Joseph Stalin and the Modernization of Russia

·        Russia had just been through a huge civil war

·        The Russian economy was in shambles

·        The job was to now unify the whole country mainly made up of peasants

·        Fewer than 20 out of every 100 people lived in the cities

·        The peasants had no industrial equipment

·        The Kulaks were rich farmers who were brutally abused

Left and Right

·        The peasants could not get farm equipment at a reasonable cost, so they would not sell their food to the cities

·        Stalin did not agree with Trotsky’s ideas of development, and pushed him into exile. Trotsky would later be assassinated in Mexico by “unknown” sources

·        Stalin began his policy of “Socialism in one country”

·        This meant get Russia out of her problems before worrying about Communist revolution in the rest of the world. Stalin now had to convince the peasants

·        Stalin created his Five Year Plan  - The first one in 1928-33

·        This was a list of targets for industries, power supplies and transportation

·        Plans would now have the force of government orders

·        Collectivization: made all the small farms into huge collectives

·        This would increase production, thus making more money

·        With the money Russia would buy more industrial products from abroad

·        So, less farm workers would be needed, so they could go to the cites and work in the factories

·        The plan was very disorganized in the beginning, but did gain some positive industrial results.

·        More peasants suffered as the food was taken to feed the cities created some famine

·        The Kulaks were obliterated by Stalin, beginning the Purge period

·        Those described as actively hostile were put into concentration camp, while their families were deported North to Siberia. The wealthy were banished

·        The party officials and the police watched over every aspect of Russian life.

·        The plans did increase industrial output rapidly

·        Stalin’s priorities were industry, not clothing

·        13 million men and women were added to the cities during the first five year plan

·        Blame for any failures of quotas were put on the workers, who were called enemies who were trying to sabotage Stalin and the Soviet People.