Soviet Union Demonstrated Stunning Industrial Growth

Russia was very agriculturally based and did not have the sufficient technology to industrialize. States could industrialize when an efficient agricultural system was implemented to provide sufficient food for the factory workers that did not have land to farm. It is the trend seen from the beginning of civilization. Trade specialization can only occur with a surplus of food. Therefore, the first step for Russia, on its way to industrialization, was to become more efficient at farming.

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.

Once eliminating Trotsky, Stalin’s idea of, “socialism in our country,” inevitably meant that Russia needed strength. The productions in the USSR had almost reached pre-war levels by the mid-1920s, but the population of Russia had also increased by 20 million people. No matter, Stalin assured that maximum efforts and resources would be given to the expansion and strengthening of Russia herself rather than an effort to start a revolution elsewhere. This is explained in his famous 1931 speech, gaining power for himself. The people had nowhere else to turn to and needed a leader. Stalin was there and knew what to do to make the people interested in his ideas, thus acquired their trust and control. From these ideas, he created his first

There were also many problems in Russia after they had an Industrial Revolution. Russia had many government problems. The Russian government was a type of government that did not listen to the people. The government did as it pleased without consent from the people. The people had no say in the governing process as in the United States. Due to this there were poor working and living conditions, overpopulation, poor sanitation, not many jobs and many people were starving. The majority of the people in Russia (about ninety percent) were poor and only about ten percent were rich and they controlled the nation. This meant the majority of the nation was not being listened to.

Russia, as a country, has had a long and proud history. However, for a small time starting in 1917, things started to take a turn for the worse. There was widespread famine, disease, and killing by the instituted government. There was also no Russia. Instead, there was the glorious United Soviet Socialist Republics, or the USSR. This new country did not come around peacefully, but instead under the 1917 Russian Revolution and the revolting communist Bolsheviks. The Russian people were not in a better condition after the Russian revolution due to Stalin’s leadership of his country; the reason being the GULAGs that Stalin was sending his people to, the communes that the peasants were sent to, and the disastrous effects of his five year plans.

Historians argue that the 1917 Russian Revolution represents a major turning point in world history. Two specific pieces of evidence that support this argument is that the Revolution led to the spread of communism with the formation of the USSR and the emergence of Russia as a world power. Both of the pieces support the argument. The Revolution led to the formation of the USSR, otherwise known as the world’s first nation to base its government on the teachings and writings of Karl Marx. This event would not only be groundbreaking for Russia, but the entire globe. The formation of a communist nation meant a new battle was about to start -- the battle between communism and capitalism. The formation of the USSR would directly lead to the Cold

The Russian Revolution of 1917 set the country on a course that few other countries took in the 20th century. The shift from the direction of a democratic, parliamentary-style government to a one party communist rule was a drastic change that many did not and could not predict. Looking back on this key moment in Russian history, many historians ask the question ‘why did the political power in Russia shift to the Bolsheviks’? Since the revolution in 1905 Russia was becoming progressively more democratic, distributing power throughout the political sphere. This came to an abrupt halt when Vladimir Lenin was put into power by the Bolshevik takeover of the Provisional Government. Many authors have had different takes on this event. Two particularly interesting ones were Arthur Mendel and John D. Basil. Their pieces On Interpreting the Fate of Imperial Russia and Russia and the Bolshevik Revolution give various perspectives on the Russian Revolution and attempt to answer the question of the power shift. This key point in Russia’s history sets the tone for the next 100 years. Russia became a superpower, an enemy of the United States, started multiple wars directly and indirectly, and started using an economic system used by various countries around the world. Today we still see the effects of the 1917 Revolution. Looking at both Mendel’s and Basil’s attempt to answer why the power shifted to the Bolsheviks. Since both historian 's account of the events is different they cannot

Joseph Stalin is the face of the Soviet Union, and the shift from monarchy to communism, a system that promised equality and order. The Soviet Union, or the USSR, as discussed in lecture, was the first communist society, a society that emphasized the collective effort over individuality. Communism had the vision of social equality by eliminating class division, the emancipation of women and their rights, controlled education, and industrialization. Under Stalin’s rule, the Russian people believed there was hope for a brighter future, but unfortunately this was not the case. Even though the Soviet Union is considered a failed attempt at creating the utopian vision, this time in Russia is a fascinating topic of discussion. Joseph Stalin was a powerful leader nonetheless and was extremely successful in creating the “Personality Cult” which established a base of “newly coined believers” in the communist ways. This praise of Stalin, despite the terror he reigned, is evident in many pieces of literature throughout this time period including Yevgeny Schwartz’s The Dragon and Fazil Iskander’s Sandro of Chegem, will be discussed in relation to Stalin’s rule and the creation of the Soviet Union.

“Stalin’s revolution” is a term signifying the drastic increase in power experienced by the bureaucracy during the 1930’s. The First Five Year Plan incorporated policies which furthered mass production. The goal was to increase industrialization in order to reconstruct the Soviet Union into a utopian and powerful nation. The politburo, titled “nashi vozhdi”, was determined to create a nation which worked as a single, mass-producing machine. Everyone was under constant watch and expected to work in a “campaign style,”—“...In short, hectic bursts of concentrated attention to particular tasks, not through routine, incremental activity. This made life at the factory resemble life at the front…” (32). Efficient and vigourous production was key to reconstructing the Soviet Union into an industrialized and socialist state.

It can be argued that Lenin was the most significant leader of Russia and the USSR due to his revolutionary ideas, such as the implementation of socialist reforms, his New Economic Policy in 1921 and the transformation of the Bolshevik faction to the Communist Part of the Soviet Union leading to a huge Marxist-Leninist movement in the USSR. However, when assessing the ‘significance’ of a leader, it’s crucial that four main themes are taken into account, these being – economics, foreign policy, social change and leadership ability. It can be argued that other leaders of Russia and the USSR have been more

In the early 1900’s Russia entered a terminal crisis. Tens of thousands of soldiers were deserted, cities were affected by major food shortages, and the economy was breaking down, and the streets were filled with angry people. People desperately needed reform and this lead to the Russian. Revolution. The people desperately needed reform and the man that stepped up was Vladimir Lenin. With the help of all the Russian struggle and a manifesto Lenin wrote, the Russian people overthrew the previous ruling provisional government and the Soviet Union took control. Lenin wrote a cunning manifesto that was very effective for getting people to fight the revolution for because Russia needed reform, he promised multiple reforms very appealing to the people, and he made the common people seem like a priority.

From its humble beginnings as a united east Slavic state in 882, to its profound global impact in the 21st century, Russia has always been ground-breaking. Russian political, economic, and social thought has historically been prized as both revolutionary and progressive. It wasn’t until the 19th century that this thought gave rise to an actual revolutionary movement. From Alexander Radishchev (1749-1802) to Michael Bakunin (1814-1876), Russian thought and action during this period took on a new façade. During this time, movements of dissent, change, and advocacy sprouted up throughout the nation. This period of revolutionary thought and activity was caused primarily by an overbearing structure of government, and the suppression of ‘common people’.

During Russia’s transition to communism in the early 20th century, conflict and unease permeated every part of life. Nothing was stable and very little of what the Bolsheviks had fought for had come to fruition by the time the USSR disbanded in 1991. The “classless society”, which was to work together for the prosperity of everyone, never became a reality. In the end, the majority of Russia’s 20th century was an utter failure on a grand scale. However, there were many amazing products of the system do to the great importance of education in Russian culture. Priceless novels were written, timeless movies were made, and great scientific endeavors were realized despite the rigid control placed upon Russian persons by the government. In

Josef Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union was considered one of the most important figured in history for the success and growth of Russia. In 1931, Stalin gave a speech known as “On the Tasks of Workers in the Economy” explaining and justifying Russia’s quick

The Bolsheviks believed they had to industrialise to achieve national strength and maintain independence. This was a shared view of non-Bolshevik predecessors such as Count Sergei Witte a former Russian minister. The Soviet Union needed a modern industry, especially a heavy industry, as there was the idea that they had to defend the revolution. They believed the Russian revolution was in constant danger from capitalist countries, which were militarily and technically far stronger than them. Then there was the belief that the building of socialism or communism involved industrialisation, and that a proletarian dictatorship was insecure so long as it ruled in an overwhelmingly peasant environment . Industrialisation was introduced to eradicate the backwardness that had plagued the country for so long so they could rise and defeat capitalism. In his speech in 1931 Stalin stated ‘we are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or we shall go under’ and that ‘it is the jungle law of capitalism. You are backward, you are weak - therefore you are wrong; hence you can be beaten and enslaved. You are mighty - therefore you are right; hence we must be wary of you. This is why we must no longer lag behind’ . These show the need for the Soviet Union to advance and become stronger than capitalist countries. Industrialisation also allowed the Soviet