Josef Stalin had a plan to end the New Economic Policy or the NEP. The NEP was not the socialism the October Revolution had promised. It was the safe bet in a time of transition and war, but it was based on capitalistic policies in industry and agriculture. Once Stalin took power, he vowed […]
Week 6 Posts
Final Blows to the Церковь (Orthodox Church)
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Pictured above is the destruction of Church Belles for the valuable metal that they were made of. In the standard Russian home prior to the revolution, no matter how big or small, there was one thing that was almost always present on the wall. An Icon corner was somewhere that you could go to pray, …read more
The Chinese Railway Incident of 1929
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The ‘Zations– Collectivization and Dekulakization
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The city of Magnitogorsk, “the celebrated socialist ‘planned’ city” was founded on a model that’s main goal was to out-do the extremely successful steel mills of Gary, Indiana . The construction of a huge steel mill was an integral part of the First Five-Year Plan and the city soon became a symbol of revolutionary transformation. […]
Stalin’s Transition to Collectivization
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Stalin saw how ineffective the current farming method (strip farming) was and with the expansion of industrialization saw collectivization as the perfect opportunity to improve agricultural production. However, in order to accomplish this Stalin would have to take on the peasantry and kulaks who had been using the strip farming … Continue reading →
Shock Workers
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The picture above, entitled “V. I. Lenin at the All-Russian Subbotnik in the Kremlin, May Day 1920″, is an iconic depiction of the use of “shock workers” following the implementation of the First Five Year Plan in 1929. While this specific picture technically depicts an event that occurred 9 years before the First Five Year […]
Magnitogorsk: A Mine Field of “Opportunity”
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Stalin’s Five Year Plan, introduced in 1928, was essentially Russia playing a game of catch-up with the Western world. It was designed to strengthen Russia’s economy and to encourage the nation’s self-sufficiency. Rather than let nature take its’ own course, … Continue reading →
Religion Is the Opiate of the People
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In the 1920’s you had strong anti-religious propaganda across Russia. There were severe laws against religious organizations. The policy of the Soviets seemed to be slowly crush any religion in Russia and push a new cultural dynamic for Russia overall. The Soviets achieved this by the destruction of churches in the great industrialization project. The […]
1920s In Russia
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In the early 1920s Russia began a new phase in “Kremlin leadership fluctuated between antagonistic and conciliatory attitudes perceived foes (Geldern).” The Kremlin is in Moscow and is for instance it was considered to be the Soviet Union’s “White House” or government building. The government was moved here early of 1918. In 1918 there were […]
Collectivization: The Attempt to Rebuild a Shattered Economy
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After the Bolsheviks came to power in the Revolution, the party had to create a solution to the widespread famine and stagnating markets–especially in the farming regions. Agricultural production was Both peasants and the working class became disillusioned with the existing structure. Joseph Stalin, who was General Secretary at the time, asserted that the […]