Socialism

1. Socialism The Nemesis of the West

2. What do we know about Socialists/Communists? • Students brainstorm… share ideas

3. Socialism as we know it has strayed from the original ideals • Stalin • Russia • China • Red Scare • Violence • Total control of government • Fascism • Limited freedom of speech • Poverty • Cold War • Air Raids • Nuclear Weapons-arms race • Poor economy-inefficient • Government owns everything by taking your wealth and individuality Russia’s Stalin China’s Mao Zedong

4. What was Socialism supposed to be? • Common ownership makes full freedom and democracy possible • Equal class system • Workers no longer exploited by upper class • All basic needs met (food, shelter, health etc.) • Capitalism would be ended “Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains”

5. Life for the ProletariatEurope 1800s • Lower/working class • Treated like property, very similar to slaves • Produced goods and services for the Bourgeoisie, the upper class • Exploited by Bourgeoisie

6. Origins of Socialism • 19th century Europe: filled with class struggles • Capitalism and semi-feudalism exploited workers for the gain of the wealthy and powerful. • Karl Marx 1818-1883 and Friedrich Engels 1820-1895 write Communist Manifesto

7. Marx’s Life • Germany: 1818-1883 • Schooling experiences left him in debt with knowledge of and interest in law and politics • Studied class struggles and the idea of Communism • Wrote Communist Manifesto with Engels 1848 • Not a great influence to the people of his time, but his ideas strongly affected the 20th century

8. Karl MarxMarxism • Marxism comes from Communist Manifesto • Against capitalism • People should make money by production and not leeching (metaphor) money out of the laborers/Proletariat. • Wrong for Bourgeois (upper class) to make money without really working

9. The Communist Manifesto (1848)

10. Describes history of class struggle: "freeman and slave, patrician and plebian, lord and serf...in a word, oppressor and oppressed." • Encourages eliminating system of oppression: everybody has the same amount of money • Rebels against the “extreme poverty in the lower class.” • Defines social and economic values of a communist government.

11. Lord Vassals Merchants Serf Upper, middle, and lower class exist in all societies • EXAMPLE: Medieval times a) serfs, b) vassals, c) merchants and d) the lord • EXAMPLE: U.S.: a) the rich, b) the middle class, and c) the poor • Communism/Marxism eliminates classes based on money and power People

12. “A Spectre is Haunting Europe In the Manifesto, it says “A spectre is haunting Europe—the spectre of Communism. All the Powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Pope and Czar, Metternich and Guizot, French Radicals and German police-spies.” Europe feared communism; it was opposed by the rich and powerful.

13. Marxism’s Influence on Russia Bolshevik Revolution • Marxist/Bolshevik Revolution in October 24th 1917 • Ended Tsarist rule, began a communist rule with Bolsheviks in power What caused this Revolution to take place? Semi-Feudalism… class struggle in Russia

14. Feudalism vs. Semi-Feudalism • Feudalism has Kings, Tenants and Knights • Semi-feudalism has landowners instead of Tenants and knights, and a Tsar instead of a King

15. Classes in Russia • Tsars • Petit Bourgeoisie • Peasants/Proletariat

16. Semi-feudal systemBefore 1917 • Majority of Russia’s population = peasants • Peasants worked for landowners on their land • Hard labor with little to no wages • Landowners reaped all of the benefits • Few rights for Russian peasants This struggle was the main reason for the Bolshevik Revolution

17. Peasant working on his farm

18. Peasants working Russian Soldiers

19. Petit Bourgeoisie • Lower middle class in 18th & early 19th centuries: includes professional middle class and better off farmers • Political leaders (mainly from middle class and some aristocratic backgrounds) emerged from underground • Organized a common government • Supported Soviets

20. 1918 middle class craftsman

21. Middle Class Family

22. Tsar Nicholas1868-1918 • Russia's last Tsar: Ruled from 1896-1917 • Autocrat: supported by privileged nobles who possessed land and serfs/peasants • Most people were serfs/peasants able to be punished by nobles in any way • Led 11 million peasants into World War I • Failed to help peasants who revolted for the first time in 1905 • Stepped down after 1st Bolshevik Revolution in February 1917 • Nicholas and family (wife and five children) were executed on the night of July 17, 1918 by Bolsheviks following the October Revolution

23. The Tsar Family

24. Tsar Nicholas and his son, Alexei

25. 1917 Marxist Rebellion • Workers of a large factory broke out in large groups to challenge a system committed to profit and war. • Brought working class to the top united around the slogan “Bread, Peace, and Land.

26. Bolshevik Revolution • February 1917 • forced Tsar Nicholas to step down • provisional government put in place • October 1917: • Bolsheviks seize power from provisional government • Tsar Nicholas and family assassinated • Semi-feudal system replaced with Communist government committed to modernizing Russia The workers' soviet in the Putilov steel factory, at the heart of the October revolution

27. October Revolution

28. After the Bolshevik Revolution • Land-holdings of landlords seized and reorganized into common ownership • Proves the poor have the power to run a society for themselves. • Caused Russia to back out of World War I • Vladimir Lenin = first Russian communist ruler… loved by the people.

29. Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)Father of Russian Communism Before 1917 Revolution • Involved in politics in college; began to believe in Marxism • Family members punished by Tsarist govt. b/c of Lenin’s belief in Marxism • Arrested & exiled to Siberia in 1895; expelled from University b/c of arrest and radical ideas. • Joined Bolsheviks and became leader of party before Rev. • Believed in “Socialist Utopia” … Power to the people, equality, & fairness

30. Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) • As ruler, implemented New Economic Policy 1921 • Russia in shambles b/c of WWI • Brought some private enterprise back into Russia • Trade, manufacturing, and agriculture began to boom • Peasants working the land innovated with new technologies and procedures • Survived assassination attempt in 1918 • Became ½ paralyzed after having several strokes; clash begins between Trotsky and Stalin for succession • Lenin died January 21st 1924

31. Power Struggle Between Trotsky & Stalin • After Lenin died, 1924, question of who would succeed came up • Trotsky, Lenin’s second in command, or Stalin, the self proclaimed “political heir” • 1927 it was decided…

32. Top of his class in ALL of his classes Joined the Bolshevik party, 1917 Leader in Russia’s October Revolution, 1917 Foreign Commissar who negotiated peace with the Germans,1917 Built up the red army as its leader 1920 2nd in command to Lenin His followers, Trotskyists, fought for class equality, wanted to spread Revolution to other countries Eloquent and persuasive speaker Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)

33. Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)

34. Joseph Stalin • Born December 18th 1879 • Studied at a theological seminary but didn’t graduate, he then went against the Russian autocracy • Spent 15 years as an activist; exiled to Siberia • Supported and took part in Bolshevik Revolution • Supported Lenin’s New Economic Policy in 1921. Private enterprise elements started an uproar by the peasants, farmers, and other workers of Russia.

35. 1922, Stalin became General Secretary of the Communist Party Became the voice of Russia when Lenin became ill. After Lenin’s death, regarded himself as political heir of Soviet Union Believed USSR should focus on “Socialism in One Country” Supported key allies in order to gain their support against Trotsky Had his supporters vote against Trotsky and “Boo” during his speeches Stalin (continued)

36. Power Struggle Between Trotsky & Stalin • Joseph Stalin won the struggle and exiled Leon Trotsky forever. • Stalin had an NKVD agent, assassinate Trotsky on August 20th 1940, with an ice pick. • If Trotsky had won, the Soviet Union would have been very different

37. Ruled in USSR from 1929-1953 • Said to be one of the most powerful dictators ever.

38. Modernization Projects • After Russian Civil War, the Russian economy was in shambles. • No industrial equipment • Fewer than twenty out of one-hundred people lived in the city • Stalin made a list of targets for industrialization

39. Five Year Plan Five Year Plan • increase coal and iron production, increase electrical power. • 13 million men and women added to the cities • Stalin’s priorities were industry • The plans did increase industrial output rapidly. • Consolidated small farms into huge collectives: increased production and made more money.

40. Soviet Intelligentsia • One of three formal classes of revolutionary Soviet society: • Workers • Peasants • Intelligentsia • Intelligentsia- Social class with higher education than most trying to develop and spread a particular culture • Ruling political party in the Soviet Union. • Gained power by controlling other people and claiming superiority. • Wanted to modernize 20th century USSR

41. Religion • Communist Manifesto said: • Workers’ loyalty to a Supreme Being, kept them from uniting against capitalism • Religion = “Opiate of the masses” • Stalin used propaganda techniques to make workers think of him as their supreme being • Closed churches & mosques; turned them into schools and movie theaters. • Melted religious icons and banned meetings through the country. • Drove religion underground to avoid KGB/NKVD • 30,000-150,000 people killed under Stalin’s reign for their beliefs • Made priests walk on thin ice

42. Propaganda • Propaganda: ideas and rumors used to make someone believe an idea; • Stalin used propaganda to make people believe that his government was better • Used posters, statues, newspaper, speeches, radio broadcasts etc. to spread the view he wanted people to have; used censorship to eliminate views he opposed • History books and photographs changed to make him the hero of the Revolution and obliterate the names of purged people (Trotsky).  

43. Propaganda “Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.” Josef Stalin “Print is the sharpest and the strongest weapon of our party.” Josef Stalin

44. Propaganda Posters • Description: • Show Stalin as a great leader • Tells how Stalin helps his people • Talks highly of himself • Makes things sound better in their favor • Pictures indicate that he will help people, and take care of them

45. Propaganda Posters This poster reads: "Beloved Stalin—a fortune of the nation!" Stalin, implies that he is nice to children, and will take care of everyone.

46. Stalin’s Speeches • Before Speeches • Continuous cries from the audience: "Long live great Stalin, Hurrah!" "Hurrah for Comrade Stalin, the creator of the Soviet Constitution, the most democratic in the world!" "Long live Comrade Stalin, leader of the oppressed throughout the world, Hurrah!" • In his speeches, he discusses: • Duties of citizens; EX: fighting a “just” war against Germany • Communist Party & how it helps the people

47. Applause for Stalin At the end of the conference, a tribute to Comrade Stalin was called for. Of course, everyone leapt to his feet. However, who would dare to be the first to stop – after all, NKVD men were in the hall waiting to see who quit first. And in that obscure hall, unknown to the Leader, the applause went on – 6, 7, 8 minutes! They couldn’t stop now till they collapsed of heart attacks! Aware of the falsity of the situation, after 11 minutes, the director of the paper factory sat down in his seat. And, oh, a miracle took place! Everyone else stopped dead and sat down. That, however, was how they found who the independent people were.   And that was how they set about eliminating them. They easily pasted 10 years in a labour camp on him. Solzhenitsyn, writing about a Communist Party meeting in 1938.  

48. Stalin’s Radio Broadcast Stalin talks about: • Military attacks • War • Armies • History • The U.S.S.R. (Union of Soviet Socialists Republics) Purpose: Make people fear invasion/attack, so they believe they need the strict way of life imposed on them

49. The Great Terror---1930s Purges— 600,000 - 2 million killed Gulag Work Camps More than 14 million sent there

50. K.G.B./NKVD • Russian “Committee for State Security”– Secret Police • Helped Stalin to consolidate his power b/c KGB/NKVD killed those who opposed him (Purges), putting fear into Soviet citizens • Supported by the military and other institutions-- Ex: had masses of tanks and armored vehicles. • Used force; often infringed upon human rights • Killed over 1 million citizens