Hey Guys and Gals,

I just want to let you know that I need your complete focus, effort and attendance for todays class and the next 4-5 weeks. Due to the school closures we need to get caught up in a hurry and their will be a ton of work for the final weeks starting today and this weekend. Please get your priorities in order for the next few weeks and know what you have to do to be successful in this course.

…..Mr. Holton

Instructions for today:• Use the this power-point to fill out the corresponding notes. Ignore the links

to the videos unless you have time at the end of class. Another option is to watch the videos at home on the weekend as you can access them by opening the ppt through the homework page

• The Authoritarian/Dictatorship , Communism, and Fascism Questions are ALL DUE MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get them done…please!

AUTORITARIAN GOVERMENTS -

Communism

THE SOVIET UNION

To What Extent is the Resistance to

Liberalism Justified?

The Rise of a Totalitarian State

in the U.S.S.R.

In the 20th century, communism was the first major ideology to truly radically challenge the existing political and economic systems of liberalism.

John Locke

INDIVIDUALISM Vs.Karl Marx

COLLECTIVISM

In a Nutshell• Communism is a political belief that had its beginnings in the ideas

of the German thinker, Karl Marx. It advocated the creation of a classless society with an equal distribution of wealth.

• Vladimir Lenin was the man who introduced Communism in Russia as a political system of government. He united all the states that were part of the Russian Empire to form the Soviet Union or USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in 1922. He wanted to modernize the Soviet Union but died in 1924 before he could fulfill his dream.

• After Lenin’s death, Josef Stalin emerged as the new leader of the Soviet Union. He set in motion rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture to modernize the Soviet Union and ensured their implementation by ruling with an iron fist.

• The people of Communist Russia both feared and admired Stalin. By the 1930s, Stalin’s authoritarian regime had transformed Communist Russia into a modern industrial power but also left millions of Russian people dead.

The rise of totalitarianism were attempts to hold off and reject the beliefs and values of liberalism. A turning away from the worth of the individual and the principle of limited government in favor of the collective, all powerful state where individuals served the interests of the state.

Many problems afflicted Russia at the beginning of the 20th century which sowed the seeds of radical change that would lead to Russia becoming the Soviet Union. Problems such as …

• Difficult social and economic conditions (food shortages, poor infrastructure, etc.)

• Ineffectual reform promised by the Czar’s government (80% of Russians were serfs/peasants)

• Losses and embarrassment of World War One

The Tsars(Czars)• Russia was a monarchy ruled by a

autocratic Czar. The people had no basic rights and serfs were enslaved to landowners

• Industrialization, despite being behind other European countries, brought sudden social and economic change

• 1860’s Czar Alexander II finally started to introduce liberal reforms (free the serfs, local elections, etc….too little to late

• Czar Alexander III reversed many of the liberal reforms

The First Revolution (1905)• Bloody Sunday

Peaceful demonstrators, wanting improved working conditions, basic freedoms and human rights, education, etc., marched on Czar Nicholas II palace

Hundreds of protesters gunned down by the Imperial Guards

• Japan/Russian Conflict Struggle of Manchuria and Korea Japan defeat the Russians …… contributed to citizens dissatisfaction with

the Czar

• With mounting public pressure and mass strikes crippling the nation, Czar Nichols II signs the October Manifesto established political parties/parliament ….the Duma (ineffective) Grants basic civil rights and freedoms (speech, assembly,

association,etc.) Increases the popularity of Socialism

World War One (1914-1917)• Humiliating defeats and devastating

losses• Russian soldiers, who were poorly

equipped and fed, were demoralized and deserted in large numbers.

• By 1917, there was little respect for the Tsar and many soldiers found it pointless to continue fighting

• Living conditions of Russians deteriorated as a result of World War I ……severe food and coal shortages.

• The peasants demanded a fairer distribution of land

• Food shortages and skyrocketing prices in the cities led to riots in the country as workers demanded more food — ’bread riots’.

Failure of Provisional Government• Knowing that he had lost the support of the army and his people, the Tsar

abdicated

• A Provisional Government was established to run the country in place of the Tsar. The Provisional Government was to bring about a peaceful change of government in Russia, from the Tsar’s autocracy to an eventual democracy with an elected parliament

• However, the Provisional Government failed because it basically did not address the very issues that brought about the downfall of the Tsar

Chose to keep Russia in World War I Did not advance land reforms Had to struggle for power with the “soviets” (groups of Russian

workers, peasants and soldiers who had organized themselves into councils that would govern an area )

Was the rise of Communism in Russia inevitable?

Critical Thinking

Given the depths of the suffering and the disillusionment of the Russian people caused primarily by Russia’s setbacks in World War I, do you think the Russian people cared more about the political system and ideology or changes that would quickly make living conditions better for them?

What if democracy had been successfully established in Russia? Could it all have turned out differently? Did democracy have a chance of succeeding?

Critical Thinking

What were Russia’s problems? What promises did Communism hold for the Russian people?

End of involvement in World War I:Most Russians wanted their country to be out of World War I. This was due to the deteriorating living conditions and devastating losses on the battlefields.

Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks, promised to end the war.

What were Russia’s problems during that time? What promises did Communism hold for the Russian people?

Redistribution of land:The peasants wanted a fairer system of land redistribution.

Communism advocated the equal distribution of wealth among the people in the society.

End to food shortages:The severe shortages of food supplies in the cities and skyrocketing prices caused great hardship to the Russian people.

The Communists promised them more food.

October Revolution and Civil War• In October 1917, Lenin returned to Russia and swept the

Provisional Government from power after being in place for just eight months

• Lenin established the world’s first Communist regime

• He fulfilled his promise of ending the war by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in March 1918

• A bitter 5 year civil war was fought in Russia between the Bolsheviks and their opponents Red Army vs. White Army (monarchists,

conservatives, Army and Navy officers, wealthy land owners)

The Red Army was a much more disciplined and united force and by 1922 had prevailed over their opponents

In 1922, the former territories of the Russian Empire were combined to form the Soviet Union or USSR

Moscow became the new capital of the USSR.

(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

The Bolshevik Party adopted a new name, the Communist Party.

Communist Russia was born.

Communism EstablishedThe emergence of communism in Russia was not an unreasonable response to the conditions existing for the majority of Russian citizens. So when the Revolution of 1917 occurred, many Russians were behind the violent overthrow of the Czar.

Despite being a follower of Marx and Engels, Lenin believed Marxism (socialism) must be carried out differently in Russia.

1918 – War Communism (rapid transition)

1921 – New Economic Policy (some aspects of capitalism restored on a temporary basis)

When it became clear that transformation could not happen quickly, Lenin realized they need to stimulate the economy.

In one fell swoop the market was declared illegal. Private trade, the hiring of labor, leasing of land, and all private enterprise and ownership were abolished, at least in theory and subject to punishment by the state. Property was confiscated from the upper classes. Businesses and factories were nationalized. Surplus crops produced by the peasants were taken by the government to support the Bolshevik civil-war forces and workers in the towns. Labor was conscripted and organized militarily. Consumer goods were rationed at artificially low prices and later at no price at all. Unsurprisingly, special treatment was accorded those with power and influence.

---Sheldon Richman“War Communism to NEP: The Road from Serfdom”

Totalitarian State EstablishedUpon Lenin’s death in 1924, a 4 year power struggle

ensued for leadership in which Joseph Stalin emerged the man in power.

Now in power, Stalin wanted to continue to transform Soviet society into a true communist state. To do this Stalin implemented a series of 5 year plans that concentrated on collectivization and industrialization (economic reform).

Industrialization

Stalin wanted to transform the Soviet Union into a modern industrial state, one which was strong enough to stand up and defend its independence against other countries, instead of suffering humiliating defeats.

Stalin aimed to modernize and develop the Soviet Union into a great country, more powerful than USA and Britain ……not just through industrialization, but rapid industrialization

The Soviet Union’s economy became a planned economy — the government had complete control

“The Smoke of chimneys is the breath of Soviet Russia”

Stalin in a 1931 speech to factory managers explaining the need for industrialization…

“Tsarist Russia suffered many defeats because of her backwardness. All those countries defeated her because she was weak. This is why we must no longer

lag behind. Do we want our Motherland to be defeated and lose her independence?”

“If you do not want this, you must put an end to backwardness in the shortest possible time. We are 50 to 100 years behind the advanced countries. We must

catch up in 10 years or they will crush us.”

“Under the Leadership of the Great Stalin - Forward to

Communism"

Impact of Industrialization• Stalin managed to survive the initial problems faced in his

industrialization programs

• Initially, due to the focus on heavy industries, industries that produced basic goods were neglected…..the living and working conditions of the Russians improved considerably after 1935

• With his Five-Year Plans, the Soviet Union’s heavy industries expanded rapidly and production of consumer goods increased.

What do these viewpoints tell you about the Russians’ general feeling about Stalin’s industrialization programs?

CollectivizationStalin’s reasons for collectivization…..

If farming methods were improved, fewer people would be needed to work the land. This meant that some of the people in the countryside would be able to move to the cities to work in the new factories. The farmers would be able to grow

more crops. The Soviet Union would be able to sell the extra crops to other countries. The profit it earned could be used to pay for the building of new factories.

Bigger plots of land…..

…..Modern farming machinery

= Greater productivity!

Voluntary CollectivizationInitially, Stalin used reason and persuasion to try to garner the farmers’ support in joining collective farms.

• Voluntary collectivization did not work because many farmers did not want to abandon their traditional way of life

• The kulaks (richer, land-owning farmers) especially, did not want to give up their land to the government

• Because of this, Stalin adopted a policy of collectivization by…… FORCE!

• In 1929, Stalin ordered the first Five-Year Plan, decreeing Soviet agriculture be collectivized by the end of 1933….many farmers resisted

• Stalin responded by ordering 17 million horses used in farming to be killed so that the farmers would be forced to use tractors instead. However, there were not enough tractors to replace the horses that had been killed

• Reluctant landowners were accused of being “class enemies, rich kulaks exploiting the masses,” thus setting the stage for Stalin’s decree in December, 1929 to “liquidate the kulaks as a class.” Famine historians estimate 7-10 million farmers and family members died as victims of forced starvation, torture, rape and murder.

Forced Collectivization

Stalin addressing the Communist Party in 1929….

“The kulaks are the sworn enemies of the collective farm movement. We are to eliminate them as a class … We must break down the resistance of the

kulaks and deprive them of their existence. We must smash them … We must strike at the kulaks so hard as to prevent them from rising to their feet again.”

Elimination Political OppositionDue to the famine of 1932-33, the drive to

industrialization and strict controls over the populace, many people within the Soviet Union started to question the leadership of Joseph Stalin.

While Stalin felt it necessary to imprison or execute dissenters, most of the members of the politburo (the ruling elite of the Communist Party) still argued against Stalin’s measures. The Great Purge (1936-38)

• many of the “Old Bolsheviks” were executed or exiled

• most high ranking members of the Red Army were executed or exiled

• 1.5 – 2 million Soviet citizens were arrested for “counter revolutionary” activities (about 50% were executed)

• Gulags (prison work camps) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6nwbeOJqiQ

Controlled ParticipationElections:Elections were held in the Soviet Union but candidates were chosen by the local Communist Party leaders on the basis of their membership in the Communist Party.

Non-Communists could stand for election if they were approved by the party.

Voting:During the 1920’s and 30’s voting was performed by raising the hand, not by secret ballot.

In 1936, Soviet voters were allowed to vote by secret ballot….the ballot contained only candidates approved by the Communist Party.

PropagandaThe Communist Party used propaganda to convince the Soviet population about the superiority of Communism over the democratic, capitalistic West.

It also utilized propaganda to glorify its leader…. Cult of Personality. Stalin was the Soviet Union…..the Soviet Union was Stalin

What do you notice about the pictures?

Indoctrination

“Only by radically remolding the teaching, organization, and training of the youth shall we be able to ensure that the efforts of the younger generation will result in the creation of a society that will be unlike the old society, the creation of a communist society.”

…….Vladimir Lenin 1920

Tight control over culture

Education• Controlled what people were taught.

– Teaching of History was changed to focus on the importance of Lenin and Stalin …skewed versions of history

– Stalin was shown as having played a key and heroic role during the October 1917 Revolution (which was not true).

– The other leaders, such as Trotsky, were either unfairly presented or ignored.

• Very strict discipline in schools – for teachers and pupils.

– Teachers were closely watched and they were purged if it was felt that they had taught the pupils to be anti-Stalin.

The Arts• Only writers, artists and musicians who made art

praising Stalin and his programs could remain in their jobs.

• Writings, paintings and music were expected to act as propaganda for him and his programs, such as industrialization and farm collectivization.

• As a result of these restrictions, there was a lack of variety in the arts in Communist Russia.

Terror, Force, and FearOne of the first acts by the Bolsheviks after the 1917 revolution, was to set up a secret police force to assist the Communist Party to establish control over the country. This police force (the Cheka) had the power to arrest, imprison, and execute political opponents of the Communist Party without trial.

Under Stalin, this secret police force had become a massive public security apparatus that not only controlled political opponents but ordinary citizens that showed any dissent toward the Communist Party or its leader.

CHEKA - 1920

NKVD - 1934

KGB - 1954

Stalin: The Real History Part 1

Stalin: The Real History Part 2

A CHANGE

Mikhail Gorbachev - General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991.

Perestroika • Its literal meaning is "restructuring", referring to the

restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system• Perestroika is often argued to be a cause of the

dissolution of the Soviet Union, the revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe, and the end of the Cold War

Glasnost • was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and

transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information

• To reduce censorship, corruption, and abuse of power by the government

• Gorbachev's attempts at reform as well as summit conferences with United States President Ronald Reagan and his reorientation of Soviet strategic aims contributed to the end of the Cold War ended the political supremacy of the Communist Party of the

Soviet Union led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union

• For these efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990