In the year 1922, after a long and bloody civil war, the Soviet Union was officially formed. After World War II, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR, established itself as one of the world’s superpowers, opposite of the United States of America. The Communist regime reigned over the Soviet Union until 1990, shortly before the Soviet Union collapsed and was formally dissolved in December of 1991. However, during that reign, many rules and regulations were imposed on all aspects of life, including music. Many musicians were denounced because their music did not conform to the Soviet regulations. Some fled the country. Others stayed to fight for the right to compose freely. Those who stayed had to walk a fine line, balancing their …show more content…
In 1928, Stalin implemented the First Five-Year Plan, which was meant to guide the economy into rapid industrialization. As a result, in 1928, collective farms were established all over the country, in an attempt to increase food supply for urban communities and raw materials. However, famine once again ravaged the state, causing the deaths of millions. Starting in 1936 and continuing until 1938, Stalin orchestrated a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution, sentencing over a million people to forced labor camps, known as Gulags, or to be executed. This became known as The Great Purge, or The Great Terror. Stalin revealed the new Soviet Constitution in 1936. In 1939, the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union was signed in Moscow. The secret details of this non-aggression pact divided eastern Europe in to German and Soviet spheres of influence. As a result, on September 1st and 17th, Poland was invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were annexed by the USSR. Finland, which according to the pact fell in the Soviet sphere of influence, resisted diplomatic tries to move back it’s border, thus resulting in the Winter War, in which the Finns ceded portions of Karelia to the Soviet Union. On June 22nd, 1941, Germany broke the non-aggression pact and invaded the Soviet Union
III. World War II The
Genocide is always organized and the killings planned out. Soon after the organization stage, polarization begins, driving the groups apart and beginning an extremist regime. The “Final Solution” was approved and planned under the rule of Adolf Hitler and implemented by the German SS. Overall, the German SS murdered more than one million Jews (Source 3). Under the rule of Joseph Stalin, the killing of kulaks and other peasants was organized. Starting in 1929, ten million peasants were moved to Arctic work camps. The remaining peasants were forced into collective farming where they were forced to meet the government’s demanding grain quota (Source 1). Like the Holocaust, government agents were trained to carry out the plans to eliminate their targeted people group and preventing them from escaping the oppression. As the beginnings of these genocides continued, the Jews and the Ukrainians were alienated more and more. In both genocides, people with opposing views were deported because they were seen as a threat. In Russia, Soviet propaganda promoted “The new Soviet man”, one who idealises the Soviet’s past and overlooks Stalin’s heinous crimes (source
His first five year plan was during 1928-1933 and this was the heavy industry plan which was making industries, transportation, and power supplies. The first of his methods was to use collectivization. Collectivization was the making of small farms into one big farm, and this would help increase the amount of products they make, and that would increase the amount of profit. Afterwards the people who were working on the farms would go into the city and be forced to work in the factories. The money then would be used to buy more more equipment which is industrial products which can help boost their profits yet again. Stalin was shown to be a heavy thinker, and to get his plans through, he made propaganda signs and speeches. He would focuses on telling his people the consequences if they didn’t work hard enough as a country, as they would be “falling behind... and those who fall behind are beaten”(Document 1). The propaganda speeches did work most of the time, but they felt hesitant as the goal for his five year plan was averaging to double the amount of, and “tripling in electricity (milliard kWh) from 5.05 to 17.0 in the end of 1933” (Document 2). Stalin
Stalin’s policy priorities were not building a ‘worker’s paradise’ or a classless society, but protecting Russia from war and invasion. In 1928, Stalin launched the first of two ambitious five-year plans to modernize and industrialize the Soviet economy. These programs brought rapid progress – but also significant death and suffering. Stalin’s decision to nationalize agricultural production dispossessed millions of peasants, forcing them from their land to labor on gigantic state-run collective farms. Grain was sold abroad to finance Soviet industrial projects, leading to food shortages and disastrous famines in the mid-1930s. Soviet Russia was dragged into the 20th century, transforming from a backward agrarian empire into a modern industrial superpower – but this came at extraordinary human cost.
The purges not only impacted those openly opposed to Stalin and party members, but had devastating effects on ordinary people too, also resulting in the prevention of progress in the Soviet community, impacting it’s future. During Stalin's rule of the country over 20 million people were sent to labor camps of the Gulag, where nearly half of them died. Fear of losing his power and dictatorship led Stalin to believe that the educated would be most likely to challenge his authority. The origins of Stalin’s lower class background are rumoured to have left him feeling inferior towards the educated class, also leading to obsessive determination to remove the threat. Subsequently, scientists, doctors and engineers, became targets, and were also imprisoned and killed. As a consequence, the execution of Russia’s educated during the Terror, stopped the social development and growth in the Soviet initiated after the revolution, predominantly in the area of science and technology. Many people in Russia believed everything Stalin said, with most blinded by the vision of a father figure of authority who would do them no harm. If anyone
Joseph Stalin used the early years of WWII to gain Territory, which include Finland and Baltic States. (WorldWar2history.info). Later they signed a neutrality pact with Japan. “On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, thereby beginning Operation Barbarossa,” because of the invasion Soviet Union joined the war (WorldWar2History.info).
The 3 5-year plans focused on heavy industry, as well as an emphasis on electricity, coal, oil and steel. The latter sections of industry greatly increased including coal (million tons) rising to 128 in 1937. Although during this time period, famine and forced labour occured, the 5-year plans were a success. Through the implementation of Collectivization and the 5-year plans, it can be seen how Stalinism impacted upon the economy, and thus the Soviet State.
In Oceania, rumors, myths, ideas and false information controls the minds of the citizens. The Party uses propaganda as a powerful weapon against the citizens. There are many types of propaganda used. Propaganda is brainwash. The citizens of Oceania are brainwashed to think that the Party is really there to help them, to make them happy. “WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” and “Big Brother is Watching You” are examples of doublethink. These uses of propaganda prevent rebellion of the citizens of Oceania because they believe that this society is the ideal society. They believe they are protected, and that they could not be happier. Propaganda is the Party’s
During the peak of “corrective labor colonies”, each camp held around 2,000-10,000 inmates and consisted of people arrested at collectivization, anyone who opposed the Communist party, and many innocent victims who never committed any crimes (Gulag 1). The number of prisoners working in forced labor camps was extensive and continued to grow for many years,“The Gulag had a total inmate population of about 100,000 in the late 1920s when it underwent an enormous expansion coinciding with the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s collectivization of agriculture. By 1936
The Cold War was a worldwide conflict from 1948 to 1989 which put socialist states against communist states around the world. This was a time of political hatred and for musicians this was a time of uproar and crackdowns by the government. One of the largest communist states at the time was the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) and within this state there was the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Although this group were not law makers they did hold a great deal of power within the state. “The Central Committee’s membership was elected by the party congress in which this membership ordinarily went to the holders of the most important positions in the Soviet government and economy, thereby enabling the committee to serve as the party’s chief tool within the government” (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). In 1948, this group had made a special resolution to music which criticized many famous Soviet composers. Through this resolution there would now be strict criteria for which music was acceptable including the music had to use traditional harmony, should not be too discordant, should include folk and popular idioms, should have words, and many others. These criteria would keep the music in line therefore keeping the artists and from there the people in line. We have seen through this course that music is a very powerful motivator for not only the artist but also for the audience.
Before hearing this lecture, I had no concept of the types of music in concentration camps, much less a sense of the music within World War II. The lecture taught me how music and the arts are something that can’t ever be stopped. Even though it’s not mandatory for human life or a lucrative career it has permanently etched a place inside of culture and the continuation of history.
The Cold War was one of the wars that made everyone hold their breaths and ponder would would happen next and when. The Cold War was a time period between 1947 to1991 in which the Western powers (US) and the USSR competed with each other in a tense rivalry and strive to outperform one another. It was also one of the key moments in history which spiked a motive and drive to develop and produce new strategies, weapons, and technologies. There was no actual fighting which took place (hence the name Cold War), but the two were always trying to best each other. The two superpowers often contested with each other militaristically, socially, politically, and economically. With this in mind: what weapons were used to fight the Cold War? Generally, Cold War weapons included the use of propaganda, nuclear weapons, and new technological development.
The novel parallels events and characters that had a great impact on the Russian Revolution. As well as the big part propaganda played in both roles as it contributes to how both Napoleon and Stalin were able to gain the amount of power they had. Overall, giving the general feel through the allegory that obtaining power over something or someone will lead to oppression and
This time period was known as the "Great Purge." Stalin systemically executed anyone who stood in his path. Stalin had millions of people arrested and killed. The government once again changed in its economic status. All private ownership was ended. Industrialization commenced, and the strength of the Soviet's Military significantly increased. The only downfall was agriculture production slowly diminished. This eventually led to food shortages. During this time period the Second World War broke out and drained most of what was left of the already impoverished state. However after the war, national unity was improved and the Soviet Union once again became a super power of the world. (" Stalin and World War II," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 99 Encyclopedia) <br><br>Stalin's death in 1953 marked the end of the supreme power for the head of the Soviet party. Stalin's successor, Nikita Khrushev, marked the beginning of the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union. Khrushev became the first Secretary of the Communists party ("Nikita Khrushev," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia). He believed Stalin's actions were unnecessary and harmful to the process of moving the Socialist government to its goal of complete Communism. During his period of control the public was given some say in the government. A new policy of economy was brought in known as "New Course." It helped to balance the agriculture and increase food production so there were less food
The soviet communist party, or the Bolsheviks, always new that strong propaganda was essential to increase the consciousness of the masses. As stated in the Encyclopedia of Propaganda, " propaganda was central to Marxist-Leninist ideology long before the Bolshevik revolution of 1917."(675) The power of persuasion and coercion were exercised with great force by Soviet leaders. The two leaders whom utilized propaganda to influence public opinion in the USSR were Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Both men used many different facets of the media to spread their propaganda. They also used the troubled social climate along with the ignorance of the masses to custom tailor a regime that lasted for over seven decades.
The most powerful entities of Russia (one of the main Soviet Union creators) took control when they began to spread the motto "all power to the soviets." It is at this time that the monarchy of Tsar Nicholas II was threatened and finally destroyed in 1917. From this year, began the establishment of a social state and free of exploiters was consolidated until more than a dozen countries were they joined him.