Stalin Rise to Power

•Made General Secretary of the Bolshevik party in 1922.

•Position as General Secretary allowed Stalin to give

supporters posts at all levels of the party.

•Head of Control Commission- Had power to control

party membership (power to purge or expel members
who were considered unreliable)

•Led the mourning of Lenin’s funeral and renamed

Petrograd to Leningrad
Clashing Ideologies between Stalin and Trotsky
‘Socialism in one Country’ ‘Permanent Revolution’

•Believed that for Communism to •Believed that for Communism

survive, Russia had to become to survive, Russia had to
economically strong. spread revolution elsewhere.

•To industrialize Russia as •To spend Russia’s resources

quickly as possible. to overseas ventures.

•Would ensure that Russia enjoy •To continue the momentum of

a period of stability, prosperity revolution until it is world-wide
and growth. then create a Socialist state.

•Popular idea among communist •Not popular among party

members who were weary of war members and difficult to
and upheavals. understand.
 5 Year Plans
Fear of attack from capitalist countries
•industrial production still low
•Russia still behind Britain & France in development

Russia not Communist as taught by Karl Marx

•peasants owned lands, eg rich kulaks
•NEP based on profit making

Planned economy
•State to control all
resources
•State to decide on
production
 Industrialisation

develop heavy industries eg iron & steel

produce energy - coal, oil & electricity production
built communication lines - railways, canals

•Set up new industrial cities

•built canals to link to ports
•increased railway lines
•develop mines
•dams & power stations
•massive building projects
Massive building projects, like this dam was part of the 5 year plan
Dnieper Dam 1932 - pride of the 5year Plan
 How did Stalin increase production?

Targets were set

all production had to meet targets
propaganda messages

Reward Punishment

Better housing loss of housing

more pay labour camp
model workers - Stakhnovites

How to support cost of industrialisation?

Where to get labour for industrialisation?
 Collectivisation

•State to take over all farms

•Pool small farms together
•mechanize farming
•decide what crops
•all produce will be taken by State

•Sell farm produce abroad

get capital for industrialisation

•with machines - less farm workers,

more industrial workers
 Effects of Collectivisation
Kulaks refusal to hand over farms
mass deportation of Kulaks
destruction of Kulaks

Initially food production fell Crops sold abroad

famine in 1932-33 people get less
improved in late 1930s

Farms mechanized
No freedom of action
less farm workers

Farm workers given health care

education opportunities
 5 Year Plans : Success or Failure

Long Term effects

Short Term effects
•Russia modernised
•few consumer
•industrialised country
goods •more powerful
•workers harshly
•communications improved
treated •jobs for everyone
•standard of living
worsened
Economy transformed
•Kulaks destroyed State controlled all
•famine 1932-33 resources & people
Impact of 5 year plan - BENEFIT OR HARM?

 By 1940, produced more iron & steel

than Britain
 3 new industrial centres built east of
Ural Mts
 increased energy production - dams &
electrical plants
 massive communications lines - roads,
canals, railways
farming was mechanised - more
efficient
Impact of 5 year plan - BENEFIT OR HARM?
 Unbalanced economy - emphasis on
heavy industries, shortage of consumer
goods
 shortage of housing
 high demands on workers - severe
control & punishment
 famine in 1932-33
 agricultural production still low
 elimination of kulaks
 greater control - peasants not given
 How Stalin controlled Russia

USE OF TERROR
•purges
•secret police PROPAGANDA
•Court & police •cult of Stalin
•media reports
under Stalin’s
•posters, banners
control
•press control •education
•elimination of •arts, theatre, films
religion