The Department of Political Science Presents

1. The Department of Political Science Presents The Territory of Somewhat Requited Dreams:  Creating an ethnically-sensitive state in Nunavut Dr. Annis May Timpson Director of Canadian Studies University of Edinburgh Science Building Lecture Theatre February 12, 2008 @ 7:30pm

2. Interwar politics Socialism in one Country Liberal democracies in the 1920s

3. USSR • Problem: what do you do next when you have made an unlikely revolution? • Lenin’s solution: the New Economic Policy (NEP) • Stalin & Stalinism

4. Marx’s theory of revolution • Revolution as the product of class struggle • State is the instrument of the ruling class • Revolution to occur at the highest phases of capitalism • eventual conditions for communism

5. Lenin’s modification • Revolution in a backward country can serve as a catalyst for revolution elsewhere • Instead, can be brought about by a small conspiratorial organization – a vanguard party • Bolsheviks seize power in October 1917

6. Problems confronting the new regime • Establishing control • What to do about the war? • How to proceed with the revolution?

7. Solutions • Sue for peace • Fight civil war • Suspend Constituent Assembly, elected in 1918 • Implement ‘war communism’ – seize food, material needed for war effort • Consolidate power in 1920

8. The revolutionary project • What to do when revolution elsewhere fails to materialize as expected? • Options: • Continue to promote world revolution? • Try to build socialism in one country?

9. Lenin’s interim solution: • New Economic Policy (NEP) -- a temporary reversion to capitalism (one step backward, two steps forward) in order to get the economy going again (1921-28) • Ultimate direction: determined by Lenin’s impairment (1922) and death, 1924, and Stalin’s succession to power

10. Stalin’s succession • Stalin • A lesser figure in Bolshevik hierarchy • However, as general secretary of the Communist Party, well placed • Uses control of the administrative apparatus to advance supporters • 1925: Moves against left (Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev) in defense of NEP • 1927-28: Moves against Bukharin & moderates, promoting ‘Socialism in one country’

11. Stalin’s policies • Use of party and state apparatus, including terror, • to industrialize USSR • Plan the economy – via five year plans • lay the conditions for socialism and communism • Justification • Bourgeoisie in Russia had failed to industrialize the country and establish the conditions for socialism • Therefore the party and state will do it instead

12. Leninism v. Stalinism • Democratic centralism (Lenin) presumes that party has a voice • Discussion permitted until a decision made • Then everyone adheres • Under Stalin, party persists, but increasingly attacked • Purges in 1930s used to consolidate power • Centralism rather than democratic centralism

13. Consequences • Agriculture collectivized, opponents liquidated • Russia industrialized • Decline in individual consumption • USSR substantially isolated from other countries • But until at least the mid-’30s, a beacon for others • From then “The god that failed” – for some

14. Britain & France in the 1920s • Continual problems: • Containing social forces • Coping with “Red Menace” • Stabilizing their economies • Managing economic downturn

15. Prevailing economic wisdom: • Stabilize currencies by returning to Gold Standard • In face of economic downturn, • reduce wages & expenditures, allow market to re-adjust • Restrict imports in order to prevent outflow of gold • Little sense of how to manage a national economy to avert recession or depression • Difficult in any case to construct a majority in favour of alternate policies • Socialist parties are either isolated, lack stable majorities to bring about change, or themselves lack solutions which might work

16. Britain in the 1920s • Problems of boom (1918-20) followed by economic slump • Efforts to deal with social problems watered down -- • Reflect economic problems and lack of a sustained majority for change. • Return to Gold Standard in 1925 compounds economic problems: • Export markets already limited • Insufficient revenue to pay for imports • Manufacturers lower wages • Results in 1926 General Strike – defeated

17. The Labour Party: • Founded in 1900 • After 1918, a socialist party, committed to public ownership of the means of production • Also a more serious political force, aided by splits among Liberals • But unable to come to power for sustained periods: • Ramsey MacDonald leads minority governments both in 1923-4 and 1929-31, but dependent on Liberal support • Unclear that Labour at this time had solutions other than public ownership

18. France in the 1920s • Multiparty politics (as before) • Continued weak cabinets: • Alternation between • Bloc National (center-right), determined to make Germany pay • Cartel des Gauche – left coalition – too divided to act • Ongoing financial crisis because of war debt, reparations • Stabilization under Poincaré in late 1920s – helped by economic recovery

19. Bottom line: • A good deal of economic dislocation, especially in the earlier part of the decade • Some advances in social policy – e.g. public housing, transport, health insurance – but a mixed bag, with reforms often watered down • Few governments or political leaders prepared to cope with the Great Depression… • those tools which were available are not widely understood • Nor in most instances was there a sufficient political basis