Stalin Group 6Molly Cros, Manuela Mur,

Natalie Viera

Stalin’s primary aims for himself in 1929• Stalin wanted to establish himself as the only leader, and appear strong to the people of the USSR. To do this he removed all his enemies and promoted himself as a wonderful and caring ruler.

• One of his strategies was to cleanse the communist party of all its “traitors” by introducing the purges. This strategy instilled fear to those who may have been a threat to him and show the people that he was in charge.

Stalin’s primary aims for himself in 1929● Propaganda was a definate must for him. He would use propaganda

posters to encourage workers to work harder and longer hours. Stalin was shown in one way or another in every picture that was published. He often used children to to make him look like a caring father figure.

● He just wanted to and did brainwash the Russian citizens into believing that he was an inspiration, a father figure, and most of all a great leader.

Stalin’s primary aims for the USSR in 1929● In 1928 Stalin introduced the First Five Year Plan. The First Five Year Plan

focused on developing Russia’s coal and iron industries along with the power plants. He wanted Russia to catch up to the advanced economies of the United States and Western Europe.

Stalin’s primary aims for the USSR in 1929● Aleksei Stakhanov was used in propaganda because mined 102 tons of

coal (14 times his quota) so Stalin used him as an example.

Criteria for a “successful” rule of the USSR between 1929-1931

Communism

● A central elite group of people (government) which dictates the entire economy with a goal to make the outcome equal to all. Everyone else is required to do as instructed.

● Elites create farms and factories and assign people to work there.● Everyone receives what they need to survive and anything more than that is

considered irrelevant, unuseful, and wouldn’t be supplied. (If someone were to seek more they would be punished

● All money, resources, labor, industries, education, food, transportation would be owned by the “elite”

Criteria for a “successful” rule of the USSR between 1929-1931

Marxist

● An individual's position within a class hierarchy is determined by their role in the production process.

● Abolishing private property in land and application of all rents of land to public purpose

● Everyone obligated to work● Free education for all children in government schools

How Stalin ruled the USSR● Transformed the Soviet Union from a peasant society into an industrial

superpower● His development plan was focused on governmental control of economy.

This included using collectivization on Soviet agriculture (taking control of farms)

● Stalin ruled by terror and had a totalitarian rule by eliminating any possible competition.

● Encouraged spying about civilians, including children to their own parents. And large use of secret police

● Built a cult of personality around himself. Cities’ names were changed, history books rewritten, and literature or art was centered around him

Was Stalin a “successful” ruler of the USSR by 1941? Following Criteria

● Did have a central group of people who over saw everything and dictated the entire economy

● The creation of factories and farms and assigning people to work there

● Stalin and the government did have most control of everything, resources, labor, food, etc.

● Abolished private property● Everyone was obligated to work

For Against● Received more than JUST the

absolute necessary. Not by much however

● Your position in society was not determined by role in production process. Everyone was treated as equal, earning the same amount of food as anyone else among other things. The only people above the rest was the central group of people and anyone Stalin liked and wished to appoint as something higher ranked.

Was Stalin a “successful” ruler of the USSR by 1941?

● Helped USSR get to that industrial level that it was not at before

● Everyone was equal (besides the government)

● If not for Stalin the USSR might not have been as prepared as it was for World War II

● Used scare tactics and terror to achieve this and his role so civilians were very scared of him

● Killed around 34-56 million people

● Many people starved due to Stalin caring more about exports than his own people

For Against

To What Extent Can It Be Successfully argued that Russia Benefited From Stalin’s Rule?

By the time of his death, Stalin’s reputation in the Soviet Union couldn’t have been higher. He was officially praised as the great leader who had:

● Made himself an outstanding world statesman ● Fulfilled the socialist revolution begun by Lenin● Purged the USSR of its internal traitors and enemies ● Turned the USSR into a great modern economy through collectivization

and industrialization● Led the nation to victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War● Elevated the USSR to the status of superpower with its own nuclear

weapons ● Extended soviet borders deep into central and eastern Europe

To What Extent Can It Be Successfully argued that Russia Benefited From Stalin’s Rule?

All these accomplishments, however, were achievements that Stalin claimed for himself through his propaganda machine. A closer look would include the negative side of Stalin’s power. A more neutral look would expose the truth behind Stalin’s rule.

To What Extent Can It Be Successfully argued that Russia Benefited From Stalin’s Rule?

Failures in Russia

● Terror as a state policy ● Authoritarian one-party rule by the CPSU ● A single “correct” ideology of Communist economic planning● Stalin’s policy of collectivization was so disruptive that it permanently

crippled Soviet agriculture and left the USSR incapable of feeding itself● His policy of enforced industrialization achieved a remarkable short-term

success but prevented the USSR from ever developing a truly modern economy

● The abuse and deprivations suffered by the ethnic peoples of the Soviet empire left them with a burning hatred that would bring down the USSR

To What Extent Can It Be Successfully argued that Russia Benefited From Stalin’s Rule?

Failures Abroad

● A deep hostility toward non-Communist world ● The Cold War● International economic rivalry ● Conflict with China for the leadership of world communism

To What Extent Can It Be Successfully argued that Russia Benefited From Stalin’s Rule?

So to what extent? If you are reading of the Soviet Union propaganda news and history it could be greatly argued how much Russia benefited from Stalin’s Rule. They truly did benefit from Stalin with his Five Year Plan(s) and the modernization and industrialization of the country. However, the way he negatively affected Russia outweighed the good. From purges of his supporters to economic failures, Russia did not benefit much from Stalin’s rule.