http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/b2bukhar.html
This is a real document off of the Library of Congres website depicting Bukaharin's trial because he was denounced by a person saying he did 'counterrevoluntianry things' so therefore he must be shot. In this document it shows and gives value to what we have learned in class because Bukaharin discusses in the beginning about collectivization and industrialization, all concepts we have touched upon in class to better understadn the Soviet society during that time period. This adds value to what we have learned in the class becuase it showd the falsehoods of the staged trials. Bukahrin was a threat to Stalin and thereofre Stalin had him eliminated. The lack of evidence and false accusations give value to the notes and discussion in class we had on 11/12/09 because we viewed documents and pictures discussing the fake trails and the confessions that the supposed guilty must make. In this document it doesn't show any orgin of where the document was found, that being a limiation. Also the translation from the actual Soviet document could have been altered and pages are missing but th document still stands to be a valuable first hand account showing flase trials because of the purges.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Use these two sources to analyse the effects of Stalin’s purges on Soviet society.
SOURCE A Extract from Natasha’s Dance by Orlando Figes, London 2002.
Prokofiev [the composer] became a lonely figure in Paris. “I am a Russian, the least suited of men to be
an exile. I’ve got to talk to my own people, so that they can give me something I lack here – their songs –
my songs.”
From 1932 Prokofiev began to spend half the year in Moscow, and later he and his family moved there
permanently. He was given a luxurious apartment and allowed the freedom to travel to the West (at a
time when Soviet citizens were sent to the gulag for speaking to a foreigner). He was awarded prizes and
flattered in his native land.
But Prokofiev’s working life became difficult. Attacked as a formalist [one who was regarded as preferring
their art as an art form, rather than it being understood by the millions] like Shostakovich, he retreated
by writing music for the young: Peter and the Wolf with its wolf hunt, was a product of the terror years,
but most of the music he had written in Paris and New York was banned.
SOURCE B Extract from Hope against Hope, by N Mandelstam, London, 1971. The author
and her poet husband were exiled in 1934, allowed to return to Moscow in 1937,
but he was sent to a labour camp in 1938, and died there.
As regards the Stalinist terror, we could never imagine that it might end. … It was essential to smile –
if you didn’t it meant you were afraid or discontented. This nobody could afford to admit. Everybody had
to walk around wearing a cheerful expression, as though to say: “what’s going on is no concern of mine,
I have important work to do. I am trying to do my best for the state. My conscience is clear – if what’s his
name is arrested, there must be good reason.”
The mask [pretence] was only taken off at home, and then not always. Even from your children you had to
hide how horror-struck you were; otherwise they might let something slip at school.
Both theses sources show how much the purges effected the Societ soceit, making them into people they didn;t want to be or else there would be terrible concienses. The average man an dwomen is depicted in source b stated you even had to hide from your children and lie to them because they would turn on you. It states "The mask [pretense] was only taken off at home, and then not always. Even from your children you had to hide how horror-struck you were; otherwise they might let something slip at school." The fear that Stalin's purges might effect your life was clearly seen that even musicians went into a mode of making music that Stalin would agree upon such as, Prokoviev in source A, whose music was banned in the Soviet society, which he wrote in New York and Paris because it had western spin on it. Having to make and be something else because of one mans terror he places on you through purges made the Soviet society become "very difficult" as source a puts it. Due to the purges people had to smile and put on the falsehood that everything Stalin was doing was just fine with tem but in reality it was not, but the purges made them be silenced to any opinion and voice because the NKVD would show up at your house and terroize your family if you went against the "norm." Discontenment was high, says source B but a visualization of that was not allowed becuase then the Soviet police or people; because it became every man for himself was turned for being discontent with Stalin's power, something that couldn't be know.
Prokofiev [the composer] became a lonely figure in Paris. “I am a Russian, the least suited of men to be
an exile. I’ve got to talk to my own people, so that they can give me something I lack here – their songs –
my songs.”
From 1932 Prokofiev began to spend half the year in Moscow, and later he and his family moved there
permanently. He was given a luxurious apartment and allowed the freedom to travel to the West (at a
time when Soviet citizens were sent to the gulag for speaking to a foreigner). He was awarded prizes and
flattered in his native land.
But Prokofiev’s working life became difficult. Attacked as a formalist [one who was regarded as preferring
their art as an art form, rather than it being understood by the millions] like Shostakovich, he retreated
by writing music for the young: Peter and the Wolf with its wolf hunt, was a product of the terror years,
but most of the music he had written in Paris and New York was banned.
SOURCE B Extract from Hope against Hope, by N Mandelstam, London, 1971. The author
and her poet husband were exiled in 1934, allowed to return to Moscow in 1937,
but he was sent to a labour camp in 1938, and died there.
As regards the Stalinist terror, we could never imagine that it might end. … It was essential to smile –
if you didn’t it meant you were afraid or discontented. This nobody could afford to admit. Everybody had
to walk around wearing a cheerful expression, as though to say: “what’s going on is no concern of mine,
I have important work to do. I am trying to do my best for the state. My conscience is clear – if what’s his
name is arrested, there must be good reason.”
The mask [pretence] was only taken off at home, and then not always. Even from your children you had to
hide how horror-struck you were; otherwise they might let something slip at school.
Both theses sources show how much the purges effected the Societ soceit, making them into people they didn;t want to be or else there would be terrible concienses. The average man an dwomen is depicted in source b stated you even had to hide from your children and lie to them because they would turn on you. It states "The mask [pretense] was only taken off at home, and then not always. Even from your children you had to hide how horror-struck you were; otherwise they might let something slip at school." The fear that Stalin's purges might effect your life was clearly seen that even musicians went into a mode of making music that Stalin would agree upon such as, Prokoviev in source A, whose music was banned in the Soviet society, which he wrote in New York and Paris because it had western spin on it. Having to make and be something else because of one mans terror he places on you through purges made the Soviet society become "very difficult" as source a puts it. Due to the purges people had to smile and put on the falsehood that everything Stalin was doing was just fine with tem but in reality it was not, but the purges made them be silenced to any opinion and voice because the NKVD would show up at your house and terroize your family if you went against the "norm." Discontenment was high, says source B but a visualization of that was not allowed becuase then the Soviet police or people; because it became every man for himself was turned for being discontent with Stalin's power, something that couldn't be know.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
SCQ 9 1-2
IBHL1 SGQ9
QWs:
Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.
Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
In what ways did one ruler of a single-party state try to use education to support his regime?
MWH 361-378
1. How did Stalin get to supreme power?
a. Why might Trotsky have become leader? Why did he not?
He might have become leader because he was an ispired orator, an intellectual and a man of action, and the organizer of the Red Armies. He tended to be arrogant and was bitterly crtical of his rivals. because he was so mean to his rivls they all went against him so they wouldnt be accused anymore. He also kept quite at the wrong times;
b. Who were the other Politburo members? Why did none of them take power?
They are the "parlimentary system" and they never took complete power because they quarlled so much about topics, thereofre making them unproportional representation and unable to compromise.
c. How did Stalin use his position?
Very well he elimintaded people in the Politburo who disagreed with him and put in supporters and he wused it to his advantage.
d. What was the major Politburo disagreement? What were the three options?
Disagreement over policy arose in the this area because Marx never described in detail how the new communist society should be organized. The three major issuies where permant revolution ideas, to continue or not continue the NEP, and who would be the next leader(they didn't want a dictator)
2. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's economic problems?
a. What were Russia's economic problems?
production from heavy industry was still very low
more food needed to be produced
b. What were the Five Year Plans?
i. How were they carried out?
cash was provided by Russians themselves
foreign technicians were brought in
emphasis in expanding edu. in colleges and factories
factories-the old capitalistic methods of piecework and pay differnentials between skilled and unskilled workers were used to encourgae production
ii. How successful were they? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
many of the products were in poor quiality( the high targets forced workers to speed up and this caused
c. What does collectivization mean? smaller farms join together to grow and help the USSRand all the peasants would own the land and contribute to the farms
i. How was it carried out?
Stalin used terror and propagenda, but mostly sheer brutal force. Many times the government would encourage the peasants to join a collectivized farm and then refusal would esue but then the government would force them and then state that that it was the peasants decision. Many times peasants if they refused then they shot on the spot or sent to a labour camp.
ii. How successful was it? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
It allowed greater mechanization which did achieve a greater production in 1937. The amount of grain taken by the states greatly increased and so did grain exports, 1930 and 1931 were excellent years of exports. The hard facts were that only in 1930 (the year Stalin stopped colectivization did it increase) did the grain increase but other than that there was faminiie from 1932-3, especially in the Ukraine due to many things but among them is the idea that the livestock was all eaten by the peasants. Over 5 million peasants died of starvation. So the best way to look at this was that it was a political success but an economic failure which caused the inhumanity of the country to truly show.
3. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's political problems?
a. What were Russia's political problems?
i.a new constitution was needed to consolidate Stalin's power and the Communist party over the country
ii. trying to hold the union together and stop countries that wanted to be independent because nationalism was needed for communism to flourish
iii. grow the popularity back towards communism and to elimante political oppostion from other opponents not agreeing with communismtic ideaology.
b. The Purges and Great Terror
i. What were the "purges"?
These were killings and assassanations of poltical figures and high up officials that posed a threat or any oppostion to the communist party or Stalin's power. They were meant to terrorize the masses into obediance. they were a form of political infighting and another revolution.
ii. How were the purges justified?
1. that it was politcal infighting
2. revolutions have consequences such as the ones being experianced in the "purges"
iii. What was the Great Terror? How was it carried out?
it was carried out by force and brutality and mass scares that where meant to put the masses into submission to stalin and the communist party. It was a campaign that isued that Stalin had the ultimate power.
c. What was the purpose of the 1936 constitution? How did it work in practice?
To consolidate power to the communist party and knock out any oppostion. Also to secure the power of Stalin in the forms of a leader. It just stated the Stalin and the party ran things and even though it didn't state it that the real power remained in the Politburo
d. What was Stalin's two part approach for holding the union together?
i. national languages and cultures were encouraged and the republics hada certain amount of independence
ii. moscow had the final say in important decesions. if necessary force would be used to preserve control
4. What was everyday life and culture like under Stalin?
a. Why was life hard?
i. food: famine, bnad harvestings
ii. housing: shortages, evictions, communial apartments, barracks for many
iii. the nomenklatura:they had bread delievered to their home and experianced special priveliages, lower prices for things, better accomdations
b. What signs of improvement were there?
i. food supplies where improving and rationing was abolished
ii.education and healthcare were improving
iii.more facilties for leasure were set
iv.provision of clothing and food at work bettered condtions
c. The state, women, and the family
i. Why was life hard for women?
1. they were forced often times to be the breadmaker of the family
2. they faced hard jobs and yet had to face a hard home life with lesser wages and benfits than men
ii. What two goals did the government have for women?
1. build more daycare centers and nurseries for children
2. no abortions and have as many kids as possible and maternity leave was fine
iii. What policies did the government adopt towards women?
1.produce children
2. take jobs
3. increaase output and look after the houshold and family
iv. What was life like for upper-class or well-educated women?
They were seen by the state as part of a campaign to 'civilize' the masses. Their main duty was to leada comfortable home life for their husbands and families.
d. Education
i. What improvements were made to education?
1. 8-11 must be enrolled in education
2. new training colleges were set up to train new lecturers and teachers
ii. What were some of the goals of education?
1. turn the younger generation into good orthodox Soviet citizens
2. religion and other "bourqeois' practices were presented as superstious and backward
e. Religion
i. Was was the Communist view of religion?
Because of Lenin and Stalin and other Bolshevik leaderes antheisism was the leader of what the people believed and many thought it to be a harmful superstition which must be eliminated. Also they felt it was merely an invention of the ruling classes to keep the people docile and under control.
ii. What actions did the government take towards religious organizations?
Stalin didn't like the way that preists opposed collectivization so he had hundreds of secret attacks on the churchs that were burnt down and many cemeteries vandalized. Thousands of preists where killed. There was an anti-religious campaign.
iii. What was the people's reaction to those policies/actions?
Mnay were outraged, especially in the rural areas where preisnts and rabbis where popular.
f. Literature and theater
This was a cultural revolution because this gave the governement leway to make writers and actors get their ideas across. There was a "war"between the non communist writers adn the RAPP. Although after awhile Stalin didn't like the RAPP because it showed the flaws in society. Many theater people came under attack because "social realism' was needed in order to Stalin and they weren't portraying it correctly.
g. Art, architecture, and music
"social realism' was also expected to be portrayed in this area. No western ideas or iedeaology was allowed in terms of anything. Scultptures where supposed to produce images of Stalin and other communist leaders to show the postive affects of revolution and communism pride.
h. The cinema
Moderinzaing the film industry was one of the major ideas that Stalin wanted because with film propagenda can be portrayed and more efficently. Stalin also many times rewrote scripts to his liking. Films could only portray certain ideas that Stalin set as well.
QWs:
Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.
Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
In what ways did one ruler of a single-party state try to use education to support his regime?
MWH 361-378
1. How did Stalin get to supreme power?
a. Why might Trotsky have become leader? Why did he not?
He might have become leader because he was an ispired orator, an intellectual and a man of action, and the organizer of the Red Armies. He tended to be arrogant and was bitterly crtical of his rivals. because he was so mean to his rivls they all went against him so they wouldnt be accused anymore. He also kept quite at the wrong times;
b. Who were the other Politburo members? Why did none of them take power?
They are the "parlimentary system" and they never took complete power because they quarlled so much about topics, thereofre making them unproportional representation and unable to compromise.
c. How did Stalin use his position?
Very well he elimintaded people in the Politburo who disagreed with him and put in supporters and he wused it to his advantage.
d. What was the major Politburo disagreement? What were the three options?
Disagreement over policy arose in the this area because Marx never described in detail how the new communist society should be organized. The three major issuies where permant revolution ideas, to continue or not continue the NEP, and who would be the next leader(they didn't want a dictator)
2. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's economic problems?
a. What were Russia's economic problems?
production from heavy industry was still very low
more food needed to be produced
b. What were the Five Year Plans?
i. How were they carried out?
cash was provided by Russians themselves
foreign technicians were brought in
emphasis in expanding edu. in colleges and factories
factories-the old capitalistic methods of piecework and pay differnentials between skilled and unskilled workers were used to encourgae production
ii. How successful were they? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
many of the products were in poor quiality( the high targets forced workers to speed up and this caused
c. What does collectivization mean? smaller farms join together to grow and help the USSRand all the peasants would own the land and contribute to the farms
i. How was it carried out?
Stalin used terror and propagenda, but mostly sheer brutal force. Many times the government would encourage the peasants to join a collectivized farm and then refusal would esue but then the government would force them and then state that that it was the peasants decision. Many times peasants if they refused then they shot on the spot or sent to a labour camp.
ii. How successful was it? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
It allowed greater mechanization which did achieve a greater production in 1937. The amount of grain taken by the states greatly increased and so did grain exports, 1930 and 1931 were excellent years of exports. The hard facts were that only in 1930 (the year Stalin stopped colectivization did it increase) did the grain increase but other than that there was faminiie from 1932-3, especially in the Ukraine due to many things but among them is the idea that the livestock was all eaten by the peasants. Over 5 million peasants died of starvation. So the best way to look at this was that it was a political success but an economic failure which caused the inhumanity of the country to truly show.
3. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's political problems?
a. What were Russia's political problems?
i.a new constitution was needed to consolidate Stalin's power and the Communist party over the country
ii. trying to hold the union together and stop countries that wanted to be independent because nationalism was needed for communism to flourish
iii. grow the popularity back towards communism and to elimante political oppostion from other opponents not agreeing with communismtic ideaology.
b. The Purges and Great Terror
i. What were the "purges"?
These were killings and assassanations of poltical figures and high up officials that posed a threat or any oppostion to the communist party or Stalin's power. They were meant to terrorize the masses into obediance. they were a form of political infighting and another revolution.
ii. How were the purges justified?
1. that it was politcal infighting
2. revolutions have consequences such as the ones being experianced in the "purges"
iii. What was the Great Terror? How was it carried out?
it was carried out by force and brutality and mass scares that where meant to put the masses into submission to stalin and the communist party. It was a campaign that isued that Stalin had the ultimate power.
c. What was the purpose of the 1936 constitution? How did it work in practice?
To consolidate power to the communist party and knock out any oppostion. Also to secure the power of Stalin in the forms of a leader. It just stated the Stalin and the party ran things and even though it didn't state it that the real power remained in the Politburo
d. What was Stalin's two part approach for holding the union together?
i. national languages and cultures were encouraged and the republics hada certain amount of independence
ii. moscow had the final say in important decesions. if necessary force would be used to preserve control
4. What was everyday life and culture like under Stalin?
a. Why was life hard?
i. food: famine, bnad harvestings
ii. housing: shortages, evictions, communial apartments, barracks for many
iii. the nomenklatura:they had bread delievered to their home and experianced special priveliages, lower prices for things, better accomdations
b. What signs of improvement were there?
i. food supplies where improving and rationing was abolished
ii.education and healthcare were improving
iii.more facilties for leasure were set
iv.provision of clothing and food at work bettered condtions
c. The state, women, and the family
i. Why was life hard for women?
1. they were forced often times to be the breadmaker of the family
2. they faced hard jobs and yet had to face a hard home life with lesser wages and benfits than men
ii. What two goals did the government have for women?
1. build more daycare centers and nurseries for children
2. no abortions and have as many kids as possible and maternity leave was fine
iii. What policies did the government adopt towards women?
1.produce children
2. take jobs
3. increaase output and look after the houshold and family
iv. What was life like for upper-class or well-educated women?
They were seen by the state as part of a campaign to 'civilize' the masses. Their main duty was to leada comfortable home life for their husbands and families.
d. Education
i. What improvements were made to education?
1. 8-11 must be enrolled in education
2. new training colleges were set up to train new lecturers and teachers
ii. What were some of the goals of education?
1. turn the younger generation into good orthodox Soviet citizens
2. religion and other "bourqeois' practices were presented as superstious and backward
e. Religion
i. Was was the Communist view of religion?
Because of Lenin and Stalin and other Bolshevik leaderes antheisism was the leader of what the people believed and many thought it to be a harmful superstition which must be eliminated. Also they felt it was merely an invention of the ruling classes to keep the people docile and under control.
ii. What actions did the government take towards religious organizations?
Stalin didn't like the way that preists opposed collectivization so he had hundreds of secret attacks on the churchs that were burnt down and many cemeteries vandalized. Thousands of preists where killed. There was an anti-religious campaign.
iii. What was the people's reaction to those policies/actions?
Mnay were outraged, especially in the rural areas where preisnts and rabbis where popular.
f. Literature and theater
This was a cultural revolution because this gave the governement leway to make writers and actors get their ideas across. There was a "war"between the non communist writers adn the RAPP. Although after awhile Stalin didn't like the RAPP because it showed the flaws in society. Many theater people came under attack because "social realism' was needed in order to Stalin and they weren't portraying it correctly.
g. Art, architecture, and music
"social realism' was also expected to be portrayed in this area. No western ideas or iedeaology was allowed in terms of anything. Scultptures where supposed to produce images of Stalin and other communist leaders to show the postive affects of revolution and communism pride.
h. The cinema
Moderinzaing the film industry was one of the major ideas that Stalin wanted because with film propagenda can be portrayed and more efficently. Stalin also many times rewrote scripts to his liking. Films could only portray certain ideas that Stalin set as well.
SQG 8
QW's:
1. “The aims and policies of single-party state rulers rarely followed their declared ideology.” To what extent do you agree with this assertion?
2. Compare and contrast the rise to power of two rulers of single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
MWH 349-358
How successfully did Lenin and the Bolsheviks deal with their problems (1917-1924?)
I. How much support did the Bolsheviks have from the people?
Not a lot and Lenin realized that so he attempted to nationalize alll land so that it could be redistributed among the peasants.
a. the elections of November 1917
i. Bolshevik seats -175
ii. Social Revolutionary seats - 370
iii. Mensheviks seats -15
iv. "left wing" groups -40
v. nationality groups -80
vi. Kadets -17
b. How did Lenin respond to the election results?
Lenin still wanted the Bolsheviks in power so he used military control to gain his power.
II. What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and what were its conditions?
a. It was a treaty between...Russia an dGermany
b. Russia gave up
i. a third of Russia's farming land
ii. a third of the population
iii. two-thirds of their colamines and half her heavy industries
III. Why did the Bolsheviks resort to violence?
a. Violence from others
i. Petrograd and Moscow - Lenin did not want a famine in the land so he resorted to violence if any of the peasnats were hoarding grain and the Cheka shot them.
ii. Ukraine - the majority of the wheat was grown in the Ukraine and this only made the famine worse resorting to more violence to cut off hoarders
iii. Social Revolutionaries - assainated the German ambassador and leading Bolshevik member of the Petrograd soviet adn they attempted to sieze power for themselves
iv. violence aimed at Bolshevik leaders -the head of the Petrograd Cheka was assasinated and Lenin was shot at
*desperate times=desperate measure
b. Lenin's flawed reasoning
i. Marx's predictions
1.capitialists would overthrow the autocratic monarchy and set up systems of parlimetary democracy
2. when industrilaztion was complete, the industrial workers, who were now in a majority, would overthrow the capitilatists and set up a classless society
ii. Russia's reality
1. isolated
2. facing a capiltilaists Europe who was deeply suspicious of the new regime
iii. Lenin's expectations for the rest of Europe
that they too would participate in this worldwide socialist revolution.
c. Liberal historical interpretation
they are convinced that the Bolsheviks were commited to the use of violende and terror from the beginning
IV. The Red Terror
a. against peasants - they felt that they hoarded too much grain so they excuted them
b. against political opponents - social revolutionaries were shot down to stop oppostion
c. against the former Tsar - in order to take total control the tsars family had to be killed
V. Civil War
a. Which groups made up the "Whites"?social revolutionaries, Mensheviks, ex-tsarist officers, and any other groups which did not like the Bolsheviks
b. What was the Whites' main goal? continue war against Germany and to destroy the Bolshevik government
c. What was the role of other nations? to stop the Bolshevik revolultion
d. What was the result of the Civil War?communist victory
e. How were the communists able to win the Civil War?
i.the whites were not centrally organized
ii. red army had more troops
iii. Lenin took measures known as war communis
iv.Lenin was able to present the Bolsheviks asa nationalist government fighting against foreingers
VI. What were the effects of the Civil War?
a. civilian deaths - loads of civilian deaths (peasants)
b. economic changes - was in ruins and the ruoble was worth only 1% of its value, more centralized
VII. What was done about economic problems?
a. effects of war communism
i. food shortages
ii. industry was at a standstill
b. reforms of the New Economic Policy
i.peasnts werent allowed to keep a surplus produceafter payment of tax representing a certain proportion of the surplus
ii.foreign investment was encouraged
iii. reintroduction of private trade, recieved incentive, and food production increased
c. successes of the NEP
i. economy began to recover
ii. production levels were improvin
iii, electirfication of industry
1. “The aims and policies of single-party state rulers rarely followed their declared ideology.” To what extent do you agree with this assertion?
2. Compare and contrast the rise to power of two rulers of single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
MWH 349-358
How successfully did Lenin and the Bolsheviks deal with their problems (1917-1924?)
I. How much support did the Bolsheviks have from the people?
Not a lot and Lenin realized that so he attempted to nationalize alll land so that it could be redistributed among the peasants.
a. the elections of November 1917
i. Bolshevik seats -175
ii. Social Revolutionary seats - 370
iii. Mensheviks seats -15
iv. "left wing" groups -40
v. nationality groups -80
vi. Kadets -17
b. How did Lenin respond to the election results?
Lenin still wanted the Bolsheviks in power so he used military control to gain his power.
II. What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and what were its conditions?
a. It was a treaty between...Russia an dGermany
b. Russia gave up
i. a third of Russia's farming land
ii. a third of the population
iii. two-thirds of their colamines and half her heavy industries
III. Why did the Bolsheviks resort to violence?
a. Violence from others
i. Petrograd and Moscow - Lenin did not want a famine in the land so he resorted to violence if any of the peasnats were hoarding grain and the Cheka shot them.
ii. Ukraine - the majority of the wheat was grown in the Ukraine and this only made the famine worse resorting to more violence to cut off hoarders
iii. Social Revolutionaries - assainated the German ambassador and leading Bolshevik member of the Petrograd soviet adn they attempted to sieze power for themselves
iv. violence aimed at Bolshevik leaders -the head of the Petrograd Cheka was assasinated and Lenin was shot at
*desperate times=desperate measure
b. Lenin's flawed reasoning
i. Marx's predictions
1.capitialists would overthrow the autocratic monarchy and set up systems of parlimetary democracy
2. when industrilaztion was complete, the industrial workers, who were now in a majority, would overthrow the capitilatists and set up a classless society
ii. Russia's reality
1. isolated
2. facing a capiltilaists Europe who was deeply suspicious of the new regime
iii. Lenin's expectations for the rest of Europe
that they too would participate in this worldwide socialist revolution.
c. Liberal historical interpretation
they are convinced that the Bolsheviks were commited to the use of violende and terror from the beginning
IV. The Red Terror
a. against peasants - they felt that they hoarded too much grain so they excuted them
b. against political opponents - social revolutionaries were shot down to stop oppostion
c. against the former Tsar - in order to take total control the tsars family had to be killed
V. Civil War
a. Which groups made up the "Whites"?social revolutionaries, Mensheviks, ex-tsarist officers, and any other groups which did not like the Bolsheviks
b. What was the Whites' main goal? continue war against Germany and to destroy the Bolshevik government
c. What was the role of other nations? to stop the Bolshevik revolultion
d. What was the result of the Civil War?communist victory
e. How were the communists able to win the Civil War?
i.the whites were not centrally organized
ii. red army had more troops
iii. Lenin took measures known as war communis
iv.Lenin was able to present the Bolsheviks asa nationalist government fighting against foreingers
VI. What were the effects of the Civil War?
a. civilian deaths - loads of civilian deaths (peasants)
b. economic changes - was in ruins and the ruoble was worth only 1% of its value, more centralized
VII. What was done about economic problems?
a. effects of war communism
i. food shortages
ii. industry was at a standstill
b. reforms of the New Economic Policy
i.peasnts werent allowed to keep a surplus produceafter payment of tax representing a certain proportion of the surplus
ii.foreign investment was encouraged
iii. reintroduction of private trade, recieved incentive, and food production increased
c. successes of the NEP
i. economy began to recover
ii. production levels were improvin
iii, electirfication of industry
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
IRL 6
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcJvOnCD1ls&feature=related
This is a news story/ web video that has taken an interview from Fox News and described the idea that Obama has a tendency to like to "redistribute the wealth." This is connected to what we are learning now because it is what Stalin did, and granted i'm not calling Obama Stalin but Stalin had the idealogy that redisributing the wealth such as grain was better then letting the peasants grow their own and distribute the money to whomever they pleased. The plumbing in the interview can be heard that he was scared of Obama's "socialist" ways because rather than the plumber leaving the American Dreaman dbeing able to flourish and handle his own money Obama wants to tax the wealther and give it to the poor. This enhances what i have learned in class because it shows the beforehand steps that led to socalism and the little idealogys that can relly slump a nation from acquiring their dreams because the government feels the need to over tax and lean towards socilaism and redistribute the wealth. Stalin redistrubted the wealth and it got him in a slump with the majority of the population along with famine and economic issues, politically it flourished but on the humane level it failed intensly. There are limations in this video because it is a youtube video so it could be edited and there was information given about Obama and Biden that were not proven to be sourced, therefore making them less believable.
This is a news story/ web video that has taken an interview from Fox News and described the idea that Obama has a tendency to like to "redistribute the wealth." This is connected to what we are learning now because it is what Stalin did, and granted i'm not calling Obama Stalin but Stalin had the idealogy that redisributing the wealth such as grain was better then letting the peasants grow their own and distribute the money to whomever they pleased. The plumbing in the interview can be heard that he was scared of Obama's "socialist" ways because rather than the plumber leaving the American Dreaman dbeing able to flourish and handle his own money Obama wants to tax the wealther and give it to the poor. This enhances what i have learned in class because it shows the beforehand steps that led to socalism and the little idealogys that can relly slump a nation from acquiring their dreams because the government feels the need to over tax and lean towards socilaism and redistribute the wealth. Stalin redistrubted the wealth and it got him in a slump with the majority of the population along with famine and economic issues, politically it flourished but on the humane level it failed intensly. There are limations in this video because it is a youtube video so it could be edited and there was information given about Obama and Biden that were not proven to be sourced, therefore making them less believable.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
IRL 5
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CbWq6-dQSM
This issue of general elections relates to what we are studying can be seen when the comparision of the basic ideas of focusing on the majority class for votes and bribery start to intoxicate the local and national politics. Bribery could be seen in the promises of chinese tvs and money and in China the bribe that if one supported the leader than overthrew the rebels then he would overthrow the emperor. Also the usage of focusing on the majority class can be seen when the thoughts of giving electricty and money to those who vote, therefore making the poor people of India want to vote in order to sustain themselves. Another related issue like Germany is that since there is so many parties no particular party can win the majority in Parliment. This news story on Youtube from Voice of America news can add value to what we are learning because rather than viewing single-party states and their issues with elections and how leaders emerge, a different viewpoint can be seen and show that in democratic governments that it is also possible to have bribery adn difficulties in elections for a leader. The limitations that are in this particular video where that only the weatheir classes spoke about the election rather than the poorer, majority class.
This issue of general elections relates to what we are studying can be seen when the comparision of the basic ideas of focusing on the majority class for votes and bribery start to intoxicate the local and national politics. Bribery could be seen in the promises of chinese tvs and money and in China the bribe that if one supported the leader than overthrew the rebels then he would overthrow the emperor. Also the usage of focusing on the majority class can be seen when the thoughts of giving electricty and money to those who vote, therefore making the poor people of India want to vote in order to sustain themselves. Another related issue like Germany is that since there is so many parties no particular party can win the majority in Parliment. This news story on Youtube from Voice of America news can add value to what we are learning because rather than viewing single-party states and their issues with elections and how leaders emerge, a different viewpoint can be seen and show that in democratic governments that it is also possible to have bribery adn difficulties in elections for a leader. The limitations that are in this particular video where that only the weatheir classes spoke about the election rather than the poorer, majority class.
Friday, October 16, 2009
IRL 4
www.voanews.com/english/archive
This is a website article that describes the inflation problem being face in Russia today. The issue of inflation has always been a struggle for many nations and the problem that has occured like in this newsarticle is not a new issue in Russia. Russia during the time period we are studying with Lenin coming into powere, inflation was an economic issue that the country had to strugggle through. Although the problem can't even be compared to the old issues during Lenins' rule they do work together. Russia at this time has lost 40% in budget revenues and are facing inflation. This adds value to what im learning because i realize that economic problems always need to be face and can travel through history and because of history we now know what not to do and the effects if we repeat history. The source is not the most reliable because it is a website that has no .edu or .org and those tend to be the most reliable but they are a national website that is widely used.
This is a website article that describes the inflation problem being face in Russia today. The issue of inflation has always been a struggle for many nations and the problem that has occured like in this newsarticle is not a new issue in Russia. Russia during the time period we are studying with Lenin coming into powere, inflation was an economic issue that the country had to strugggle through. Although the problem can't even be compared to the old issues during Lenins' rule they do work together. Russia at this time has lost 40% in budget revenues and are facing inflation. This adds value to what im learning because i realize that economic problems always need to be face and can travel through history and because of history we now know what not to do and the effects if we repeat history. The source is not the most reliable because it is a website that has no .edu or .org and those tend to be the most reliable but they are a national website that is widely used.
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