When Joseph Stalin Took Over Russia After Lenin By 1928,

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.

Soso Djugashvili, more commonly known as Joseph Stalin, ‘man of steel’, dictator of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Russia, can be considered a ‘Red Tsar’ to an extent when features of Stalinism are compared to those of Tsarism and Russia ruled by Nicholas II’s autocratic regime from 1894 to 1917. A ‘Red Tsar’ is a communist leader whom follows similar principles followed under the leadership of a Tsar, that were influenced by few opinions allowing sole leadership and little opposition from others. Stalin can be considered a ‘Red Tsar’ to an extent as he ruled Communist Russia as a somewhat totalitarian state and was considered a ‘God-like’ figure sent to Earth to lead the nation and its people. From Stalin’s reign of terror from 1929 to 1953 there can be similarities seen in his regime to features of Tsarism as well as differences, this is why there are alternative interpretations for Stalin being considered a ‘Red Tsar’.

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

Joseph Stalin greatly influenced Russia in the years 1924 through 1932. His rise to this power can be explained by the Russian Revolutionary experience that allowed him to gain authority in Russia. Although historians often refer to Stalin as a ruthless, mindless dictator, he redirected the Russian Revolution to major economic development. Stalin’s character in Russia during the Revolution catalyzed the many events that took place during the time period. Because of Stalin’s ability to both appeal to the masses, and take advantage of events, like Lenin’s death, Stalin was able to rise to power. Essentially, the Russian Revolution fostered the development of Stalin’s dictatorship leading the country into a state of economic growth and influence. The Revolution fostered Stalin’s ability to maintain a central leadership, use violence to gain control, and regenerate a previously disconnected economy.

These effects however were more severe under Lenin and Stalin as they sought to increase grain production by coercion. While Lenin under War communism used grain requisitioning to forcefully collect peasant surpluses from them Stalin used collectivisation to force peasants to collaborate to produce as much food as possible. Similarly in both cases the peasants refused to conform; knowing that any surplus would be confiscated the peasant produced the barest minimum to feed themselves and their family and even less food was available for Russia. One of the greatest impacts were the famines that occurred in 1921 under Lenin where the grain harvest produced less than half the amount gathered in 1931 and Russia had international help from countries such as the USA. However these impacts were the greatest under Stalin. The amount of bread produced fell from 250.4 (kilograms per head) in 1928 to 214.6 in 1932. The impacts of collectivisation were at its worst in 1932-32 when occurred what many people describe as a self-made national famine. Stalin’s ‘’official silence’’ of the situation meant it wasn’t addressed and thus collectivisation killed between 10-15 million peasants and failed to increase agricultural output. Though a similar devastating famine occurred under

In 1917, Russia was crumbling into pieces. The World War I was draining all of Russia’s resources. There was shortage of food throughout the country, which left people starving. At the battlefront, millions of Russian soldiers were dying, they did not possess many of the powerful weapons that their opponents had. The government under Czar Nicholas II was disintegrating, and a provisional government had been set up. In November of 1917, Lenin and his communist followers known as the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government and set a communist government in Russia. However, in 1924, Lenin died and Josef Stalin assumed leadership of the Soviet Union, which was the name for the communist Russia. Stalin was a ruthless leader who brought

Under the pressures of the Soviet regime's plans for economic development, the Russian people were worn down. Subsequently, the willingness of these people to do further work for the Soviet cause was wavering. The transfer of power within the Communist Party also provided a source of instability within the USSR. Infighting over potential leadership changes provided a very real force of upheaval within Russia. These weaknesses showed that the USSR may bring about its own downfall.

He starts off by calling socialism independence and something that has liberated the Russian people. Stalin like Hitler uses the nation’s nationalistic feelings to secure their allegiance to his totalitarian government. His main concern is to keep his government from crumbling. He believes that the only way to keep communism from deteriorating is to build up Russia’s socialist economy. He acknowledges that Russia is behind the western countries by a good fifty years and emphasizes how important it is that these industrial mangers make fast advancements. He ends with some chilling words. He says, “Either we do it or they crush us.” At first it seems he has no idea how prophetic his words truly are because his buildup in industry is going to play a crucial part in how Russia is able to remain unoccupied by Germany. On the other hand, it is the Age of Anxiety and therefore Stalin may have given this address now because he could already see in 1931, that another war with Germany was inevitable. Stalin’s motivation was to keep Russia a soviet independent country in order so he can continue to be the Soviet Union’s dictator. He uses the people’s nationalism to fuel an economic and industrial revolution that will save the Soviet’s in World War

Stalin believed that collectivism would increase food production, but many of the peasants did not like losing their land and resented. Millions were killed in forced labor camps or famine. Joseph also started a huge industrialization, but it cost Russia millions of dollars and damaged the environment. Any resistance to Stalin’s rule was punishable by death, or banishment to the Gulag camps

It is undeniable that Stalin had a profound impact on the Soviet Union following Lenin’s death. His rise to power within the Soviet Union has provided historians with a hotbed of political intrigue for many years. He was an opportunist, coming to dominance by manipulating party politics and influential figures in the politburo to eliminate his opposition by recognising and exploiting their weaknesses thus becoming the dominant leader of the Soviet Union. He was severely underestimated by other members of the Politburo about his potential within the party, leading to missed opportunities to ally and stand against him- a mistake that Stalin never made. He gained support from the public by exploiting the idea of ‘the Cult of Lenin’ in 1924 at Lenin’s funeral, and then adopting this concept for himself, thereby likening himself to Lenin; and, more importantly, gained support from other party members by following the wishes of Lenin, for example, initially supporting the continuation of the NEP and supporting the idea of factionalism. This essay will also argue that he was ideologically flexible as he was able to change his ideas for the party according to who he needed as an ally, in order to achieve dominant status in the party. He sought out which individual was the biggest threat, and eliminated them before they could stand against him.

Once Stalin came to power, he started to change Russia completely. As the leader, Stalin set out to make the Soviet Union into a modern industrial power. He wanted to make the Soviet Union into a superpower. Stalin realized that Russia had suffered defeats because of its economic backwardness.

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.

Russia under Stalin was a country that had just undergone extensive social and political change in an abrupt and intense manner, going from one extreme of governance – absolute monarchy - to another, communism. This violent shift in Russia’s societal infrastructure had created a major lack of movement and evolution in Russian industry, and Russia was lagging behind the rest of Europe in manners of trading, production and technology. Lenin had fostered a dream of having the entirety of Russia lit up by electricity and modern means of communication in ten years. However, this was not just a dream of an advanced society: Lenin was sure that without this lurch forward to meet and contend with the competition of other countries, they would not last, and this was echoed by Stalin when he came into power; “We are fifty of a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this lag in ten years. Either we accomplish this or we will be crushed.” After Lenin’s death, Stalin as the figurehead of communism and leadership in Russia now faced meet the promises of an untested system – a free, functioning Russia as spearhead of the communist movement.

Joseph Stalin set the workers high targets. He demanded a 110% increase in coal production, 200% increase in iron production and 335% increase in electric power (Simkin, 2015). This order of rapid industrialization was very effective to quickly modernize Russia to become one of the largest world super powers in technology during and after World War II. Collectivization was also a call by Stalin and was not very successful. He was so focused on growing the economy that he forced peasants to work for an industry of crops and giving it to people above the peasants, creating serfdom. Instead of agriculture production increasing, this process actually dropped it due to death and famine that occurred. Stalin being who he is, does not care about the costs of lives when he is giving out orders. Stalin once said, “No comrades... the pace must not be slackened! On the contrary, we must quicken it as much as is within our powers and possibilities. To slacken the pace would mean to lag behind; and those who lag behind are beaten.... We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this lag in years. Either we do it or

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