Sec 3N Hist (Elec) Chapter 2.2: Stalin's Rule

Stalin’s Soviet UnionTo what extent did Stalin’s dictatorship devastate the Soviet Union?

Part 3

Recall previous lessonsWe learnt about:

What is COMMUNISMHow Russia became communistReasons for Stalin’s rise to power

Non-disclosure of Lenin’s TestamentTrotsky’s unpopularityStalin’s manipulations

Stalin’s Soviet UnionBy 1929, he had removed/executed all his opponentsHe was now the Supreme Ruler of USSR

To what extent did Stalin’s dictatorship

devastate the Soviet Union?

Dictatorship – a form of government where political authority is held by ONE

person

Was Stalin a Good or Bad ruler??

Stalin’s Soviet UnionEconomic Impact

Political Impact

Social Impact

Economic ImpactSoviet Union’s economy had been devastated by WW1 and civil warStalin wanted to modernise the economy to achieve Western standardsSeries of 5 year plans for agricultural and industrial developments

Economic Impact

Rapid Industrialisation

Industrial

Collectivisation

Agricultural

Economic Impact: NEP -

CollectivisationBefore

Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP)Farmers allowed to own landAllowed to sell extra for profitsA new class of wealthy peasants formed – KULAKS

Some kulaks hoarded crops to increase profits**People in cities affected

Economic Impact: Collectivisation

Merging of small individual farms into larger collective farms aka Kolkhozy

Believed to be more efficiently farmed through use of tractors


Land owned by stateEquipment provided by stateWorking hours, wages and quantity produced fixed by stateExcess crops exported to raise funds for industrialisationFarmers punished if target not met


State provided equipments. (increased efficiency)

Fewer farm workers needed

More can go work in

factories in the city


But what happened then?Kulaks killed their own animals, hid or burnt their cropsHarvests dropped dramaticallyState continued to collect grain it needed to feed cities and export

Great Famine 1932 – 1933 (death of millions)Stalin viewed it as a GREAT SUCCESS and publicised it as such

So, was Collectivisation Beneficial

or Not?

Economic Impact: Rapid

IndustrialisationHundreds of new factories were built, workforce expandedFactorises in cities would produce equipment for the mechanisation of farmingLess farm workers required, more could go into the factories in the cityEmphasis placed on heavy industries – coal, iron, steel electricity

Working hours and wages fixed

Magnitogorsk – Iron and Steel producer

Video (John Scott)


IndustrialisationGenerally considered a SUCCESSBy 1941, Soviet Union was an industrial base for powerful arms industry


IndustrialisationHOWEVER,Little growth in consumer industriesNot efficient as some parts of the economy faced underproduction, others overproductionQuality was also substandard and hazardous in a bid to meet targets

Did Stalin’s Economic Policies HELP or HURT

the Soviet Union?


Political Impact

Social Impact

Political ImpactFORCED COLLECTIVSATIONLOW WAGESHARSH TREATMENT OF WORKERS

Eventually, the Communist Party and Stalin became very unpopular

Political ImpactThe Great Terror (1934 – 1938)Propaganda

Political Impact: The Great Terror

(1934 – 38)Consolidate power

Enforce Party disciplineCreated a series of PURGES to remove his enemies and any oppositionPeriod of SHOW TRIALS, arrests and interrogation, police surveillance and executions


(1934 – 38)Show trials got rid of political opponents such as Kamenev, Zinoviev and BukharinMany confessed to crimes they did not commit and executed after being tortured or family threatened

Secret Police forced people to inform on their friends and familyMany were killed/arrested/sent to labour camps (GULAGS) where they died from poor conditionsBy 1937, around 40 million people have died


(1934 – 38)Gulags – Labour Camps


(1934 – 38)Who did Stalin eliminate

Why Result

Political Opponents May overthrow him --

Red Army Leaders Strong Trotsky connections

- Lost experienced commanders and leaders

- Affected WW2Scientists/ Engineers

Opposition to Stalin

- Lost skilled workers

- Affected quality of goods produced

Teachers May organise opposition of Stalin

- Quality of education affected

Administrators Works in the government

- Less effective management of government

Political Impact: Propaganda

What is Propaganda?Official Government communications in forms of posters, songs, newspaper articles etc, designed to influence the public opinion. Information may by true or false, but is always carefully selected for political effect


Stalin carefully controlled how he was representedPictures and posters were put up everywhereAll achievements and successes credited to StalinArtists, moviemakers, authors praised him in their worksStalin created a CULT OF PERSONALITY


Large portions of Soviet history was rewritten to boost Stalin’s status or discredit his rivalsPhotographs edited to remove unwanted peopleAll of these made Stalin the undisputable leader of the Soviet Union


Political Impact

Social Impact

Social ImpactState control of societyLiving in fearImpact on various social groups (women and minorities)

Social Impact: State control of society

State became only legal distributor of services such as:

HousingEducationHealth servicesVacation destinations etc.

Party members were given preferential treatment


Fall in the standard of livingPeople moved to the city from the farmsIncreased in population in city made shortage of housing a problemPeople not allowed to buy land or build houses as these were controlled by the stateState assigned housingMany lived in cramp conditions without running water


FamineFarms owned by stateFarmers could not keep their own produceState did not distribute stockpiled grainSold overseas to raise funds for industrialisation7 million people died

Social Impact: Living in fear

Secret police had informers everywherePeople were constantly watched and judgedIf judged poorly, they may find it difficult to get jobs, housing or holidaysMay be sent to labour camps or killed

Social Impact: Impact on social groups

Minority groups lost their autonomy

Creation of the ‘New Soviet Man’Women’s entry into the workforce

However, Soviet women were expected to fulfil both the role of worker AND housewife

Compulsory schooling and increased literacy ratesKomsomol (Communist Union of Youth)


Political Impact

Social Impact

Economic• Collectivisation• Rapid

Industrialisation

Political• Great Terror• Propaganda

Social• State control of

society• Living in fear• Impact of

policies on various social groups

Sec 3N Hist (Elec) Chapter 2.2: Stalin's Rule

Education

Transcript of Sec 3N Hist (Elec) Chapter 2.2: Stalin's Rule