Stalin: Rise, Aims, Outcomes

Rise to Power:

• As General Secretary of the Party, Stalin became closely informed regarding Lenin's fading health. This gave him an advantage to make plans before his opponents. 
• Stalin gave a speech at Lenin's funeral while giving Trotsky the wrong date for the funeral. Trotsky lost major public support which was shown as disrespectful. Although Trotsky was likely to succeeed Lenin, this factor played a large role in his popularity
• Propaganda: Stalin used propaganda to portray his loyalty towards Lenin so that Lenin's working class supporters would see Stalin as a follower of Lenin and his aims.
• Alliances: Stalin, at one point or the other, made alliances with both sides of the political spectrum. He allied with Zinoviev and Kamenev (Communist, Left Wing) in order to cover Lenin's will of having Trotksy put in power instead of the rash Stalin. Trotsky was later exiled from Russia altogether.
  After Trotsky was dealt with, Stalin allied with the Right wings to get Zinoviev and Kamenev dismissed. Stalin was able to establish supporters in the Politburo by establishing a socialist aim.
  With his power established in the government, Stalin turned on the right wings and managed to get Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky all dismissed. Stalin had very little political opposition. 

Aims:

• Socialism in One Country rather than World Revolution: Established a dictatorship/single party state to build up the state before the power could be given to the proletariet. Russia was far behind in many categories such as industry, military, technology. The people needed to become education and Russia needed to modernize before it could compete with the world powers. 

Domestic Policies:

Economic 

• Military: increase arms and preparedness of military
• Self-dependent: Increase Russian economy so that it could be independent of Western goods
• Industry: increase grain supply, modernize the industrial and agricultural systems

Social:

• Improve standard of living, especially to that of the US
• Industrialization will better the living conditions and wealth. 
• Restore conservative values towards women and families

Political: 

• Rid Kulaks: Kulaks were the rich peasants who had made their money through the Lenin's reforms. Wanted communist control on the country side and the grain supply 

Stalin's Methods:

Collectivisation

• Food and land production was controlled by state. Farms would be collectivized by the state and shared among the peasants which made up a majority of the population
• Collective farms called Kolkhozi replaced individual farms by 1929. Peasants that refused to give up their farms were labelled as Kulaks and were punished
• Party activists called the '25000ers' resembled an army that encouraged peasants to follow orders
• Grain requisitioning was used to finance machinery to help industrialize as well

Industrialization: 

• Revolution from above: The soviets had to control of the resources in order to industrialize. This would be more organized. The Five Year Plans were introduced with aims for each portion
• First Five Year Plan (1929-1932): The aim was to increase industrial output and the proletariat class. Peasants would be moved to the cities where instead of farming they could have the opportunity to find more technical jobs. Iron, steel and power plants were built. Various infrastructures were put up such as railways and roads that encouraged coal and iron production and the transport of resources.
• Second and Third Five Year Plans (1932-): Production of heavy industrial goods. Utilizing the high production of steel and iron to generate trails, trucks and tractors.
  The re-armament of Germany and Hitler changed Stalin's aims towards militarism as well to ensure Russia could defend. Resources were put towards the military causes
• Labour Discipline: Punishment for late, absent, lazy workers. Punishments as severe as execution were imposed. It became a crime to destroy machinery. Managers who failed to meet their targets were punished as well. 
• Slave Labour: Gulags were essentially work camps for those who were thrown in jail. Many Kulaks and political prisoners were thrown into these prisons during the great purges. 
• Propaganda: Speeches made by Stalin were printed out that reflected the successes of the five year plans. They also failed to mention the harsh conditions of the gulags. 

Women: 

• Traditional values given back to women 
• Abortion became illegal and divorce discouraged to help the population grow
• Females who gave birth to ten or more children would be given medals
• Expected to work in the collective farms and factories especially during the war
• Became pilots during the time of war

Relgion

• Russian orthodox church had a strong influence in Russian society 
• Religion was still a large part of the peasants lifestyle. Therefore religion was disallowed as it would directly affect the workers on the collectivized farms. 
• Priests were sent to gulags, churches were demolished

Key Successes and Failures:

Collectivization:

• Millions of peasants lost their lives during the famine of 1932-1934 and because of collectivization and the grain requisitioning
• Upwards of 17 million peasants emigrated to the cities to look for jobs. 
• 5-10 million kulaks were sent to the gulags
• Collectivization actually decreased harvest and grain yield
• 50% of livestock had been slaughtered by 1934 in response to government seizures. They would rather use it for food than to give it to the state 
• Stalin was able to gather sufficient amounts of grain for industrialization and export

Industrialization

• Industry was geared towards heavy industry meant that industry for basic necessities such as clothes were diminished. The Soviets lacked balance
• Horrible work conditions: the rapid industrialization neglected safety concerns and appropriate wages for the people. Harsh discipline was also implemented which meant that any sub par production would result in punishment
• Education and skill training benefited the people, but created a skilled/elite worker class who had higher wages and extra incentives. This contrasted the Communist identity of equality 
• Between 1928-1941 steel production increased 400% and coal 600%. This achieved Stalin's aim for industrialization, develop an independent economy and to militarize

Woman:

• Birth rate remained mostly the same. Divorce declined slightly in Leningrad, but marriage also declined
• By making abortions illegal, the number of illegal abortions rose dramatically

Religion:

• Illegal underground churches formed in response to the outlaw against religion
• Stalin later used religion to gain support during WW2

Foreign Policy 

Aims:

• Support World Revolution by aiding foreign communist struggles
• Develop relations with foreign states to help defend Russia 
• Response to western Capitalist countries who might ally against Communism and the USSR
• Achieve independence to maintain a strong economy, industry and military in order for Russia to have security 

Methods:

Phase 1: Collective security with the west.

• This was a response to the rise of the fascist Hitler who wanted to end Communism as well as a response to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria
• 1932-1933: USSR signs various non-aggression pacts with France, Italy, Poland  and other countries. 
• 1934: USSR develops relations with the western countries by joining the League of nations. Relations with Germany worsens as a result
• 1935: Mutual military alliances with France and Czech Republic. 
• 1936: Support for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War in response to Hitler support for the Nationalists

Phase 2: Uncertainty between states

• 1938: Tensions arise as Britain and France fail to involve USSR in talks regarding the Sudetenland. Soviets suspected of working with Hitler, while Soviets fear western appeasement will sacrifice USSR to Germany
• 1939: Hitler invasion of Czech sparks mutual alliance between USSR, Britain and France.

Phase 3: Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939)

• Failure to ally with the Western states forces Stalin to agree upon a pact with Germany. Molotov, the foreign commissar, signs the Non-Aggression Pact with Germany. This was designed to maintain peace for the next decade and to divide Poland between the two. The USSR could spread its influence to the Baltic States. 
• Anti-Comintern pact signed by Germany, Italy and Japan revealed their anti-communism mindset. Stalin feared a two front war
• Stalin hoped for a war between the West and the Fascists (Germany, Italy and Japan) so that their resources would be used on each other and the USSR could be 'secure'

Successes:

• Non-aggression pacts secured USSR temporarily, but ultimately failed due because the Western powers didn't trust the USSR with the fear of Hitler's rise
• Nazi-Soviet Pact allowed USSR to re-arm and militarize in preparation for WW2. This would be a major factor when the USSR is later forced to defend itself from Germany. This also created a buffer zone against German attack and recovered territory lost in the Treaty of Brest Litovsk

Failures:

• Failure to secure collective security with the Western powers. Stalin instead turned to Germany so that Hitler no longer feared a two front war. Hitler also thought the western powers would not attack if Germany was allied with the USSR.

World War 2:

• Economy, military and the people were highly centralized by the state. This made the conversion into a 'total war' environment easy
• June 1941: State Committee of Defense was created with Stalin as head. He ensured that retreat or defeats would never occur
• Use of propaganda and restoration of the Orthodox church to gain support during the war. The war was called the 'Great Patriotic War' that would save mother Russia. (Wasn't an ideological war of capitalists vs. socialists)
• German bumbles: For Hitler this was a racial war. As the Germans invaded Russia, they were seen as liberators to the oppressive style of Russian rule with up to 2 million soviets fighting with the Germans. After the deaths of many civilians, the Germans were seen as exterminators.
  The Winter of 1941 was a major turning point in the war. The German troops were unprepared and had resources were difficult to deliver as the Germans were so far into Russian Territory. A halt in the German advance allowed the Red Army to recoup and retaliate.
• Russia was large, but that also meant they could sacrifice land before regathering and countering. Factories were easily disassembled to be shipped eastward away from the advancing Germans and then remade to continue production 
• US Lend-Lease provided USSR with supplies. Britain's navy also provided supplies
• Attack on German troops in North Africa called for the retreat of German troops at Stalingrad

Post World War 2:
Political:

• Cult of Personality had emerged around Stalin that portrayed him as the great saviour of the USSR. Using propaganda, Stalin was able to elevate his status in the USSR.
• After the win, Stalin restored the pre-war style of rule. He resumed the hard work and lifestyle that was before the war. 

Economic:

• War hurt the economy drastically. Living conditions became quite difficult as food became difficult to find . 
• Stalin planned to restore the infrastructure, factories and mines in an effort to restore the economy. By 1950 the industry was claimed to be 75% higher than it was in 1940.
• Some resources and manpower were put into building an atomic bomb. 
• Agriculture had a very slow recovery after the war

Domestic:

• Russification: Russian settlers were placed the in Baltic states in hopes of establishing a Russian culture and weaken the nationalistic views of foreign ethnicities.  
• Anti-Semitism: The Jewish people, culture and language were purged.
• Zhdanovschina Campaign: removed any 'Western' influence from literature and music. Anything seen as 'bourgeois' was put down

International:

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was rescind. Territory lost during the treaty was returned to the USSR. USSR was now a super power with Stalin recognized as a world leader
• The expansion of the USSR into central and Eastern Europe frightened the US (who was essentially the remaining other world power). They feared Soviet and communist influence over Europe.
• Stalin's election speech reiterated the anti-western rhetoric in 1946 and that peace between the two was fragile.