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Comrade Stalin:

A Journey Through Communist Ideology and Politics

After World War I, Russia was under the new leadership of Vladimir Lenin, who was faced with the task of rebuilding and industrializing Russia. Since Lenin died in 1924, he did not have enough time to make any sweeping reforms. Thus, Stalin was faced with the same problems, specifically rapid industrialization and improved agricultural productivity.

Rapid Industrialization

Socialism in One Country

Centralized State

Collectivization of Agriculture

These ideas address the issues of poverty and corruption in the Russian society.

It did not take long for Stalin to translate his beliefs into concrete policies implemented by the state. His flagship plan for the betterment of the Soviet Union came in the form of his revolutionary Five-Year Plans for the National Economy of the Soviet Union.

These ideas represent a new form for the society. There was previously a very small elite and an overwhelmingly large peasantry.

The First Five-Year Plan focused mainly on the economy, with a focus on the collectivization of agriculture in the Soviet Union in order to facilitate more rapid industrialization as well as the ability to supply more capital more readily to the farmlands of Russia.

The Second Five-Year Plan prioritized industry above all. By 1933, when this plan was implemented, the Soviet Union was gaining on Germany as an industrial power. In addition to industry, childcare was introduced so that mothers could work for the good of the motherland.

Stalin, like many rising communist leaders of the day, claimed to have true Marxist political views and to support the views of Marx and Engels fully. Stalin was also inspired by the revolutionary works of predecessor, Vladimir Lenin.

Stalin's ideology differed from that of Lenin, Trotsky, and Marx, and it was seen clearly in his political policies.

Stalin was known for his belief in "socialism in one country." His policies of central planning and collectivization made this belief into a reality.

Stalin's views could be awe-inspiring and could cause excitement among the masses in Russia. A large majority of Russia was still basically living a life of serfdom on large farms, and they were yearning for change. The Stolypin Reforms before World War I offered change for the peasants, but they were discontinued at the outbreak of World War I. Stalin's ideas would attract the peasants and the poor inner-city laborers of the time with his promises of state collectivization.

"Death solves all problems - no man, no problem." This belief led Stalin to begin what was know as the "Great Purges," during which, untold millions of people lost their lives.

Initially, the lower class showed their support for Stalin's ideology; however, once their agricultural possessions were collectivized, they began lashing out against the injustices of Stalin's collectivization plans.

The upper class resisted Stalin's ideology from the beginning because it was their property that was being confiscated and turning into state property.

Stalin's ideology was revolutionary because none of his ideas had ever before been implemented on a large scale, as in an entire country.

Stalin claimed to be a Marxist, yet his policies showed his lack of true Marxist implementation. True Marxism calls for world revolution of complete communism and rule by the proletariat.

What Stalin implemented in his policies was a perverted form of communism, by means of socialism in one country and dictatorial rule. The reason behind this was that Joseph Stalin simply for himself and the power to rapidly industrialize Russia in order to compete with the rest of the world.

Stalin's platform was documented in his Five-Year Plans, which replaced the new economic policies of Lenin. The Five-Year Plans included programs specifically targeting capital goods, consumer goods, agriculture, communications, health, education, and welfare inside five year time frames.

The largest response came from Stalin's agriculture collectivization plan. The First Five-Year Plan initially aimed to collectives only twenty percent of agriculture in Russia; the real percentage ended up nearing ninety percent of agriculture in state possession. There was a large outcry from those associated with agriculture. The kulaks and peasants alike were unhappy with the loss of private property.

The kulak class was the most likely to respond to Stalin's policies. The kulaks, as the middle class, held private property rights most dear. After the collectivization of all agriculture, the kulaks began to slaughter all of their livestock to keep it from becoming government property. This led to a crushing famine, rampant throughout the Soviet Union. Peasants also resisted collectivization through armed uprisings across rural Russia.

The kulaks blatantly did not support the policies of Joesph Stalin. The kulaks were not a large class of people, therefore Stalin did not feel much need to win them over in support of his plans. Instead, Stalin decide to simply liquidate the kulaks as a class of people. Stalin would eliminate any opposition whatsoever to his plans.

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