Lenin's Rule and Effect on USSR Essay

Lenin grew up in a middle class family but was never fond of the political party and the class system. Having a Marxist political belief system, Lenin wanted the government to own and control everything. After taking control of the Soviet Union, Lenin wanted supreme power for himself and the government, with hopes to make all of the citizens’ equal. Throughout his reign, the Soviet Union was crowded with war, disease, and destruction. His idea of a perfect communist society was anything but

The effects that Lenin’s arrival first had on the Bolsheviks party began with the weakening of the provisional government, primarily ending Russia’s fight in the war. Lenin had been gathering supporters since the 1890s with those apart of the forces in the war, alongside other supporters, travelling worldwide and spreading his word of Marxist ideals and a Russia that was no longer wrapped up in World War One. It wasn’t long before he garnered enough manpower to seize control and caused a great deal of uproar when he had turned the Russian Army against the Russian provisional government to completely wash Prime Minister Kerensky out. After seizing railroad stations, telegraph lines, and government offices, and subsequently sending out the people-elected provisional government, Lenin was able to intimidate the elected government out of office and have control.

1.Lenin and Stalin were in control of the Bolsheviks party. The beginning of the Bolsheviks’ Revolution Lenin’s words were yelled throughout the streets, “ All power to the soviets, Peace, Land, and Bread.” With the support of many city soviets, Lenin began to take power. The first thing Lenin does while in charge was distributing all farmland amongst the peasants. He let factories be controlled by the workers. The Bolsheviks party was all about helping the lower class. When people want to kill the czar, Lenin sees his opportunity to seize all power. The Russian Civil War ensues and the Bolsheviks take over. Lenine enforces the New Economic Policy which allows peasants to sell their surplus crop instead of handing it over to the government. When the Bolsheviks party was renamed the Communist Party, Lenin declared established a dictatorship. Lenin led the Communist party very successful, but as he got older he retired his position to Joseph Stalin. By 1924 Joseph Stalin received total control of the Communist Party. Stalin turned Russia into a police state, and turned against the Communist Party members. He concealed total control Soviet government. Lenin and Stalin transform Communist Party and Russia completely during their rule.

After hearing about the recent coup, throwing out the czar, Lenin came back to Russia from his exiled in Switzerland. Using his charisma and status, he helped kick start another revolution which knocked out the makeshift democracy. This made a place for the Bolsheviks (communists) to place themselves in a position of power in the government. (Rashid, Aatif). Lenin came to be an influential person in the Bolshevik party and used Karl Marx’s ideas to make Communism in Russia blossom. Two major things he did were make private industry and agriculture public and redistributed the land of wealthy proprietors to peasants. This went well for a few years, until the Russian Civil War ended in 1920. While they came out victorious, Russia was left in disaster. The economic productivity was insufficient and the people were starving and unhappy. Because of this, Lenin was desperate for a new change to benefit the people, so he announced the New Economic Policy. The state took control of large industries again, but people were encouraged to have private and individual businesses. Soon after this was out in place, another major change was about to occur in the Russian government. This occurred after Lenin died in 1924. Joseph Stalin took over his place and became the leader of the Communist Party. He began intimidating and doubting his rivals while also claiming to see spies everywhere. He cleared the party and general population of Russia or these so called “spies.” By executing or exiling rebels to Siberia, he struck fear into those who remained after his purging. Everyone lived in fear of Stalin’s secret police and he ruled over Russia with an iron fist from that point on until his death (Dagger,

Vladimir Lenin played a significant role in the replacement of the monarchical Russian Empire with the ‘people-governed’ Soviet Union. Driven to act by the desperate situation present in Russia under the rule of Czar Nicholas II, he fought for the victory of the Marxist ideals. Despite being opposed and even exiled, Lenin managed to rise to the head of the Bolshevik party and secure his position as the head of the government. He used his power to attempt to organize, modernize, and reform the Soviet Union. His policies were necessary for the Soviet Union to regain strength and to return to the world map as a formidable power.

Without Lenin the Communist party may not have taken over Russia and history may have been very different and very likely more complacent. Lenin among others helped to shape the 20th century and what followed. He was a major part of history despite the idealistic long-term intentions of Lenin. Therefore, understanding Lenin is essential, for understanding historic processes and the role of political leaders in them. His ideology and his political conduct were driven by his political theories which he tried to pitch to the people and the Russian intelligence in particular. Lenin theorized that if he could not rule with the people’s love and approval he would persuade them to accept his rule through fear. A Real-politician in his willingness

Read, Christopher. From Tsar to Soviets: The Russian People and Their Revolution, 1917-21. London: UCL Press, 1996.

In 1917, the USSR began a revolution. Following World War I Russia realized it was far behind the major powers of the world. Russia was stuck in imperialism while the major powers of the world changed through industrialization. Russia had sustained the greatest losses of World War I to include lives, economy, and land. These essential elements led to a revolution of the laboring force as they sought socialism and industrialization. It began with small riots and led to massive closures of factories while people were starving. The Russian government, in one of the easiest coups in history, stepped aside leading to a socialist reform. Before the year ended, the extreme Bolshevik party seized control of the government. During the next four years, the leader of the Bolshevik party, Vladimir Lenin, set a twenty-five year goal for Russia to industrialize and reach communism. By 1922, Joseph Stalin took control of the government and began a

Lenin's first agenda was to end the war with Germany. He viewed the war as a distraction to the Communist mindset and would not allow it to distract anyone.

How important was Lenin in enabling the communist government to survive war and rebellion in the years 1918-1922.

After the success of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the former USSR, became “in 1917 the first socialist state … on the basis of his teachings [referring to Karl Marx’s teaching]” (White pg. 1). After a few weeks of the revolution’s success Lenin now became “the leader of the Bolshevik Party and head of the soviet state” (Pipes pg. 1). This meant that now a huge deal of problems faced Lenin, including eliminating opposition in order to maintain power and the construction of a the first ever communist state from only the ruins that were left behind from the Tsarist regime. (White 2001)

This did not mean that the Bolsheviks, now Communists, did not have enemies. Enemies who were determined that the party should not remain in power for long. 1918 was the beginning of a civil war between the Reds (Communists) and the Whites ( Bolshevik opponents) which was to tear Russia apart. To keep the Red Army supplied Lenin instituted war communism. Society suffered as it meant food supplies were low and industry production fell as workers left the cities. By 1921 this policy had left the Russian economy in ruins, cities were in chaos and agricultural production had collapsed resulting in famine.

During this time, Lenin "urged the creation of a system of national republics, equal in status, to allow limited autonomy for different ethnic groups." (Longworth, 122) In 1924, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created. This was considered to be Russia’s second constitution, after the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic that was established in 1917. The USSR was formed to function as a federal system that was based on limited autonomy. Education and all forms of publishing were required to be in the national languages, and there cultural freedom was also limited. Moscow was basically the government headquarters for the USSR, and had the most power as well. “Moscow could override any actions that were deemed incompatible with the interests of socialism, as defined by the Communism party.” (Ziegler, 86) This form of government was therefore supposed to be highly centralized. The Communism party of the Soviets was organized on the principle of “democratic centralism”, which meant that voting would occur and that ideas could be put forward. The party was never actually democratic in their decisions, though, they used it as an advantage for the concentration of power. During this time, Lenin was easily considered to be the dominant figure of the Revolution. However, poor health and an assassination attempt led to Lenin’s death in 1924. It was clear before his death that Lenin and

Instead Germany wanted Lenin to go to Russia and have Russia get out of the war to help Germany. Then Germany sent Lenin on a locked train to Russia, where he supposedly got money from Germany. This is why people thought Lenin was a spy. Many people did not care though, the Bolsheviks did not care one bit and neither, at this time, did the provisional government care as well. But to this day we will never know the relationship between Lenin and the Germans. Now the Bolsheviks were powerful and wanted very much to keep the way they set it up. Then Lenin dies on January, 21, 1924, at exactly 6:30 pm. Now Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky would have to decide who would take Lenin’s place. Stalin forced Trotsky in to exile and got rid of the threat for his power. Stalin would now be able to mold Russia into whatever he would like. By 1928 Stalin is head of the communist party. Lenin never wanted Stalin to get into power, calling him evil and cold hearted. Stalin now had the power to become an absolute dictator, and he took the opportunity at hand. Russia is now in the hands of a very terrible ruler, Joseph Vladimir, or after he changed his name to Stalin, meaning man of steel. He has gotten rid of the republic that was once Russia, and turned it into his country and no one else’s. Most of the Bolsheviks leaders are rounded up and killed by Stalin during the great purge. He gets rid of every Bolsheviks idea for the government, and makes up his own dictatorship called totalitarianism. Stalin caused police terror, indoctrination, and censorship. The censorship that Stalin used everything that was read or watched. He wanted the media to portray him as a hero, kids would stand in front of their desks and say, thank comrade Stalin for this great life. He also launched the great purge in 1937 which

(J. Llewellyn et al, 2014). After the WWI in the year 1917, the citizens of Russian brawl and fought against to the Tsars leadership. In the revolution on overthrowing the Tsar in the Bolshevik Party was led by Vlademir Lenin. When the civil war on the year 1918 broke out, Linen’s camp have won and the state of the communist which was the Soviet Union was born in 1922. After Lenin died in 1924, Joseph Stalin seized the power, under his administration; millions of people have died in executions and famine. (Nelson, 2015)