Understanding Russia

1. Understanding Russia “How and why did the wartime alliance breakdown?” First step:

2. Objectives • Understand how Russia became a communist country. • Analyze the breakdown of the alliance between the USA and USSR.

3. Cambridge Objectives: • Understand why the USA-USSR alliance began to break down in 1945. • Describe the process by which the USSR gained control of Eastern EUrope by 1948. • ANalyze how the USA reacted to SOviet Expansionism. • Essential Questions: • WHat is the role of a global superpower? • What are the benefits and drawbacks of different economic systems? • Who was to blame for the cold war?

4. Summary • 1905 - vast but backward country • Industry = underdeveloped • People = poor and uneducated • Rued by a Tsar w/ complete power • 40 yrs later, it was a modern superpower with extremely different beliefs than America.

5. At the end of 19th Century… • Vast empire • Diverse nationalities • 80% peasants • living and working conditions for most = dreadful • Much of land unsuitable for farming • No basic education (few could read or write) • Resented the land owned & elegant lifestyle of church, Tsar and aristocracy • New industries, cities, and the working class • Want to become industrial power • Quality of life did not improve, live in ” filth and squalor” • (overcrowding, terrible food, disease, alcoholism) • Unlike other countries, no government regulations on child labor, hours, safety or education • Brutal discipline

6. Tsar’s Rule • Autocracy = absolute power, given by God • Tsar Nicholas II • Many good qualities but not an able leader • Control • Resistance not allowed • Persecute w/ secrete police • Could be sent into exile in Siberia • Opponents to Tsar • Some want democracy, some want to carve up estates of rich and hand them to peasants, many believed in violent struggle, many believed in following ideas of Karl Marx (Bolsheviks)

7. Tsar’s Rule

9. The Rise of Lenin • Bolsheviks = Marxist party; considered themselves leaders of revolutionary working class; led by Vladimir Lenin • Goal: Overthrow the government with violent revolution • Slogan “Peace, Land, Bread” • Promised end to war, redistribution of land to peasants, transfer of power

10. Ideas of Karl Marx: Communist Manifesto • Ultimate goal: Get rid of economic inequality. Forbid private property. All things should be collectively owned. Distribution of goods should be based off of needs. • Steps to get there: 1st step: middle class take control from monarchy and aristocracy 2nd step: the workers overthrow the middle class in revolution 3rd step: For a short time, the “Communist Party” run by the workers would rule on behalf of the people, but as selfish desires disappeared there would be no need for any government at all. • Result: All would live in a peaceful, equal society. A classless society would develop.

11. How is that different than capitalism? • Capitalism = belief that greater progress will result when individuals follow own self-interest and are motivated by competition. • Personal freedoms are not to be limited, and private ownership of land and means of production should be protected. • Every person will have to earn his worth. • The major share of profits earned from a business will go to person who owns the means of production, while the workers who work for the business will get only a share. • Every person will get wages according to merit and work ethic.

12. Why is true Communism difficult to accomplish? • “No state has ever withered away, and no state ever will. To the contrary, it is in the very nature of the state to extend its control over its subjects, limiting and finally eliminating whatever liberty they once had to control their own lives. Marx's interim state would in fact be a dictatorship “over” the proletariat.”- Bakunin • Never gone passed this stage • When you implement “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need,” magically, everyone starts having quite a lot of need and very little ability. • When it comes to “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs,” who gets to decide what those abilities and needs are? • Communism requires that all people are uncorrupt and act selflessly. • Communism requires that all stay motivated to contribute, even if others do not. • Is equality and fairness the same thing?

13. Things go downhill: • Bloody Sunday • Economic downturn • Duma created but given no power • Tsar didn’t care or didn’t notice their concern • Then, WWI escalated problems

14. War and Pending Revolution • 1914 WWI Begins • Unprepared both militarily and technologically for the total war • No competent leaders • Russian industry unable to produce the weapons needed • Russian army suffers incredible losses • 1914-1916: over 2 million soldiers killed, 4-6 million captured or wounded • By 1917, the Russian will to fight had vanished • Widows, orphans, shortages of everything • The middle class • Asked for more representative gov in Duma • Tsar dismisses Duma • Even the aristocracy called for the Tsar to step down • Rasputin appalled them

15. Rasputin “Disreputable” • With Tsar Nicholas II leading the war effort, his wife Alexandra is left to run the government. • Consulted Rasputin, an uneducated Siberian peasant and “holy-man,” for everything. While some considered him a prophet and miracle workers, others saw him as a drinker and womanizer. • He was blamed for discrediting the czarist government and leading it to its demise. • Opponents seized on Rasputin as a sign of Tsar’s weakness – “unfit to rule Russia.”

21. 1917 March Revolution • Leadership continued to stumble through a series of military and economic disasters • 10,000 marched through the capital city demanding “peace and bread” and “down with autocracy.” • Series of strikes shut down all the factories. Instead of shooting the demonstrators, many soldiers joined them. • It was not clear who was in charge but it was clear that the Tsar was not. • Result: Czar Nicholas II steps down on March 15th, ending the 300 year old Romanov dynasty

22. Provisional Govt to Bolshevik Revolution • Duma creates provisional government • Decides to stay in war = big mistake • Workers and peasants still dissatisfied; tired and angry from years of suffering • New authority challenged by soviets • councils of representatives; supported radical interests of lower classes; mostly socialists • Political chaos everywhere • Bolsheviks take over. Argue “time of worker’s control over production and end of land owner’s rights”

23. Russia under Lenin • Had promised people bread, land, and peace • Had to strengthen Bolshevik position in power • all non newspapers banned, all opposition parties banned, factories under control of workers committees, banks under Bolshevik control • Tsar and Churches land given to peasants • Ruthless suppression • Turns into dictatorship (of the proletariat) but thought in time would give way to true communism • People start dying daily from hunger • Had to keep strict control of factories and etc to make sure armies fed, took food from peasants • Red Terror: • Created new Red Army (Trotsky) held families hostage to ensure loyalty • Many beatings, hangings, shootings of opponents • Tsar’s family executed too!!

24. Triumph of the Communist • By 1921, Communists have total command • Transformed Russia into centralized state dominated by single party

25. Russia under Lenin • War Communism: name given to the harsh economic measures the Bolsheviks adopted • Aims: 1) Communist theories into practice by redistributing wealth among the Russian people 2) help with the civil war by keeping the town and Red Army supplied w/ food and weapons • Actions: • All large factories taken over by the govt • Production was planned and organized by the govt • Disciplinele for workers was strict and strikers could be shot • Peasants had to hand over surplus food to govt (if didn’t, were shot) • Food was rationed • Free enterprise became illegal – all production and trade was controlled by the state • Result: Caused TERRIBLE hardship • Peasants refused to co-operate in producing more food because the govt simply took it away • Led to food shortages and terrible famine • 1920 7 million people died of famine, cannibalism took place • “The working class hoped for freedom. But the result has been greater slavery.”

26. Lenin’s New Economic Policy • NEP brought back capitalism for some sections of Russian society • peasants were allowed to sell surplus grain for profit and would pay tax on what they produced rather than giving of it up to govt • Small factories were handed back into private ownership and private trading of small goods was allowed • Lenin said NEP temporary and the vital heavy industries would remain in state hands “ Our poverty and ruin are so great that we cannot at one stroke restore large-scale socialist production… we must try to satisfy the demands of the peasants who are dissatisfied, discontented and cannot be otherwise… there must be a certain amount of freedom to trade, freedom for the small private owners. We are now retreating, but we are doing this so as to then run and leap forward more vigorously.” - Lenin • Result: • Was working – food production rose steeply • 1923 wrote new constitution that turned the Russian empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

27. Stalin comes to power • Death of Lenin reveals unanswered questions • Several candidates to take his place • No elections allowed - Leader would be one who showed he had the most power w/i the party • 1929 is Joseph Stalin (Man of Steel) • clever, associated self w/ Lenin, held grudges, made enemies suffer, appeared as a straightforward peasant

28. Modernizing USSR: Industrialization • Determined to modernize a country that was in the same condition it had bee 100 yrs earlier (unskilled, poorly educated) • USSR rich in natural resources, but in remote places like Siberia • For Industrial Progress: The 5-year Plan • Goal setting (overall targets for industry, region targets, factory targets, each manager, each individual worker) • Inefficiency, duplication of effort and waste, enormous human cost • How was it achieved? • Human cost paid by workers • Prisoners made to work • Worked w/o sufficient labor or necessary equipment • All major projects conditions = appalling • Many deaths and accidents • Propaganda bombarded • Discipline harsh, punishment severe • Results: • Concentration on heavy industry meant that there were few consumer goods • Overcrowding (housing provided by state) • Wages fell • But, by ’37, a modern state that saved itself when Hitler invaded in ’41

29. Modernizing Agriculture:Collectivization “In order to turn a peasant society into an industrialized country, countless material and human sacrifices were necessary. The people had to accept this, but it would not be achieved by enthusiasm alone… If a few million people had to perish in the process, history would forgive comrade Stalin… The great aim demanded great energy that could be drawn from a backward people only by great harshness.” • Some forgave but most resented the govt for telling them what to do - doesn’t matter if they are Communist • Example: Small farm owners = hard to convince them • didn’t want to just hand over their land and produce. Propaganda turned against them. Requisition parties came and took food, leaving them to starve. • Revenge (burnt and killed) • Countryside = chaos • Food production fell ‘32=33 • Famine and subsequent death of over 5-8 million people • People marched off to labor camps, executed for non compliance • Despite famine, he didn’t ease off – all land organized under collective system “Stalin, ignoring the cost in human life and misery, claimed that collectivization was a success; for after the great famines caused at the time… no more famines came to haunt the Russian people”

30. How Powerful Was Stalin? • Enemies are inevitable, so Stalin makes it too scary to oppose him • SOURCE 23 pg 134 about clapping • SOURCE 24 picture of little girl • SOURCE 25 pyramid of skulls • The Purges: It was at this point that Stalin's method began to show definite signs of madness • Sent to trial w/ charges obviously made up • Arrests were unpredictable and terrifying • removed in middle of night and not told what accused of • military officers, university professors, teachers, family members • Result: • By 1937 18 million transported to labor camps • 10 million had died • every family in USSR lost someone • destroyed any sense of independent thinking • lives depended on thinking exactly like Stalin did • long-term impact of living w/ terror and distrust haunted the USSR for a generation

31. Power of Stalin • Today, we look back on as a time of great terror and oppression • The Cult of Stalin • “Cult of Personality” = people encouraged to worship Stalin • Believed he was “Dictator of the people” • History rewritten to show him as hero • Propaganda = delete enemies from books and pictures • Religious worship banned, can’t be loyal to anyone but him • God and words of bible, replaced by Stalin and communist theory

32. Cambridge Coursework • EVERY SINGLE ANSWER NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED