From Lenin to Stalin: Part II

Building a Communist State in Russia

DEFINITION: a classless, moneyless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production.

Why were Russians ready to revolt?

Goals of Lenin

The goal was to build a CLASSLESS society in which the means of PRODUCTION were in the hands of the Russian people

Once the Civil War was over, Lenin could now focus on rebuilding the nation…

Lenin was gone for 17 years

Civil War: 3 year war 1918-1921

It was between the “Reds: Communists versus the “Whites: Tsarist imperial officers”.

Allies intervened to help the Whites. Why?

Reds appealed to nationalism and urged Russians to drive out foreigners.

Counter Revolutionaries shot the Tsar And the Tsarina. (Whites July 1918)

Lack of unified front killed it

Lenin killed 30,000

Results of World War I + Communism

Economy nearly collapsed

Factory and mine output fallen

Peasants stopped producing because they knew it would all go to the government

10 million die in the Revolution/ 3 million from Civil war / 2 million from disease / 5 million from lack of seeds to plant for the next season= 15 million

Many people will die from the FLU! WWI 25 million

Communist Constitution, 1922

Set up an elected legislature called the “Supreme Soviet”

Any person over 18 could vote

All political power, resources, and means of production belonged to the ‘PEOPLE’.

Communists had the ‘FINAL SAY

NEP- New Economic Policy 1921

Lenin answers the economy by coming up with the NEP

State controlled banks, foreign trade, large industries

Small businesses allowed to operate for private profit

Peasants held onto small plots of land and could SELL surplus!

Results of NEP

Compromise with Capitalism Allowed for

– Russia’s economy to recover– Ended armed resistance to new government

By 1928, food and industrial production was back to pre-WWI

levels

What happens to Lenin? May 13th, 1924

White army will kill him for autocracy(white army represents the old regime, 54 yrs. old)

Lenin Gets SHOT! April 30, 1918

A lady will approach Lenin and shoot him 3 times.

Once in the arm, second in the jaw and neck, third bullet missed him.

The took him to his apartment and left the bullets in him for a slow recovery.

April 24, 1922 they removed the bullet in his neck.

He will have headaches and 3 strokes.

Life Under Lenin

Named the Communist party from Karl Marx writings. Called it that because of central planning by state and when workers seized power. (1922)

Power Struggles for Communist Leaders

Leon Trotsky– Brilliant Marxist

Thinker– Skillful Public

Speaker– Architect of

Revolution- Did not support- Stalin.

Joseph Stalin– Not a Scholar– Not a Skilled Orator– Shrewd Political

Operator– Behind-the-Scenes

Organizer

Led the Red army during Revolution

Lenin will die of Tuberculosis and Pneumonia

Leon Trotsky

Firm Marxist who wanted support for world-wide revolutions against Capitalism

Wanted to spread communism throughout Europe. Stalin wanted to spread communism in Russia.

Will be isolated by Stalin Exiled in 1929, to Mexico Murdered in Mexico by a Stalinist

agent in 1940 with an ice pick to the head.(by a friend)

Joseph Stalin, “Man of Steel”

History of prison and Siberian exile

Not an important role in the Revolution and Civil War

1920s, Elected General Secretary of the Communist Party

Lenin warned the party about Stalin.

“comrade Stalin has concentrated enormous power in his hands; and I am not sure that he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution.”

Belly theory: if you are hungry you don’t care what the gov. is.

The Soviet Union under Stalin

Part II

Russia was ceaselessly beaten for her backwardness . . . Because to beat her was profitable and went unpunished. -Stalin-

Russia Intro:

Russians are fatalistic: that is the way it is. Natural Russian barriers: ice, snow, mud Religion: Orthodox Catholicism ritual based Live, Work and Die! No Sanitation. Gulag: 3 year life expectancy, built new roads,

Gulags, subway. (labor camp 1930-1955) 25% of govt. income comes from liquor tax! 1/3 people live on 60 Rubles a month=.30 US. 100 nationalities, 130 languages

What is the difference between Stalin and Lenin?

BOTH were Bolsheviks, looking forward to make a communist state in Russia.

LENIN was more democratic, he didn't purge everyone. Finally he was for NEP (temporary capitalistic) development of Russia and then the communism.

STALIN was an opportunist, a communist to his personal benefit. He was Rude, disgraceful and totally TOTALITARIAN.

He abolished NEP and started "socialistic" policies.

Capitalism-Socialism-Communism-Totalitarianism

Five Year Plan:

“Plan to turn Russia into a modern industrial power”

1928: Industrial Revolution of sorts Build Heavy Industry Improve Transportation Increase Farm Output All Economic Activity under Gov’t Control

Results of 5 Year Plans, hugely successful!!!

High goals, limited production of CONSUMER GOODS!!!

Gave bonuses to those who met goals, punished those who did not (Siberia).

1928-1939– Large factories, hydroelectric power stations, huge

industrial complexes– Oil, coal, steel production increased– New Railroads

Effects on People

Overall, Russians had little to show

Standards of living remained poor, wages low

Scarce availability for consumer goods

– Large quantities but low quality

Focus on Heavy Industry- electricity generated went up 800 percent in 10 years, and steel

production went from 4 million tons to 18 million.

Agricultural Revolution

Stalin forced peasants to give up their land to live on state-owned farms

Collectives: Large farms owned and operated by group of peasants

State set prices and controlled access to farm supplies

5-10 million died in the process of collectivization!

Goals of Collectives- families worked with hundreds of others

Provide tractors, fertilizers, better seeds…

Teach peasants modern farm methods

Surplus grain was also sold abroad to earn $ to invest

Govt. subsidized bread.

Resistance by the People

Peasant resisted by

– Killing farm animals– Destroying tools– Burning crops

Government respondswith brutal force

Russia had 25 million farms in 1928

By 1938 90% of all people lived on collectives

Kulaks and Labor Camps

Wealthy peasants, Kulaks, were rounded up.

Sent to labor camps

Gov’t confiscated their lands and cattle of peasants

Thousands died from labor or were killed

Labor Camps in Siberia

White Hell, The Sleeping land, the Deaf Place, The Land of Death and Chains.

1/5 of Russia is desert 60% of that is in Siberia

Effects of Collectivization

Peasants grew just enough so gov’t seized all grain…leaving people to starve

Poor harvests and gov’t action led to famine– 5-8 million people died as a result

Did not improve farm outputIncreased Stalin’s control

Life in the Gulag: Only 10 % survived

The END

Who was worse?

Lenin or Stalin?

Soviet Union Symbol