Life in communist Russia

• • Communism is a system where the state controls all aspects of the economy and society, with limited individual rights and discouragement of religion. Russia was the first communist state.
• The Russian Civil War

  • In 1917, civil war broke out between the Bolshevik Red Army, led by Leon Trotsky, and the anti-communist White Army.
  • In July 1918, Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.
  • By 1922, the White Army was fully defeated, and Russia was renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), known as the Soviet Union.
• Stalin’s Rise to Power

  • In 1922, Lenin suffered strokes and wrote his Testament, critical of Josef Stalin, who was the General Secretary of the Party.
  • Lenin died on 21st January 1924, leading to a power struggle among senior Party members, including Lev Kamenev, Grigory Zinoviev, Nikolai Bukharin, Leon Trotsky, and Stalin.
  • By 1928, Stalin had become the absolute ruler, creating a dictatorship.
• Daily Life in Stalin’s Russia

  • In 1927, Stalin introduced collectivization, merging small farms into large, state-owned farms. Resistance led to the deportation or execution of 2.5 million kulaks (wealthy farmers).
  • By 1936, 90% of farmland was collectivized.
• Daily life in stalins Russia

  • Stalin launched three Five-Year Plans to boost industrialization:
  • The First Five-Year Plan (1928-1932) focused on heavy industry, with unrealistic targets but notable improvements.
  • The Second Five-Year Plan (1933-1937) targeted industry, transport, and consumer goods, resulting in projects like the Moscow Underground.
  • The Third Five-Year Plan (1938-1941) shifted focus to arms production due to World War II.
• Daily life in stalins Russia

  • Shortages of everyday goods and food rationing were common, leading to severe famines.
  • Workers received benefits like apartments, free schooling, and healthcare. Productive workers were rewarded and used in propaganda.
• Terror

  • Stalin was a dictator who used terror and propaganda to maintain power.
  • In 1934, the secret police, Cheka, were reorganized as the NKVD, arresting and executing 'enemies of the state'.
  • The gulags (forced labor camps) held millions, with high death rates due to harsh conditions.
  • Stalin initiated purges, including show trials where tortured confessions were used to eliminate rivals.
• Propaganda

  • The Communist Party's newspaper, Pravda, and posters/art promoted the greatness of the Soviet Union and communism.
  • Stalin was depicted as a godlike figure, with cities and streets named after him and enemies airbrushed from photos and records.
• Education

  • Compulsory schooling and exams improved literacy rates.
  • Propaganda influenced education, rewriting textbooks to glorify Stalin.
  • Youth groups like the Young Communists and Komsomol were established.
• Women’s Lives

  • Under Lenin, women gained the vote, education, and access to contraception and divorce. State-provided services included dining halls and childcare.
  • Under Stalin, contraception and abortion were banned by 1936, and divorce was discouraged to increase birth rates. Women were rewarded for having six or more children.
  • By 1937, women made up 50% of the workforce.
• A Leader in Communist Russia: Josef Stalin (1878-1953)

  • Born near Tiflis, Georgia, Stalin was expelled from priest training for radical Marxist ideas.
  • After joining the Bolsheviks, he was sent to Siberia in 1904 and played a minor role in the October Revolution.
  • As General Secretary, he seized power after Lenin’s death, expelling and exiling Trotsky.
  • Stalin's policies included collectivization and purges to eliminate opposition.
  • In 1939, Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, but in 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Stalin joined the Allies to defeat Germany.
• Joseph Stalin

  • After the war, Stalin imposed communist governments on Eastern Europe and initiated the Berlin Blockade in 1948, marking the start of the Cold War.
  • Stalin's health deteriorated, and by his death in 1953, the Soviet Union was a nuclear power.