How did Stalin rise to power?

Spasskaya tower
Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/moscow-spasskaya-tower-3895333/

Joseph Stalin is one of the most famous and important figures in the history of Soviet-era Russia, as he was the leader of Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953.

 

Stalin's rise to political dominance from 1917 to 1939 was a period was marked by a great deal of change and upheaval, as the country transitioned from a monarchy to a communist state.

 

There were many challenges that Stalin faced during this time, including civil war, industrialisation, and the Great Depression, but the country was able to overcome these obstacles and emerge as a powerful force on the international stage.

Early life

Joseph Stalin was born on the 18th December, 1878, in the country of Georgia, which, at the time, was a colony of the Russian Empire.

 

His father was a cobbler, and his mother made some money by washing people's clothes. Despite both of his parents working, the family was relatively poor.

 

While still a young child, Stalin contracted smallpox. He survived the illness, but it left pock-mark scars across his face for the rest of his life.

 

At the age of ten, Stalin was sent to a local church school for his education, which he completed in 1894.

 

His mother then wanted Stalin to become a priest, so sent him to Tiflis Theological Seminary in around 1895.

 

While there, young Stalin discovered the writings of Karl Marx, which inspired him to follow a political life, rather than a religious one.

 

Later Stalin propaganda states that he was expelled from the seminary in 1899 for overt communist beliefs.

 

In 1900 Stalin became involved in underground political activities, organising worker demonstrations and strikes in the Caucasus region.

 

Then, in 1903, he officially joined the one of the two main Russian communist parties: the Bolsheviks.

 

There, he met its main leader, Lenin, who became Stalin's primary influence for the next few years.

 

For the next 13 years, Stalin would be arrested seven times for participation in revolutionary activity against the Tsarist regime in Russia.

 

He was convinced that a communist revolution was not far away, and Stalin wanted to help when it occurred.


Russian Revolution

The communist overthrow of the Russian Tsar finally happened in 1917, and occurred in two separate stages.

 

The Tsar himself was overthrown in February of 1917, then the Bolshevik revolution occurred in October.

 

The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 was a key turning point in Soviet history. The Bolshevik Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the existing government and established a communist state in its place, which had ruled Russia with a socialist system of government.

Socialism believed that a country's industry should be owned by the people in order to support greater equality.

 

This was opposed to capitalist systems, which believed that individuals should be allowed to create their own wealth and spend it as they please.

 

Under the soviet system, rather than a king making decision for the country, councils of workers, called 'soviets', were intended to make these decisions.

 

However, the party leaders of the Bolsheviks usually took the decision-making power anyway.

The Russian Revolution had far-reaching consequences, both at home and abroad. Within Russia, it sparked a civil war that lasted from 1917-22.

 

The new regime also faced opposition from other countries, who were fearful of its spread of communism. 

 

In the early years of Soviet rule, the country underwent a process of collectivisation.

 

This involved the nationalisation of all businesses and farms, as well as the forced relocation of people into collective farms.

 

Collectivisation was intended to boost the country's industrial output and increase its self-sufficiency, but it had a number of negative consequences.

 

It led to widespread famine, as well as resistance from those who were opposed to the new regime.

Statuette of Lenin
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Lenin’s Death

In 1924, Lenin died of a stroke. This event was a major blow to the Soviet Union, as he was a highly respected leader.

 

However, the country was able to continue on under the leadership of his successor, Joseph Stalin.

 

Stalin was a very different leader from Lenin, and he pursued a more aggressive policy towards industrialisation and collectivisation.

 

This led to some major changes within the Soviet Union, including the forced relocation of millions of people and the imprisonment or execution of those who opposed him.

Industrialisation

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Soviet Union underwent rapid industrialisation. This process transformed the country from a largely agrarian society into a modern industrialised nation. 

 

At the start of the 20th century, Russia had failed to keep up with the industrial revolution that had transformed Britain, America, and much of Europe.

 

As a result, much of Russia still operated in a manner that was common during the Medieval era.

Stalin knew that for Russia to compete with the other great nations, it had to quickly change its industry to one that was focused on new factories which incorporate new technology.

 

To achieve this in a short time, Stalin developed two 'five-year plans' to rapidly advance the country's technological capabilities.

 

The first five-year plan, which was implemented in 1928 and lasted until 1932, was a major driving force behind the industrialisation process.

 

It set ambitious targets for the country, including the production of coal, iron and steel.

 

The plan was largely successful, and it helped to make the Soviet Union one of the leading industrialised nations in the world.

During this time, Stalin enforced a program known as 'dekulakisation'. Dekulakisation was the forced relocation of millions of people from the countryside to the cities.

 

This was done in order to boost the country's industrial output. However, it led to widespread famine and death, as many people were unable to cope with the harsh conditions in the cities.

 

In 1929, Stalin exiled Leon Trotsky, one of the most important leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution.

 

Trotsky had been a major critic of Stalin's policies, and he was seen as a threat to his power.

 

Trotsky was forced to flee the country, and he eventually ended up in Mexico. 

 

It was a period of great change, which led to social and economic upheaval. However, it was also a time of great achievement, as the Soviet Union became one of the world’s leading industrial powers.


Great Depression

The Great Depression was a global economic downturn that began in America in 1929. The Great Depression had a major impact on the Soviet Union.

 

The country was badly affected by the global economic downturn, with many people losing their jobs and struggling to make ends meet.

 

This situation was made worse by the fact that the Soviet government continued to collect taxes and implement strict controls on the economy.

 

Nevertheless, the Soviet Union was able to weather this storm and emerge relatively unscathed.

Stalin instituted a second five-year plan, which began in 1933 and lasted until 1938, was even more ambitious than the first.

 

It focused on the further development of heavy industry, and it also included a program of collectivisation.

 

This involved the forced relocation of millions of people to work in the new industrial centres.

 

The collectivisation process was controversial, and it led to mass starvation in some areas of the country.

 

Nevertheless, it helped to accelerate the industrialisation process and turn the Soviet Union into a major world power.

The Great Purge

In the late 1930s, Stalin launched a series of purges in the Soviet Union. A purge was a campaign of repression, in which people who were deemed to be a threat to the state were arrested, imprisoned, or executed.

 

The Great Purge was one of the most brutal episodes in Soviet history. It is estimated that millions of people were killed or imprisoned during this time. 

 

Many people were not simply killed in the purges but were often transported and imprisoned in camps known as 'gulags'.

 

The Gulag was a system of forced labour camps in the Soviet Union. The Gulag was established in the 1920s, and it grew rapidly during the 1930s.

 

It is estimated that there were millions of people imprisoned in the Gulag at its peak.

 

The conditions in these camps were extremely harsh, and many people died as a result of the brutal treatment they received.

Stalin considered anyone who opposed him to be a threat to his regime. This included not only political opponents, but also military leaders, government officials and even ordinary citizens. 

 

In 1940, Leon Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico by a Soviet agent. This marked the end of an important era in Soviet history.

 

Trotsky had been one of the most important leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution, and he played a key role in the early years of the Soviet Union. 

 

The purges were a way for Stalin to consolidate his power and keep the Soviet people in line.

 

It was a period of great terror, and it had a lasting impact on the Soviet Union. The purges helped to consolidate Stalin’s power, but they also left the country traumatised and divided.


Relationship with Nazi Germany

Soviet Russia was ideologically opposed to Nazi Germany because of their different political systems.

 

Communism believed that all people were equal, while Nazism believed in the superiority of the Aryan race.

 

However, these ideological differences did not prevent the two countries from forming a diplomatic relationship.

 

The two countries had a number of common interests, and they were able to work together in some areas.

 

For example, both nations had an interest in the dissolution of Poland, since Poland was a valuable resource.

 

The Soviet Union and Nazi Germany had signed a non-aggression pact in August 1939, which was also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

 

This pact allowed the two countries to avoid war with each other. In September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland and very soon after, Stalin also invaded Poland. 

Summary

The history of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1939 is one of great change and achievement.

 

The country underwent a transformation from a monarchy to a communist state, and then experienced rapid industrialisation.

 

It faced many challenges during this time, including civil war, the Great Depression and opposition from other countries.

 

However, the Soviet Union was able to overcome these obstacles and emerge as a powerful force on the international stage.