Transcript Unit 3: The New Economic Policy and the Construction of

Unit 3: The New Economic Policy and the
Construction of Socialism
(1921-1927)
I. The Establishment of the Russian Soviet
Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR) 1918
•
The first Soviet constitution, adopted in July, 1918,
created the RSFSR. Later, it was one of the 15 republics
of the Soviet Union.
The Establishment of Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics
(USSR / CCCP)
•
December 30, 1922 – the USSR was
created as a federation of Russia, Ukraine,
Byelorussia, and Transcaucasia. By the
end of WWII, 15 republics constituted the
USSR.
The Soviet Union
1.
Russian Soviet Federated
Socialist Republic (RSFSR)
2. Belorussian Soviet Socialist
Republic (BSSR)
3. Ukrainian Soviet Socialist
Republic (UkSSR)
The Soviet Union
4. Georgian Soviet Socialist
Republic (GSSR)
5. Armenian Soviet Socialist
Republic (ArSSR)
6. Moldavian Soviet Socialist
Republic (MSSR)
The Soviet Union
7. Azeri Soviet Socialist
Republic (AzSSR)
8. Uzbek Soviet Socialist
Republic (UzSSR)
9. Kirgiz Soviet Socialist
Republic (KgSSR)
The Soviet Union
10. Tajik Soviet Socialist
Republic (TjSSR)
11. Turkmen Soviet Socialist
Republic (TuSSR)
12. Kazakh Soviet Socialist
Republic (KzSSR)
The Soviet Union
13. Estonian Soviet Socialist
Republic (ESSR)
14. Latvian Soviet Socialist
Republic (LvSSR)
15. Lithuanian Soviet Socialist
Republic (LtSSR)
II. The Bolshevik Leadership (1917-1924):
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin)
(1871-1924)
•
“Without a revolutionary theory there cannot be a
revolutionary movement.”
•
“Communism is Soviet power plus the
electrification of the whole country.”
•
“The history of all countries shows that the
working class exclusively by its own effort is able
to develop only trade-union consciousness.”
•
“Freedom in capitalist society always remains
about the same as it was in ancient Greek
republics: Freedom for slave owners.”
•
“Our program necessarily includes the propaganda
of atheism.”
Lev Davidovich Bronstein (Trotsky)
(1879-1940)
•
Born in Ukraine
•
Sided with the Mensheviks against Lenin in the
party split (1903)
•
Joined the Bolsheviks in 1917 and became its #2
man.
•
“Permanent Revolution”
•
Was Foreign Minister and formed the Red Army
•
Opposed the NEP – too many concessions to
capitalism
- favored rapid
industrialization
•
“Comrade Trotsky is distinguished not only by
outstanding ability. He is personally perhaps the
most capable man in the present C.C., but he has
displayed excessive self-assurance and shown
excessive preoccupation with the purely
administrative side of the work.” – Lenin
Yevgeny Preobrazhensky
(1886-1937)
•
Together with Bukharin, he wrote
the “ABC of Communism” (1919)
•
An opponent of NEP, he was an
ally of Trotsky’s and one of the
leaders of the Left.
•
Called for rapid industrialization
and economic planning.
•
Developed the theory of
“primitive socialist
accumulation.”
Georgy Pyatakov (1890-1937)
•
Along with Trotsky and
Preobrazhenksy, favored rapid
industrialization and opposed
the NEP.
•
“He is unquestionably a man of
outstanding will and
outstanding ability, but shows
far too much zeal for
administrating and the
administrative side of the work
to be relied upon in a serious
political matter.” – Lenin
Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin
(1888-1938)
•
Became a member of the Bolshevik Party in 1906.
•
Important Marxist theoretician – editor of Pravda.
•
Co-wrote the ABC of Communism (1920) with Evgeniy
Preobrazhensky.
•
During the Civil War, Bukharin was a Left-wing communist
- opposed Brest-LitovskTreaty
- favored War Communism on
theoretical grounds
•
Changed his position and along with Lenin became a big
advocate of the NEP and slow pace of industrialization.
•
Promoted worker-peasnat alliance
•
Executed in 1938.
•
“Bukharin is not only a most valuable and major theorist of
the Party; he is also rightly considered the favorite of the
whole Party, but his theoretical views can be classified as
fully Marxist only with the great reserve, for there is
something scholastic about him (he has never made a
study of dialectics, and, I think, never fully appreciated it).”
- Lenin
Grigory Zinoviev (1883-1936)
•
Real name - Ovsei-Gershon Aronovich Radomyslsky.
Born in Ukraine.
•
A member of the Bolshevik Party since 1903.
•
One of Lenin’s closest associates – but he opposed
the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917.
- Stalin will use this
against him.
•
Chairman of the Comintern, 1919.
•
Head of the Leningrad branch of the CP.
•
Allied with Stalin vs. Trotsky / Stalin turned against
Zinoviev and Kamenev after they eliminated
Trotsky.
•
Executed in 1936.
•
“The October episode with Zinoviev and Kamenev
was, of course, no accident, but neither can the
blame for it be laid upon them personally, any more
than non-Bolshevism can upon Trotsky.” - Lenin
Lev Borisovich Rosenfeld (Kamenev)
(1883-1936)
•
A member of the Bolshevik Party from 1903.
•
Close associate of Zinoviev’s.
•
Together with Zinoviev, voted against armed
Bolshevik seizure of power in October, 1917.
•
Was head of the Moscow branch of the CP.
•
After Lenin’s death, his life/career followed the
same path as Zinoviev’s.
•
“The October episode with Zinoviev and
Kamenev was, of course, no accident, but
neither can the blame for it be laid upon them
personally, any more than non-Bolshevism can
upon Trotsky.” - Lenin
Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili
(Stalin) (1879-1953)
•
Born in Georgia
•
Earned a scholarship to a Jesuit seminary in Tblisi
to enter the priesthood. Quit in 1899.
•
Member of the Bolshevik Party from 1903.
•
Was one of Lenin’s most loyal and favorite
colleague.
•
Was Commissar of Nationalities when Bolsheviks
seized power.
•
Became head of the Party in 1922.
•
“Stalin is too rude and this defect, although quite
tolerable in our midst and in dealing among us
Communists, becomes intolerable in a SecretaryGeneral. That is why I suggest the comrades think
about a way of removing Staling from that post and
appointing another man in his stead who in all
other respects differs from Comrade Stalin in
having only one advantage, namely, that of being
more tolerant, more loyal, more polite, and more
considerate to the comrades, less capricious, etc.” –
Lenin’s “Testament”
III. The Socialist Debate
Many factors contributed to the debates about socialist construction:
6.
The difficulties experienced during war communism
Hardships and policy errors that led to the Kronstadt and Tambov
uprisings
Russia’s backwardness
Failure of worldwide revolution, especially in Germany
The need to industrialize and create a larger working class – the
backbone of the “dictatorship of the proletariat”
Lenin’s death (1924)
•
As a result of the first four, Lenin decided to implement the NEP.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The New Economic Policy (NEP)
•
A compromise, a “temporary” retreat from socialism by allowing and
promoting capitalist policies. What resulted was a mixed economy:
•
The state would control the “commanding heights”:
- all heavy industry
- the transportation system
- communication system
- central banking system
- foreign trade
•
All small-scale businesses (20 workers or less) and most of the agrarian
sector and domestic commerce would revert to private interests.
- Market relations would determine much of the
economic activity in the country. The state would
implement a progressive tax policy.
- Hiring labor was permitted.
•
Lenin and Bukharin came to view NEP less as a temporary retreat and
more as a unique path to socialism in a backward, peasant country that
Russia was.
The New Economic Policy (NEP)
•
Private Enterprises constituted 88.5% of the economy but only 12.4% of
the labor force.
•
State Enterprises – 11.5% of the economy but 84.1% of the labor force.
•
100 million peasants benefited from agrarian reforms that resulted in 25
million small land holdings.
- Grain requisitioning was replaced with a “tax in kind”
peasants could keep and sell on the free market what
remained after the payment of the tax thus giving them
incentive to produce more.
–
- Gradually the tax in kind was eliminated and replaced by a
monetary tax.
- Lenin initiates the NEP with his “Tax in Kind” article in May, 1921.
The New Economic Policy (NEP)
•
Overall, NEP was a success. By 1928, the amount of
land under cultivation exceeded that of pre-war levels.
•
Industrial output reached pre-war levels.
•
“NEPmen” – small businessmen – prospered as did
“Kulaks” – prosperous peasants.
•
The prosperity of certain classes, the obvious
concessions to private enterprise, the slow pace of
industrialization and tenuous influence that the
Communist Party had in the countryside worried many in
the Party. When Lenin died, the debates began.
Lenin’s Death, January 1924
•
Lenin’s death led to a
power struggle within
the Communist Party.
The Left vs. The Right Positions
Issues:
Revolutionary Tradition
2. Industrialization
3. The Agrarian Question
4. Permanent Revolution vs. Socialism in
One Country
1.
The Left vs. The Right Opposition:
1. Revolutionary Tradition
“Revolutionary-Heroic”
•
•
Favored the daring coup that
brought the party to power.
Heroically defended the
revolution during the Civil War
and Foreign Intervention
•
De-radicalization of Bolshevism
degenerates into Social
Democracy (“Bernsteinism”)
•
Revolutionary-idealists
“Cautious-Moderate”
•
Supported the major concessions
to Germany in Brest-Litovsk
•
Supported the NEP / pragmatists
•
Lenin intended NEP to be adopted
“seriously and for a long time.”
•
What made concessions to
capitalism acceptable was that it
was done under the guidance of
the Communist Party (dictatorship
of the proletariat)
The Left vs. The Right Opposition:
2. Industrialization
•
Industrialization was
necessary – essential to
the survival of socialism
and the USSR
•
Economic planning
focusing on industrial
production at the
expense of consumer
goods
•
Rapid industrialization
necessary for quicker
socialist transformation
•
Industrialization was
necessary but at a
pace that Soviet
society could handle –
no more shocks
•
In the early stage of
Soviet socialism, a
state-regulated
market was desired.
The Left vs. The Right Opposition:
2. How to Finance Industrialization
•
The USSR did not / could not
have colonies to exploit for
economic benefit like the
advanced capitalist countries had
/ have. (primitive capitalist
accumulation)
•
The state sector would not
produce enough profits/surplus
to finance industrialization in the
early stages.
•
Peasants needed to be
“squeezed.” (primitive socialist
accumulation). Goods would not
be confiscated but accumulation
would occur as a result of a
discriminatory pricing system.
- industrial goods would be priced
higher than agricultural goods.
•
Accumulation in the Soviet
economic reality would not occur
for long without accumulation in
the peasant economy.
•
Discriminatory pricing that
burdens the peasants is
counterproductive because they
are the majority of the population
and its their prosperity that
should be encouraged. Only
prosperous peasants will have a
surplus to offer Soviet
industrialization.
•
According to Bukharin, 3 sources
of industrialization:
Growing profitability of Soviet
state industries
2. Revenues from progressive tax
3. Voluntary savings in Soviet banks
/ lending and credit institutions
1.
The Left vs. The Right Opposition:
3. The Agrarian Question
•
•
•
Called for the rapid transition to collective
farms
- like large state industries, collective farms
produce more and are more efficient
•
Opposed a “second” expropriation of the
kulaks (the first during the Civil War)
•
Although the kulaks are inclined towards
capitalism, in the early stages, all peasants
must be supported
•
Favoring the poor peasants will lead to
“wretched socialism.”
•
The important strata were the middle
peasants – Soviet Government must
guarantee its loyalty because it constituted
51% of the peasantry.
•
“We must say to the entire peasantry, to all
its strata: enrich yourselves, accumulate,
develop your country.” – Bukharin
•
Agrarian overpopulation would be solved by
creating more work in the countryside / more
land under cultivation
Suicidal for the Party to encourage private
landholding
Kulaks should be suppressed. Soviet policy
should favor poorest peasants
•
“Primitive socialist accumulation” implied
conflict with the peasantry
•
Agrarian overpopulation would be solved by
increased industrialization and urban
migration
The Left vs. The Right Opposition:
4. Permanent Revolution vs. Socialism in One
Country
•
•
Socialism in the Soviet Union will
not survive or will become
mutated unless there are
revolutions in advanced capitalist
countries. Foreign policy must
aggressively export revolution.
Class war against the NEPmen and
the kulaks, the enemies of
socialism, must be promoted
•
Revolution in advanced capitalist
countries is not on the horizon.
The CPSU must focus on building
and strengthening socialism in the
USSR.
•
Class war should not be forgotten
but must be “fought” differently:
- State socialist enterprises should
compete with private enterprises
on the market and use the market
to bury capitalism!
•
“Smychka” – alliance of workers
and peasants
…and the WINNER of the political
struggle….
•
With the exception of the theory of “Socialism in One Country” (which
Bukharin actually developed first), Stalin contributed nothing new
theoretically to the debates. He won the power struggle vs. Trotsky,
Zinoviev, Kamenev by manipulating the Party and appointing his
supporters to key posts. After he consolidated power, he completely took
the positions of the Left Opposition.
COMRADE JOSEPH
STALIN!!
The Soviet Union and
Industrialization
•
The Soviet Union was the first noncapitalist country to industrialize. There
were no blue prints and no precedents.
•
The other challenging aspect about Soviet
industrialization was that it took place in
an overwhelmingly agrarian country and
had to stay within the parameters of
Marxist teachings.
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
Introduction

In spite of temporary successes in Hungary and
Bavaria, communist revolutions outside of Russia
failed.

Conversely, the capitalist countries did not see the
destruction of the Bolshevik Government by the White
movement either.

Both the Soviets and the outside world had to
reconcile each other’s existence.
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
•
During most of the 1920’s the Soviet Union followed a contradictory
foreign policy of:
a. trying to win official recognition
from as many countries as
possible
b. supporting the Third Communist
International (Comintern)
- established in 1919 with Zinoviev as its
chairman, it was established to function as
the “steering committee of the international
revolution.”
- all Communist Parties were suppose to follow the line that
the CPSU established for them
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
A.
Winning Recognition – 1920’s
1.
April 16, 1922 – Treaty of Rapallo
- with Germany
- economic cooperation and secret military relations
- lasted until Hitler’s advent to power in 1932
2. 1924 – The Soviet Union won diplomatic recognition
from:
- Great Britain, France, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece,
Mexico and China
1920’s – The Soviet Union concluded treaties of “neutrality and friendship”
with:
- Turkey, Persia (Iran), Afghanistan
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
A.
Winning Recognition – Relations with China
•
1927 – Stalin directed the Chinese Communist Party to support
the nationalist Kuomintang in a “united front.”
•
When Kuomointang leader Chiang Kai-shek consolidated victory,
he turned against the Communists and massacred them in
Shanghai.
•
When the Communists retaliated, on orders from Moscow, with a
rebellion in Canton, they were crushed.
•
Nonetheless, the CPSU maintained its influence over the Chinese
Communist Party until the Sino-Soviet split in 1960.
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
B. Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1930’s
•
The Soviets, threatened by the rise of Japanese
militarism in the East and Nazi Germany in the West,
pursued a policy of “collective security” with non-Fascist
countries.
- “Popular Front” policy. The CPSU instructed the
Comintern to pursue policies of good relations
between western capitalist countries and the USSR.
- Communist revolution was taken off the agenda.
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
•
The Soviet Union was accepted into the League of Nations
•
1932 - Concluded non-aggression treaties with Poland, Estonia,
Latvia, Finland and France.
•
1933 - United States recognized the USSR
•
1934 – Soviet Union signed treaties establishing normal relations
with Czechoslovakia and Romania.
- A Soviet-French-Czech alliance pledged support to
Czechoslovakia in the event it was attacked.
•
During the 1930’s the Soviets were consistently more interested in
beating back Fascist aggression. The Western Powers were not so
enthusiastic.
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
C. The Spanish Civil War
IV. Soviet Foreign Policy
1921-1941
D. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Nazi-Soviet
Pact, August 1939)
Soviet Foreign Ministers:
1918-1941
Georgy Chicherin
(1872-1936)
Maxim Litvinov
(1876-1951)
Vyacheslav Molotov
(1890-1986)
The Germans Capture Stalin’s
Son Yakov Dzhugashvili