemented three Five-Year Plans:
Second Five-YearSecond Five-Year
Plan (1933–1937)Plan (1933–1937)
• Set new targets for heavy
industries.
• But it also gave more attention
to industries that produced
goods such as clothing.
• From 1934 onwards, priority
was given to industries related
to military production as the
Soviet Union anticipated
another war.
• Factories were built to the East
of the Ural Mountains, where
they would be beyond the
reach of Western invaders.
• Transport and communication
networks were greatly
improved.
Third Five-Year PlanThird Five-Year Plan
(1938–1942)(1938–1942)
• Emphasis on industries
related to military
production.
• Disrupted when the Soviet
Union was invaded by
Germany in 1941.
• From then on, all resources
were focused on military
production and defeating
the Germans.
First Five-Year PlanFirst Five-Year Plan
(1928–1932)(1928–1932)
• Focused on heavyFocused on heavy
industries, especiallyindustries, especially ironiron
andand steel.steel.
• Output was to beOutput was to be doubleddoubled
for iron and steelfor iron and steel
production and inproduction and in
electricity, chemicals andelectricity, chemicals and
engineering.engineering.
• After some early success,After some early success,
targets were increasedtargets were increased
and this Five-Year Planand this Five-Year Plan
was ordered to bewas ordered to be
completed incompleted in fourfour yearsyears
instead of five.instead of five.

industrialisation?
 Despite the early successes of the First Five-
Year Plan, some of the targets were not met.
 However, there was a great increase in the
amount of coal, iron, steel and oil produced.
 More than 1 500 factories and more than 100
new cities were built.

industrialisation?
 In the beginning, progress of Stalin’s industrialisation
programme was inhibited because of these problems:
Many of the new
industrial workers
were farmers who
had lived in the
countryside and
were not used to
life in the cities.
• They often found it hard to adjust to their new living
environment.
• Their inability to settle in affected their productivity.
• Very few
workers had
the skills
required for
factory work.
• Many workers
were illiterate.
• Machines were often damaged because of workers’
ignorance or lack of training.
• When their equipment broke down, the workers did not
know how to repair it and it would lie unused on the factory
floor.

74
S. Mirzoyan, A. Ivanov,
1929
Help build the gigantic
factories
The first Five Year Plan
aims to build up heavy
industry from virtually
nothing. This poster
advertizes a state loan
for the building of large
factories.

75
Lyubimov, 1931
With shock labour we
will ensure prompt
delivery of the giants
of the Five Year Plan
Workers in supply
companies, pictured
below, have to speed
up production in
order to finish the
large factories above
in time.

76
Nikolay Dolgorukov,
1931
Full speed ahead for
the fourth and final
year of the Five Year
Plan!
The aims of the Five
Year Plan are
extremely high
already. Then Stalin
decides they have to
be achieved in four
years. Everything is
subordinated to this,
with disastrous
long-turn effects.

Impact of industrialisation
 When the First Five-Year Plan was announced, many
Russians, especially young, idealistic Party members formed
‘Shock Brigades’ or groups of highly-motivated workers.
 However, their enthusiastic support for the industrialisation
programma waned under appalling work conditions and
unrealistic production targets.
 By 1929, there was labour unrest as workers protested
against their conditions.
 In response, the government took disciplinary action against
workers who were underperforming or who engaged in
sabotage.
Poor work conditions

19291929 All factory workers had toAll factory workers had to work seven days awork seven days a
week.week.
October 1930October 1930 Workers wereWorkers were not allowed to move around thenot allowed to move around the
factories during working hours.factories during working hours.
December 1930December 1930 Factories were not allowed to hire people whoFactories were not allowed to hire people who
had left their previous jobs without permissionhad left their previous jobs without permission..
January 1931January 1931 Workers would be sent toWorkers would be sent to prison if they brokeprison if they broke
any rules in the factories.any rules in the factories.
February 1931February 1931 All factories were toAll factories were to keep notes on a worker’skeep notes on a worker’s
job record.job record.
Restrictions placed on workers in the SovietRestrictions placed on workers in the Soviet UnionUnion

March 1931March 1931 Workers were responsible for anyWorkers were responsible for any damagedamage toto
tools.tools.
July 1932July 1932 Workers could beWorkers could be transferred from one placetransferred from one place
of work to anotherof work to another without their agreement.without their agreement.
August 1932August 1932 Workers would beWorkers would be sentenced to deathsentenced to death forfor
stealing things from the factories, as thesestealing things from the factories, as these
belonged to the government.belonged to the government.
November 1932November 1932 Workers could beWorkers could be dismisseddismissed if they missed aif they missed a
single day of work.single day of work.
December 1932December 1932 Workers had to make aWorkers had to make a passportpassport for any travelfor any travel
within the Soviet Union.within the Soviet Union.

 The Soviet Union’s economy became a planned
economy — the government had complete
control. A new government department was
formed to:
 set targets in each industry.
 plan the locations of new towns and industrial cities
like Magnitogorsk.
Poor work conditions

Many of the new towns and industrial
cities were to be built in the East,
beyond the Ural Mountains.
This was very
different from
Tsarist Russia,
where all the major
cities were located
in West Russia.
The strategic
location of these
industrial cities
would place them
beyond the reach
of Western
invaders, thus
ensuring that
production critical
to any war efforts
could not be easily
sabotaged by the
enemies.

 To ensure that their targets were met, the Communist government
implemented a system of rewards and incentives:
 Salaries were pegged to the productivity of a worker — the more he
produced, the more he earned.
 Hard work was rewarded with medals and the opportunity to go on a holiday
at a discount.
 The government started a big campaign to teach the Russian workers
new skills so as to tackle the problems posed by an uneducated labour
force.
 New colleges, schools and universities were built.
 Primary education was made compulsory.
 Thousands of teachers, scientists and engineers were trained.
 By the 1930s, Russian workers were able to obtain well-paid, high-skilled
jobs.
System of rewards and training for workers

 Initially, due to the focus on heavy industries, industries that produced
basic goods were neglected.
 There was a shortage of basic goods such as food, clothes and shoes. These
items were rationed.
 The shortages led to escalating prices. Between 1928 and 1933, the actual
purchasing power of the workers’ salaries fell by 50%.
 After 1935, the situation began to improve.
 Production of basic goods increased and more supplies became available to
the people. Rationing ended in 1936.
 Workers received cheap meals and free uniforms.
 Free education, subsidised health care and the provision of extensive leisure
facilities, such as cinemas, public parks, sports fields and gymnasiums, were
provided.
 Thus, the living conditions of the Russians improved considerably.
Changing living conditions

Which do these viewpoints tell you about theWhich do these viewpoints tell you about the
Russians’ general feeling about Stalin’sRussians’ general feeling about Stalin’s
industrialisation programme?industrialisation programme?

 Stalin managed to stave off the initial problems
faced in his industrialisation programme.
 With his Five-Year Plans, the Soviet Union’s heavy
industries expanded rapidly and production of
consumer goods increased.
 The Soviet Union’s industrial capacity was also
protected from an attack from the West due to the
location of industrial cities in the Eastern part of the
Soviet Union, beyond the Ural Mountains.
 As a result, the Soviet Union was more ready to face
the threat from Germany when it came under attack
in June 1941. BackBack

88
Stalin towers over the
great works of the Five
Year Plan, such as the
dam in the river Dnepr
and the industrial
complexes in
Magnitogorsk and
Stalinsk. Working
conditions on these
projects are terrible,
and large numbers of
political prisoners do
forced labour.
G. Brylov, 1933 The giants of the Five Year Plan
The quote from Stalin above reads: 'The results of the Five Year
Plan show that the working class is not only capable of destroying
the old, but also of building the new'.

Farms in Russia were
collectivised http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcumJNNX0qc&feature=email
 Most of the farms in the Soviet Union were small strips of land
owned by individual farmers. They used primitive equipment
like ploughs to work the fields and harvest the crops.
 Stalin’s reasons for collectivisation:
If farming methods were improved,If farming methods were improved,
fewer people would be needed tofewer people would be needed to
work the land. This meant thatwork the land. This meant that
some of the people in thesome of the people in the
countryside would be able to movecountryside would be able to move
to the cities to work in the newto the cities to work in the new
factories.factories.
The farmers would be able to growThe farmers would be able to grow
more crops. The Soviet Unionmore crops. The Soviet Union
would be able to sell the extra cropswould be able to sell the extra crops
to other countries. The profit itto other countries. The profit it
earned could be used to pay for theearned could be used to pay for the
building of new factories.building of new factories.
Bigger plots of land
Modern farming machinery
= Greater productivity!

Farms in Russia were
collectivised
What did collectivisation entail?
• Farmers in a particular area would combine all their land together
to form a single large unit, known as a collective farm (kolkhoz).
• All their tools and animals were shared.
• Each collective farm would have a common pool of tractors. These
tractors were then rented out to the farmers.
• The farmers would work together and share what the farm
produced. They would be paid labourers on the state-owned farm.
• They would sell a percentage of their crops to the government at a
very low price. This made it easier for officials to get food supplies
to the cities.
• In return, the government would provide them with machines such
as tractors and harvesters.
• Government officials managed the farms. The collective farms
would also have schools, hospitals and libraries.
What did collectivisation entail?
• Farmers in a particular area would combine all their land together
to form a single large unit, known as a collective farm (kolkhoz).
• All their tools and animals were shared.
• Each collective farm would have a common pool of tractors. These
tractors were then rented out to the farmers.
• The farmers would work together and share what the farm
produced. They would be paid labourers on the state-owned farm.
• They would sell a percentage of their crops to the government at a
very low price. This made it easier for officials to get food supplies
to the cities.
• In return, the government would provide them with machines such
as tractors and harvesters.
• Government officials managed the farms. The collective farms
would also have schools, hospitals and libraries.

Voluntary collectivisation
 Initially, Stalin used reasons and persuasion to try to
garner the farmers’ support in joining collective farms.
 It was a policy of voluntary collectivisation.
Stalin speaking to Communist Party members in 1927
“What is the way out? The way out is to turn the small and scattered farms into
large united farms ... The way out is to unite the small and dwarf farms slowly
but surely, not by pressure but by example and persuasion into large farms…
There is no other way out.”

92
S. Mirzoyan, A. Ivanov, 1929 Towards the collective
The collectivization of agriculture means the forced merging of small private
farms into large state enterprises. Here, the private farmer is pictured as a
rich saboteur, jealous of the abundant harvest of the colelctive farm. In
reality, rich farmers had already been disposed of. The remaining private
farms were small, owned by poor peasants. The forced collectivization
caused severe food shortages for years and years.

The response was mixed.
Supportive!

The response was mixed.
Not
Supportive!
• VoluntaryVoluntary
collectivisationcollectivisation
did not workdid not work
because manybecause many
farmers did notfarmers did not
want to abandonwant to abandon
their traditionaltheir traditional
way of life.way of life.
• TheThe kulakskulaks
(richer, land-(richer, land-
owning farmers)owning farmers)
especially, did notespecially, did not
want to give upwant to give up
their land to thetheir land to the
government.government.

Forced collectivisation
 Thus, Stalin adopted a policy of collectivisation by force.
 He began by ordering Communist officials to force farmers to
hand over their crops.
 Young Communist Party members went around looking for
food. They confiscated any crops that were found.
 The farmers reacted by assassinating Communist Party
members. In 1928 alone, 1 400 of such assassinations
were reported.
 Fewer crops were harvested after collectivisation than
in previous years.

 Stalin put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the
kulaks.
Stalin addressing the Communist Party in 1929
“The kulaks are the sworn enemies of the collective farm movement. We are to
eliminate them as a class … We must break down the resistance of the kulaks
and deprive them of their existence. We must smash them … We must strike at
the kulaks so hard as to prevent them from rising to their feet again.”
 He decided to eliminate them.He decided to eliminate them.

Stalin’s secret police, theStalin’s secret police, the NKVDNKVD were ordered to shootwere ordered to shoot
farmers who resisted or send them to labour camps.farmers who resisted or send them to labour camps.

Thousands ofThousands of kulakskulaks were persecuted in these ways sincewere persecuted in these ways since
they preferred destroying their crops to handing them overthey preferred destroying their crops to handing them over
to the government.to the government.

 Backed by the NKVD, Party officials and volunteers were sent to
the countryside to forcibly form collective farms.
 They forced the farmers to sign documents agreeing to the formation
of collective farms.
 They would then take over the fields, livestock, farming tools and
buildings of the farmers. The Communist officials also forced farmers
to hand over their crops.
 Young Communist Party members went around looking for food.
They confiscated any crops that were found.
 Stalin succeeded in his forced collectivisation.
 He had a cheap and regular supply of crops.
 He freed workers from the countryside by mechanising the farms.
Thus, more workers were available to work in the factories.
 Altogether, an estimated 25 million farmers were forced to join huge
collective farms.

Impact of collectivisation
 The farmers rioted and engaged in armed resistance
to try to stop forced collectivisation.
 Stalin responded by ordering 17 million horses used
in farming to be killed so that the farmers would be
forced to use tractors instead.
 However, there were not enough tractors to replace
the horses that had been killed.
Riots and resistance

 Villagers who did not co-operate were forced to
move from their villages.
 They were sent to gulags (labour camps) to the
north of the Soviet Union where they were made
to work on Stalin’s ambitious construction
projects.
Getting rid of people who opposed
collectivisation

 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 food shortages caused famine in the Soviet Union.
 The problem was compounded when Stalin rejected offers
of food aid from the USA. Instead, he suppressed
information about the famine.
Famine

 Despite the severe food shortages, Stalin ordered
officials and the NKVD to take whatever crops were
left.
 Some of the crops were sold to other countries to
raise money to buy machines from other countries.
 It is estimated that more than 10 million peasants
and their families died in the famine.
Famine
BackBack

102
Sirocenqo, 1938
Long live the
great Stalin!
A parade, tanks,
military airplanes
and soldiers:
Stalin may be
smiling friendly,
but war
preparations are
in full swing.

Development of a terror state
Before 1934Before 1934
Stalin dealt with hisStalin dealt with his
opponents by:opponents by:
• Expelling them from the
Communist Party.
• Sending them into exile.
Launch of theLaunch of the purgespurges::
• Used Kirov’s death as an excuse
to eliminate his opponents in the
Communist Party.
• Accused them of murdering
Kirov and of plotting to
assassinate Stalin himself.
After Kirov’sAfter Kirov’s
murder onmurder on
1 December1 December
19341934

 First to be arrested were the followers of
Zinoviev.
 Altogether, thousands of people were
arrested by the NKVD in the weeks after
Kirov’s murder.
 The NKVD was given a quota, which meant
that they had to arrest a minimum number
of ‘enemies of the people’.
Purges

 The people who were arrested were usually
intellectuals because they were seen as a threat to
Stalin’s rule.
 They might have organised other Russians to resist
Stalin’s rule.
 Thus, they were usually forced to sign confessions
and implicate others, who were also arrested.
 Between 1934 and 1935, the number of those sent
to prison and gulags more than tripled.
 The purges continued from 1934 to 1938.
Purges

 In 1936, the old Bolshevik leaders, such as
Kamenev and Zinoviev, were put on show trials.
 This took place after they had been worn down
by treacherous conditions, continuous
questioning and threats to the lives of their
loved ones.
 They confessed to all the charges against them
and were executed.
Purges

 Altogether, 1 million lower-ranking Party
officials were expelled and were either shot or
sent to labour camps.
 Half of the officer corps was shot.
 Even the Commander-in-Chief and a hero of the
Civil War, Marshall Mikhail Tukachevsky, was
not spared.
Purges

 Later, the purges
included even
ordinary Russians.
 Millions of Russians
were arrested and
either shot or sent to
the dreaded labour
camps.
 The NKVD arrested
politicians, scientists,
military men,
teachers, writers and
workers.
Purges
Prisoners of Stalin in a cell. Many of these
prisoners were taken from their homes at night
and never heard of again.

Impact of Stalin’s rule of terror
 During the period of the purges, people were encouraged to
inform on their fellow workers, their neighbours and family
members if they made any comments against Stalin or the Soviet
Union.
 As no evidence was needed for an arrest, anyone who had a
grudge against another person could get rid of him by simply
denouncing him to the NKVD.
 The NKVD would often take people away from their homes in the
middle of the night or in the early hours of the morning.
 Thus, many Russians were afraid of answering the door at night
because they assumed that the NKVD had come to take someone
away.
Fear and suspicion
Much fear and suspicion!Much fear and suspicion!

 As a result of the purges, there were mass executions.
 An estimated 20 million Russians were victims of the purges.
 Mass graves were discovered throughout Russia after Stalin
died.
 Those who had been purged were removed from any
photographs and paintings that they had appeared in.
 The old heroes of the Revolution, having been purged, were
forgotten. From the 1930s until his death in 1953, Stalin was
the only leader that mattered.
 Russians feared and obeyed him.
Mass executions

 Religion was banned for the Russians, most of whom were
devout members of the Orthodox Christian Church.
 Young Communist Party members spread anti-religious
propaganda by distributing pamphlets and journals or
organising lectures that criticised religion for promoting
‘harmful superstition’.
 Churches, mosques and synagogues were vandalised.
 Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders were
persecuted.
Religious persecution
BackBack

Tight control over culture
 How did Stalin control culture?
Education
• Controlled what people were taught.
– Teaching of History was changed to
focus on the importance of Lenin and
Stalin.
– Stalin was shown as having played a key
and heroic role during the October 1917
Revolution (which was not true).
– The other leaders, such as Trotsky, were
either unfairly presented or ignored.
• Very strict discipline in schools – for
teachers and pupils.
– Teachers were closely watched and they
were purged if it was felt that they had
taught the pupils to be anti-Stalin.
The arts
• Only writers, artists and musicians who
made art praising Stalin and his
programmes could remain in their jobs.
• Many others were arrested and sent to
labour camps.
• In this way, he also controlled the arts.

 Impact of Stalin’s control over culture
 Writings, paintings and music were expected to act as
propaganda for him and his programmes, such as
industrialisation and farm collectivisation.
 As a result of these restrictions, there was a lack of variety
in the arts in Communist Russia.
 Young Russians also grew up learning a skewed version of
history where Stalin took centrestage and was hugely
important.

 Cult of personality
 Tried to make people in Communist Russia worship him as
the leader.
 Portrayed himself as a fatherly, cheerful and popular man.
 Had his pictures and statues placed almost everywhere.
 All offices, classrooms and factory floors had pictures of
Stalin and the successes of the country were attributed to
him.
BackBack

Did Stalin bring more harm than good toDid Stalin bring more harm than good to
Communist Russia?Communist Russia?
Critical Thinking
Consider the viewpoints below. What were the ‘harms’ and whatConsider the viewpoints below. What were the ‘harms’ and what
were the ‘goods’?were the ‘goods’?

Summary
Was the rise of
Communism in
Russia inevitable?
Reasons for the
rise of
Communism in
Russia How Stalin rose
to power
Impact of Stalin’s
regime
Industrialisation
Collectivisation
Purges
World War I
and the Tsar
Failure of
Provisional
Government
October 1917
Revolution
Bolshevik
victory in
Russian Civil
War
Control of
culture
Outwitted his
rivals
Trotsky’s
weaknesses
Establishment
of dictatorship

Summary
Back to main
summary
Reasons for the
rise of
Communism in
Russia
World War I
and the Tsar
Failure of
Provisional
Government
October 1917
Revolution
Bolshevik
victory in
Russian Civil
War
• Humiliating
defeats and
devastating
losses.
• Poor living
conditions.
• Peasants’ desire
for land.
• Food shortages.
• Chose to keep
Russia in World
War I.
• Did not carry out
land reforms.
• Power struggles
with the soviets.
• Provisional Government
provided weapons
which helped the
Bolsheviks set up the
Red Guards.
• Showed that it did not
have real power when it
needed the Red Guards
to help it defeat General
Kornilov.
• The Red Guards swept
the Provisional
Government from
power.
• The Red Guards
defeated its enemies as
a united and disciplined
force.
• The states of the
Russian Empire were
combined to form the
Soviet Union.

Summary
Back to main
summary
How Stalin rose
to power
Outwitted his
rivals
Trotsky’s
weaknesses
Establishment
of dictatorship
• Pretended to be close to Lenin.
• Made alliances.
• Used his position as Secretary-General.
• Over-confident and did not establish a
broad enough support base.
• His idea of world revolution was much
less accepted than Stalin’s idea of
‘Socialism in one country’.
• He had absolute political power and
control in the authoritarian regime.
• Used propaganda to get people to
accept and obey him.
• Exercised control through education
system.

Summary
Short term
• Low wages, poor working conditions.
• Poor living conditions.
Long term
• Modernisation and industrialisation of the
country.
• Russia became a powerful country.
• Higher wages, better living conditions.
• Widespread fear
and suspicion.
• Mass executions.
Back to main
summary
Impact of Stalin’s
regime
Industrialisation
Collectivisation
Purges
Control of
culture
Short term
• Many killed or sent to labour camps.
• Famine.
Long term
• Cheap and regular supply of crops.
• More workers from the countryside to work
in the factories and support the rapid
industrialisation.
• Skewed education.
• Lack of variety in the arts.

communism in Russia

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