The USSR under Stalin

Power struggle 1924 - 27• Lenin had not appointed a successor, but adviced other

members of the Politburo to remove Stalin from power, since he claimed that Stalin had concentrated too much power in his hands. However in his ”testament” Lenin criticised all leading Bolsheviks, nobody had the interest in publishing the ”testament”.

• Stalin held the position as GenSek of the party, which gave him a superior overview over the party apparatus and a control function of important correspondance within the party organisation. He also possessed an incredible momory, that was an advantage in his strugglefor power.

• As Commissar for Nationalities, he established vital contacts in different parts of the country.

• Stalin kept a low profile and let other party members fight each other, very few regarded him as dangerous.

• S. skillfully took advantage of Lenin´s funeral, where Stalin connected himself to the heritage of Lenin. Trotsky didn´t attend the funeral; was he misinformed about the date by Stalin?

• In order to isolate Trotsky (who had started to criticese the growing party bureaucracy), Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev initially formed a triumvirate. Trotsky was accused of factionalism and his position gradually weakened.

• A first major source of dispute, was whether socialism could be built in one country, which Stalin proposed, or whether a worldwide revolution was necessary, as Trotsky claimed (theory about the permanent revolution). Stalin´s line came to dominate.

• A second important source of dispute concerned the economy. Should the NEP continue, which meant a certain freedom for the peasants, or should the state take the command? The main vocal supporter for a continuation was Bukharin, Trotsky supported by the former antagonists were against and formed the New Opposition. Stalin allied with Bukharin and outmanoeuvred the “left”. In 1927 Trotsky was expelled from the party.

• Stalin now changed position and came in dispute with Bukharin who was expelled from the Politburo in 1929.

The collectivization and industrialization under Stalin

Women Delegates, participate in the Shock Harvesting Campaign!

So was the was the dream of the people fulfilled!

Motives/Background• NEP seemed to have reached a stalemate;

production didn’t increase anymore, signs of economic stagnation

• NEP had always been unpopular among many Bolsheviks, it was now time to go on and realize the idea of a communist society.

• The USSR had to modernize fast in order to withstand the attack from the West, that Stalin expected sooner or later.

• The power struggle was over, but how strong was Stalin’s position? A successful, mass mobilizing policy would secure his position.

• The next steps in building communism would be collectivization and a planned economy.

Collectivization – purpose and results• Gain capital for the

industrial expansion. • Increase production (e.g.

through mechanization) and feed the growing cities.

• Elimination of the kulaks, gain control over the peasants.

• Production decreased• 3,4 million peasants killed

or deported by 1932• Those who opposed were

marked as “podkulatjniks”• Resistance and a civil war

like situation on the countryside.

1913 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1936 1937

80,1 73,3 71,7 83,5 69,5 69,6 68,4 67,6 56,1 97,4

Actual grain harvest (in m. tons)

1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933

10,8 16,1 22,1 22,8 18,5 22,6

Grain taken by the state (in m. tons)

1927/28 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933

0,029 0,18 4,76 5,06 1,73 1,69

Grain exported (in m. tons)

Figures taken from N. Lowe: Mastering Modern World History

A disaster

Critical thinking: Why did so few leading party members question the policy, even though it led to wide spread famine?

Command Economy and Five Year Plans

• The change of the economic policy meant the introduction of a planned economy, directed by the state in Five Year Plans.

• GOSPLAN got a supervising function for the plans, which included heavy and light industry, but a clear priority of the former.

• First Five Year Plan was adopted in 1928 and lasted to 1933.

• Stalin announced that the Soviet citizens had to accept a few hard years, as a better future was built.

Critical thinking: How could Stalin finance his industrial reforms?

Industrialization

• The speed of the industrial reforms was remarkable, foreign technicians were hired, the education of workers was emphasized.

• Completely new industrial areas were created, entire cities built from scratch within a few years, the symbol of the new era was the city of Magnitogorsk.

• National security prioritised as many new factories were built east of Ural.

• A reward system was introduced, known as Stakhanovites.

• The discipline of workers was extremely hard, mistakes could lead to accusations of being a “saboteur”.

• The industrialisation also led to a new wave of urbanisation.

1900 1913 1929 1938 1940

Coal 16,0 36,0 40,1 132,9 164,9

Pig iron 2,7 4,8 8,0 26,3 14,9

Steel 2,5 5,2 4,9 18,0 18,4

Production in millions of tons

Source: N. Lowe: Mastering Modern World History (1997)