1. Events Under Lenin Stalin
How did ideologies that rejected liberalism affect citizens?

2. Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov
April – January
Adopted the name “Lenin” after his Siberian exile in 1901
Became leader of the Bolsheviks, and later, led the Bolsheviks to what became knows as the October Revolution. Nearly 3 years of civil war later, Lenin and the Bolsheviks assumed power of the entire country.
Lenin used Karl Marx’s ideas to transform the Soviet Union into a communist state. Lenin modified Marx’s ideas to suit the conditions of his country.

3. Marx’s Beliefs
The bourgeoisie exploited the workers by forcing them to create goods and services with a greater value than the wages received.
Capitalism would bring itself to ruin
Economic depression
Imperialism
Wars
Revolution by the proletariat.
After a series of revolutions capitalism would be eliminated; a temporary dictatorship would be established to foster this transition.
Once communism was established, people would live in a cooperative and voluntary society. The state (government) would “wither away”
Production would be distributed by the motto…
“from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”

4. The Ideal Marxist Society
Individual differences would still exist but no one could amass enormous wealth while others lived in poverty.
Equal opportunity (classless society)
Abolish private property and profit motive (public ownership)
With the existence of surplus goods crime and greed would not exist.
People would be motivated by the Common Good and the creation of equality

5. Lenin’s Additions To Marxism
Adapted Marx’s ideas to conditions in Russia.
Views referred to “Marxist-Leninist”
Lenin
organized a dedicated group of professional revolutionaries (who sought support from peasants and workers) to overthrow Russian autocratic government.
Marx
revolution could only occur in a capitalist and industrialized country

6. Values, Assumptions, and Myths
Communists claimed that the new country was a democracy.
Set up govt. that on paper was democratic
Govt. based on a constitution (1922)
CPSU refers to itself as democratic because it rules in the interest of the majority.
Real power was with the CPSU.
Maintained a monopoly of power by controlling
Access to positions of leadership
Content of communication
Direction of the economy
Culture and education

7. Authoritarian Essence
The CP was the only legal political party
This was justified by
Only one class (proletariat); therefore only one party needed.
Party was the “vanguard of the proletariat” and protector of communism.
Lenin also believed that elections in capitalist countries were simply a “sham” (illusion of real choice).

8. Authoritarian Essence cont…
Democratic Centralism
Issues are discussed bottom up, then resolved by the party congress with the expectation that all party members will obey.
Eventually used by Stalin to purge all opposition and became a justification for strict censorship, imprisonment and executions.
In this way, Stalin ended up controlling the party, which controlled the government, which controlled the USSR and all members of society.

9. Soviet Government Federal system Little autonomy to republics.
Autonomy: right to make own decisions
Government controls all levels of government. (Moscow: Kremlin)

10. Communist Party Membership
Only those who were politically conscious, honest, educated, and dedicated to the party could join.
Nominated by party a member
Two years to become member
Every aspect of candidate’s life was investigated
Only 20% of population were members.
Majority of CPSU members were employed in industry and agriculture. (72%)

11. Large Secret Police Force
Cheka (1917) : Lenin
NKVD (1934) : Stalin
People’s Commissarat of Internal Affairs
KGB (1954)
Committee for State Security

12. War Communism: 1st attempt of establishing communism
Lenin’s Policies
War Communism: 1st attempt of establishing communism
Economic System between 1918 and 1921
Introduced by Lenin in hopes to fight the economic problems introduced through the civil war in Russia
Strict quotas of food production, and complete shift to public property controlled by the state, led to lack of motivation and production of food and essential goods
It was abandoned because it led to strikes, demonstrations, riots, and created social distress, all in all, it failed miserably. Something was needed to motivate people to be productive.

13. New Economic Policy: 2nd attempt of establishing communism
Lenin’s Policies
A policy designed to revive the nation from its economic recessions, mainly in the area of agriculture and food production
Re-introduced some limited private ownership of land and business, allowed farmers to sell surplus for personal profit.
Obviously this is a step away from “pure” communism, but Lenin only intended to be a temporary policy
Lenin saw that the only way the Socialist Revolution can be saved was to come to an agreement with the peasants and farmers and have them support communist policies of the state.
Within a few months, it had incredible success as food production increased and communism was supported by the people.
The famine was gradually eliminated, as well as the speculation of failure. The state retained control of banking, large industry, transportation and trade.

14. Joseph Stalin December.18.1879 – March.5.1953
Assumed name Joseph “Stalin” means “Man of Steel”
Following Lenin’s death, became leader of the Soviet Union after a two year power struggle with Leon Trotsky; whom Stalin had deported.
Stalin radically changed the USSR into an industrialized nation and ended the “New Economic Policy”
Stalin’s policies were known as the “Five Year Plans”

15. 5 Year Plans
In 1928 Joseph Stalin came up with one of the three “5 Year Plans”
Plans were to lead the Soviet Union to increased industrialization and to collectivize the country as whole. Also prepared the country for war against Nazi Germany
During these terms however, many were purged and terrorized

16. Collectivizing Farms
Collective farms were plans to incorporate agriculture into the focus of the nation
Private ownership was banned and everyone had to voluntarily collectivize farms
“Kulaks” were a group from the richer peasants class that resisted the idea of collectivizing for the state, through propaganda they were shown as being greedy and uncaring towards the nation but only themselves. They were labeled un-soviet

17. Ukrainian Famine Most productive area for agriculture had been Ukraine
Stalin wanted to crush the vestiges of Ukrainian nationalism, thus he used famine as a tool to break the spirit of the people.
Thanks to the famine, the will to resist collectivization was destroyed and Ukraine was left in a state of disaster
Between 1932 and 1933 it is estimated that 6 to 7 million people died due to the famine.
This genocide is known as the Holodomor
See “Pause and Reflect” on page 182

18. Great Purge
Purges conducted mainly throughout the 1930s and were carried out by the secret police (NKVD)
Anyone expected to be an opponent or to be against Stalin were dealt with violently
Between the years 1934 and 1938 around 10 million people were deported to concentration camps and/or executed.