Origins and nature of Stalin’s authoritarian and single-party state Major Theme One

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. Conditions. 1.After the revolution there was a bitter civil war in Russia. (1918 – 1921) The Bolsheviks (known as the Communists from 1918) won! 2.The Communists are the dominant political party in Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin. 3.Huge problems faced Lenin in the early days after the October revolution. 1 – was a civil war and 2 – was the severe economic problems WHAT WAS LENIN TO DO?

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. INTRODUCE: WAR COMMUNISM!!! What was it? 1.Grain requisitioning – to supply food to the army and for the urban workers 2.Banning of private trade and manufacture. 3.Nationalisation of industry – all industry was taken over by the state – to stop closure of factories

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. 4.Labour discipline – fines for lateness, absenteeism. No strikes were permitted. People could not flee to the countryside 5.Rationing – Red Army soldiers and the workers given priority 6.Red Terror – systematic use of terror to crack down on anyone who was opposed to the new measures

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. WAR COMMUNISM – Results. Famine and Decline! Rebellion – in particular the Kronstadt Naval Base Mutiny. Also… other revolts – e.g. Tambov Province Worried Trotsky and Lenin!

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. WHAT TO DO? CHANGE POLICY!! NEW ECONOMIC POLICY.

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. Propaganda Poster for the NEP

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. NEP = a partial step towards capitalism Grain requisitioning abolished – tax on profits. Govt. still took a proportion of grain but not as much as before. Could sell surplus on the open market Small businesses reopened – under private ownership and allowed to make a profit

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. Ban on private trade removed Rationing abolished – people could buy their own food and goods with their own income BUT…. Government still had control of heavy industry. e.g. Coal, iron and steel manufacturing and oil production. Banking and transportation systems

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state. For Lenin to ‘get on with the job of re-creating a new Russia’ – he was angered and frustrated by the political factions that did not agree with him. SO… – ban on factions within the Communist Party and a ban on opposition parties within the soviets. This was to be a crucial role in Stalin’s rise to power!

Stalin: Conditions that produced the authoritarian and single – party state – Lenin had the first in a series of strokes. Lenin in 1923 And so began a power struggle between the leading Communists. Bitter arguments over economic policy Arguments as to the direction of the new Russia and who would be able to lead.

Stalin: Emergence Enter Stalin into the political fight! Born in 1878 or 1879 One of the few leading revolutionaries that had a genuine working-class peasant past Trained to be a priest! Was attracted to Marxism more than to God! He admired the writings of Lenin Frequently arrested as a revolutionary Stalin = means ‘man of steel’ Stalin remained in Russia – others were exiled in Europe February Revolution, Stalin was one of the first on the scene in Petrograd

Stalin: Emergence Did not play a key role in the events of 1917 There is no evidence that Stalin took any major role in the October Revolution Was made editor of Pravda – Communist newspaper After the October Revolution, Stalin was made Commissar for Nationalities – his offices were close to Lenin’s During the civil war, Stalin was sent to the front to organise food supplies – came into conflict with Trotsky Stalin did not like being told what to do – even had some conflict with Lenin. Lenin viewed these as ‘mistakes’ Stalin appointed to key positions in the Party – mostly bureaucratic 1922 – appointed General Secretary of the party

Stalin: Emergence Lenin Died January 21, Lenin’s Testament talked about who might succeed him. He said that Trotsky was arrogant but able and Stalin should be removed from office because he was too rude and ambitious.

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Lenin’s Funeral Stalin

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Who are the leading contenders of the leadership of the USSR? Trotsky – Left wing Zinoviev – Left wing Kamenev – Left wing Rykov – Right wing Tomsky – Right wing Bukharin – Right wing

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support

Stage One: Promote himself as the natural successor 1)Didn’t even tell Trotsky, a leading communist party member, the exact details of Lenin’s funeral. All the official photos of the funeral DO NOT have Trotsky. Appeared disloyal. 2)The leaders publically proclaimed a ‘collective leadership’ but it was Stalin that delivered the oration at Lenin’s funeral. 3)Stalin created the impression that he was a natural successor – as he dedicated himself to following in the tradition of Lenin

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Stage Two: Isolate Trotsky as the natural successor 1)Suppress Lenin’s testament. Lenin did not support Stalin as a leader and in fact Lenin’s testament stated that Stalin should be removed from power. BUT everyone was criticised so all the leading members thought it best to keep Lenin’s criticisms quiet! The party members were more threatened by Trotsky than by Stalin! 2)Form a Triumvirate – Kamenev, Zinoviev and Stalin in leading Soviet Union. Isolate Trotsky and exploit his unpopularity within the party 3)Trotsky was left wing and not fully supportive of the NEP (They’re still all arguing about economic policy)

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Stage Two: Isolate Trotsky 4)Exploit Trotsky’s division over the NEP. How long was the NEP supposed to last. Lenin had said it was temporary. – Stalin had supported Lenin of course but, after Lenin died – Stalin kept his views unclear. 5)Permanent Revolution = Trotsky. Trotsky believed that the role of the Soviet Union was to export and support international revolution. Russia in 1917 was just the beginning of a world wide revolution f the proletariat 6)Stalin = Socialism in One Country.

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Stage Two: Isolate Trotsky 7)Socialism in One Country meant that Stalin put Russia – the Soviet Union first. Develop industry and agriculture, make a modern industrial country, ensure survival against external enemies. Sooooo, Trotsky ideas were like a threat to the Soviet Union. Trotsky was irresponsible. So he was voted out of leading positions within the party. 8)Kamenev and Zinoviev helped out! 9)By 1927 – Trotsky was expelled from the Soviet Union

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Stage Three: Eliminate Kamenev and Zinoviev 1)NEP was not producing the economic growth desired. It was too slow. Kamenev and Zinoviev wanted to abandon the policy. Return to forced requisition. Leftist like Trotsky – so the three of them formed a new opposition against Stalin in )But, because Stalin had managed to control the party machine, the delegates all voted for Stalin 3)The three of them, Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev directly appealed to the party masses and the workers – tried to organise demonstrations 4)This is ‘factionalism’ and it is against the communist rules – all expelled from the party in 1927.

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Soviet Cartoon (1927) - Kamenev, Trotsky and Zinoviev all depicted as members of a family, to show their alleged closeness

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Stage Four: Eliminate Bukharin (the rightists) 1)Stalin was against the NEP. He wanted rapid industrialisation. He had to force the peasants to co-operate. (But, this is what the leftists were fighting for anyway!) 2)Bukharin fought for the NEP to continue at the congress. But he was outvoted by Stalin’s supporters. 3)Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky were removed from the Politburo and other party bodies. Stalin now the undisputed leader by )Stalin make out that the rightists were a threat to the USSR. He exploited the fears of his colleagues. MAINTAIN THE REVOLUTION! WATCH OUT FOR THOSE CAPITALISTS THAT ARE DISGUISED AS SUPPORTERS OF THE RIGHTISTS.

Stalin: Emergence, Ideology and Support Three key issues affecting the power sturggle. LEADERSHIP Collective (Triumvirate)Single Person (danger of dictatorship) NEP End it?Keep Going? PARTY POLICY ABOUT DIRECTION OF REVOLUTION Permanent Revolution?Socialism in One Country?

Stalin: Totalitarianism – aim and extent Review definition: Totalitarian state: A complex term – historians argue over whether certain states were/are totalitarian. Characteristics/main features are: Only one political party is allowed to exist. (Stalin’s communist party) Power is exercised by the party leader who controls the party (Stalin controlled the Communist Party) The leader’s authority is underpinned by a dominant ideology. (Marixist/Lenin/Stalin)

Stalin: Totalitarianism – aim and extent Totalitarian state: The leader claim that his authority derives from the immutable laws of historical development. (Stalin believed he was the natural successor to Lenin) Was not really the intellectual that that others in the party were The state maintains social and political control through terror(secret police) The state crushes opposition through control of the media The state exercises central control of the economy The state uses censorship and propaganda to promote the idea of a faultless leader.

Stalin: Totalitarianism – aim and extent Totalitarian state: Religion is either outlawed and persecuted as an affront to state ideology or exploited as another means of controlling the people Independent institutions, such as religious organisations and trade unions are suppressed The legal system is politicised so that it becomes and instrument of state control The state seeks to reshape the culture so that it confirms to state ideology Internal opponents are identified and persecuted

Stalin: Totalitarianism – aim and extent Totalitarian state: An aggressive stance is adopted towards external ideological enemies

Stalin: Totalitarianism – aim and extent Was it a dictatorship of the party? OR Was it a dictatorship of one man DEBATABLE!! What did Karl Marx say?