1. Stalinism Takes Hold

2. 1929 The start of the Great Depression The start of collectivization in the USSR In both cases: heavy statist response to the failures of the market economy The rise of Stalin: General Secretary since 1922, concentration of power in the 1920s, the growth of personality cult in the 1930s The rise of Hitler: leadership of the Nazis since 1923, increasing political influence in the 1920s, appointment as Reichskanzler in 1933

3. 2 forms of totalitarianism: communist and fascist Similarities Expansion of state power over society and economy Abolition of political pluralism; suppression of civil society A one-party system, with “The Party” functioning as the core institution of the state Concentration of power in the hands of “The Leader”; cult of his personality A massive secret police apparatus Tight control of information; intensive use of mass media and culture for political indoctrination Militarization of economy and society A mobilized society

4. Differences Germany:  to prevent a revolution, save capitalism  to overcome the Depression  to reverse the results of WWI  private property, market institutions remain  civil society is not completely suppressed USSR:  to preserve Communist Party rule  to defend the country from hostile environment  to achieve rapid modernization  to foster world revolution  private property banned, the market is replaced by the administrative command system  civil society is fully suppressed

5. The Contradictions of NEP State-society relations in flux; a stable model not yet found Society developing rapidly, the state needs to evolve accordingly The ruling party feeling societal pressures Ideological and power struggles in the Party: the issue of restoration of capitalism Conflicts between the market economy and the state Divisions in society: the city vs. the country, rich vs. poor, ethnopolitics

6. 2 basic options facing the leadership in the late 1920s: EVOLUTIONARY: To continue NEP and learn to govern in a framework of civil peace and mixed economy OR: REVOLUTIONARY: To resolve the existing contradictions by force: foster a new civil war in the name of rapid development

7. Why the revolutionary option was chosen A technical issue: how much force is needed to manage the mixed economy Most Communists saw NEP as a return to capitalism; the impact of the Great Depression Legacy of the Civil War and War Communism Fear of war – real and imagined Fear of losing power in a peasant-dominated country Stalin’s own political interests: defeat potential rivals

8. The Logic of Stalinism 1928: the grain procurement crisis: decision to squeeze the peasantry 1929: the maximalist version of the First Five-Year Plan adopted; forced collectivization starts; Bukharin and his supporters (“The Right Deviationists”) lose power Disorganization of the economy; peasant unrest and resistance Escalation of repressions “Successes of socialism stimulate the class struggle” The Party is purged again and again to make it Stalin’s obedient machine The growing role of secret police (including economic) Creation of a system of mind control Full-scale totalitarianism: the omnipotent state