sign in sign up
<<
Home , Darkness at Noon, Nikolai Bukharin, Sergei Kirov

V. The Rise of Stalin All is going well until Lenin suffers a stroke in May 1923. There is a vacuum of leadership in the Communist Party. 5 members of the Politburo: * – foreign minister, chief of the , intellectual, Jewish. Not liked for Anti-Semitic reasons and he joined the party later than the rest. Seems to be the heir apparent. Gregory Zinoviev – leader of the ComIntern whose job is foster communist revolutions to other countries. Les Kamenev – chief of staff. – propaganda chief and supporter/originator of NEP * (1879-1953) – real name Joseph Dzhugashvili. Georgian not Russian. Lies about origin (Stalin Russian word for steel). Rises through the Bolshevik’s leadership rather quickly as a thug. Sent to multiple times, always escapes. Not considered a great thinker nor a great speaker. Didn’t do anything during Revolution other than hang around Lenin (yes man/occasional idea) and run the Communist newspaper . Very good at politics. Appointed Secretary to the Communist Party – not much power other than to confirm Lenin’s ideas and appoint /anti-Semites (important later).

After Lenin is incapacitated, Stalin, Kamenov, Zinoviev work together to discredit Trotsky. They start issuing propaganda trying to turn Lenin into a God-like figure of (Cult of Personality). Petrograd renamed Leningrad. Trotsky was known to speak his mind and would argue with Lenin. When the 3 believed Trotsky was wrong on something they would denounce him publically as going against the will of Lenin.

Stalin begins appoint loyal cronies to positions. Stalin convinces people that he is Lenin’s personal choice to succeed him.

Lenin suffers another stroke in December. Very ill, can’t talk, dying. Knows what Stalin is doing. In his will he writes that Stalin should be expelled from the Communist Party. Will read to the Central Committee and Kamenov/Zinoviev leap to Stalin’s defense. They say this is the one time Lenin was wrong (affected by his stroke). Will suppressed.

Lenin dies in January 1924.

Ideological debates about post-Lenin . NEP vs. Collectivization – Bukharin wants to keep NEP. Trotsky wants collectivization (instead of small private farms, massive state run farms). Stalin sides with Bukharin (even though he secretly favors collectivization). Revolution – Trotsky believes that ’s experiment will only work if a world (mainly Europe) wide communist revolution were to happen. Stalin wants to build in one country. He wants to focus building/securing communism in the Soviet Union first.

The Central Committee now filled with Stalin’s cronies/anti-Semites strip Trotsky position has head of the army. Trotsky, popular with the army, could have pulled coup, but his principles

1 were against dictatorships. Slowly and surely loses all authority within the Soviet Union. Trotsky and any of his supporters (the Left) exiled by 1927. No country would have him. Eventually settles in Mexico were his later assassinated on Stalin’s orders.

The dictatorship of Joseph Stalin begins

VI. Stalin’s Totalitarianism Like Hitler will be, Stalin controls everything in Russia – education, propaganda, military, economy, etc

Once his position is secure, he begins cracking down on any possible threat. Any enemies not only executed, but removed from any trace of Russian history. Stalin targets former allies Kamenov and Zinoviev trumped up on false allegations and kicked out of the party. Continues to feel the Central Committee with cronies. Bukharin finally starts to fear Stalin and secretly works against him. In 1928 Stalin proclaims he is the Lenin of today and turns himself into a living God of Communism (a new Cult of Personality is born)

Stalin announces that communism could not continue until the Soviet Union’s industrial base grew. Stalin issues his 5 Year Plan (1928-1933). It is a bold initiative of massive industrial growth to catch the West. Immediately ends Lenin’s prosperous NEP. Collectivization (which Stalin now proclaims as his idea) begins – all use of land, animals, and equipment directed by the state. Small plots of farm are consolidated into massive state run farms. State issued quota and supplied seed, machinery, and clothing. Peasants either directed to work on collectivized farms or go to the city for industrial work. Majority of grain confiscated by the state to feed the industrial sectors of the Soviet Union. Estimated that 7 million die of hunger. Any hint of peasant resistance is immediately executed (and those around him). Many peasants burn their land/crops/animals rather than give them to state (cattle - 67 million to 34 million by 1933). Hundreds of thousands executed and 2 million sent to Siberia. One Russian officer, “I fought against the Czar. I fought in the Civil War. Now I machine gun peasants?” Stalin announces the amazing success of his 5 Year Plan. Industry (oil, electricity, steel, chemicals) did see growth while the West was gripped in the Great Depression. Agriculture production falls dramatically Stalin announces another 5 Year Plan. More of the same

Stalin turns his attention to Russia’s 180 nationalities. Lenin had promised them independence, but Stalin orders them to form a soviet like government that answers to . Any resistance crushed

2

Stalin solidifies his hold on the people with the new radio device and propaganda (Heroes of Labor). Affectionately known as “Uncle Joe.”

In 1934 Stalin’s purges begin. Expelling political enemies from the Communist Party is no longer good enough. and public trials used to deal with “enemies of the state” and “conspiring capitalists.” assassinated (In annual elections to politburo Kirov got only 3 negative votes. Stalin got 273. Ever paranoid Stalin concerned Kirov was becoming to popular)(Kirov head of the , charismatic, young, pro-Stalin, very popular)(No proof, but Stalin probably had him killed). Using Kirov death as pretext, Stalin uses his NKVD () to arrest any conspirators. Oddly, all of the suspects are original or any potential enemy of Stalin. Suspects beaten, tortured and forced to go in front of tribunals () and confess their “crimes.” Confessions later used as propaganda. Estimated 3 million are executed.

VII. Soviet Values and Culture

Only art that was allowed glorifies work and the wonders of socialism. E.G. – happy workers, uniformity, Stalin.

Women – on equal status as men. Same wages, same “opportunity.” Can vote in soviets. State does bring in daycare and maternity leave. School for all children as education is valued. That too is state run.

Aethism is promoted as nothing should be superior to the dominance/place of the state. Many churches that don’t conform are closed. Some churches continue, but closely watched. E.G. a Russian woman says, “that if the people could pray more, they could work better.” Arrested and jailed

3