was stalin successful in creating a totalitarian state?

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.

point of view of Russia the Five Year Plans had been a failure in that

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.

In his speech, Stalin also mentions that kulaks, which were wealthy peasants, must be eliminated as a class. (Document 3) In this speech Stalin explained that agriculture must change in order to feed the growing population of industrial workers. The collective farms would receive the needed modern technology and scientific equipment, and it would all result in increased food production. Stalin made clear that the kulaks must be driven out in order for the plan to be successful. Once again, Stalin is using the power of speech to gain support for his collectivization plan. An excerpt from A History Civilization describes the horrific effects of Stalin’s collectivization. Stalin began deporting the capitalistic farmers (kulaks) to forced labor camps or Siberia, and peasants were being machine-gunned into submission. Peasants slaughtered huge amounts of horses, cattle, sheep and goats, burned crops and broke plows in desperate revolts. The amount of Russian livestock lost due to collectivization was immense. (Document 4)

Vladimir Lenin was slowly degrading before Stalin took power. Before Lenin died, he spoke out against Stalin by saying, “Stalin has concentrated enormous power in his hands, and I am not sure he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution.” (Document 1). As the main creator of the Communist party and the USSR, Lenin warned the public that Stalin’s power was going to get to his head and he was going to become a selfish ruler. This became true when Stalin becomes a full time dictator. He begins abusing his power by creating a police state that brought terror among the public. He forced obedience and crushed any opposition that came in his way. Secret police arrested and killed off any traitors towards Stalin. Stalin, then, betrayed members of the Communist Party. From there, he lofted the Great Purge, which was a campaign of terror against all of his citizens. He killed off anyone that threatened the power and authority against him. Old Bolsheviks and the police themselves were either arrested or eliminated. It is estimated by the end of the Great Purge, Stalin killed as many as 8 to 13 million people. These were all people who supposedly threatened his regime. Even more people got killed, when Stalin started persecuting religious officials and followers. By Lenin’s warning, the Great Purge, and religious persecution, it is evident on how Stalin frequently abused his power during his reign. It also shows how selfish he is towards his

The 20th century was marked by many unforgettable events such as World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Some of these events occurred because of the birth of a government system called totalitarianism. A totalitarian regime is gained either through legal or illegal means and transforms the entire society into a single party regime with the sole purpose of conquering society (Zani, 2003). One of the founding fathers of totalitarianism, Joseph Stalin, ruined the lives of many by taking complete control over their lives through brainwashing techniques and destroying their rights to express their opinion.

Over the course of history there have been many totalitarian leaders, including Benito Mussolini of Italy, Adolf Hitler of Germany, Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union, Kim II Sung of North Korea, and Saddam Hussein of Iraq.. A totalitarian is a dictator who governs every aspect of daily life. They use police terror, indoctrination, propaganda/censorship, and religious/ethnic persecution to remain in power. Police terror is when the police are “owned” by the totalitarian so they work for him. The totalitarians police force will not serve the people but spy on and intimidate them.

Russia was a communist state under the totalitarian rule of Joseph Stalin in the early 20th century. Stalin rose to power with the help of the previous leader, Lenin, due to their shared views about Karl Marx’s belief about communism. During his rule, Stalin referred to many totalitarian ways to force the people of Russia to accept communism in the society. Some of these include censorship, propaganda, and indoctrination. Any publication or form of media that incorrectly represented or was not related to Stalin, the government, or communism was blocked or shut down. In addition to this, Stalin enforced all media to positively advertise him, the government, and communism. This was a form of indoctrinating the people of

Throughout history, men have always been on a quest for bigger and better ideas. In the late 1800s to mid 1900s, one man has made a huge impact in history. It was the birth of a revolutionary; Joseph Stalin was born. Joseph Stalin has made a huge impact in society/world, however; he has impacted it not only positively, but also negatively. In his early life he has faced many things normal kids his age hasn’t which made him grow into a stronger, broad minded man.

However, he felt that in order to achieve his goal he had to bring all economic activity under the control of the government. Under Stalin, all businesses were owned by the government and the government was who allocated financial and other resources. One action he took to reach this change was by increasing industrial production. Stalin’s Five Year Plan set high production goals, especially for heavy industry and transportation. As a matter of years, large factories, hydroelectric power stations, and huge industrial complexes rose.

When Stalin first introduced his idea of collectivization (The policy of "Collectivization" aimed to consolidate individual landholdings and labor into collective farms), many peasants had negative reactions to it and refused to give their land. They ended up killing large amounts of their livestock and began burning crops so that the state would not have them. The fact that the peasants did this depicts how Stalin’s idea of collectivization did not gain popularity from the people. Therefore, he was forced to change the policy and allow the peasants keep their

All his great plans came with great consequences to many different sectors of the economy, and the main group that was effected the most were the farmers. The middle class farmers lands were seized. Also many people who rejected his rules were deported, arrested, or even killed and the population of the gulags had reached 2.5 million only, and the rest before them because of the five year plan and also the fact that Joseph Stalin had refused to stop exporting food had resulted in a widespread starvation and by the time the five year plan had run its course 10 million people were dead, all that were many of Joseph Stalins tragedy, its also known and said that In a four-year period was remembered as the "Great Terror". All that was his bad deeds and decisions that he made for the benefit of the soviet union. Joseph Stalin had believed in an idea which is “socialism in one country”.

“ Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism”(Joseph Stalin Bio,Bio.com Editors,Bio.com Website). Stalin took complete control over Russia, so all the citizens of Russia lost all of their freedom and the government controlled every aspect of your life like, they decided what you could and could not watch or listen to. He moved farmers to collective farms to make food for Russia and the farmers could not get much if any money for their work. He did this to help accomplish one of his many goals, to take over the world little by little. First, he wanted to get back Russia’s USSR land that had been lost the WWI. It’s also why he signed the Non -Aggression Pact with Hitler to by him more time. One huge reason wanted to conquer lands because he wanted to spread his idea of communism and to have people devoted to serve

He also countered Trotsky's idea of Permanent Revolution with the concept of socialism in one country, which basically meant Russia was on its own/had to become self-sufficient and that the survival of the Soviet Union had an absolute priority over international revolution8. Through this and his views on the New Economic Policy gaining him a lot of