РефератыИностранный языкThThe Impact That Stalin Had On Russia

The Impact That Stalin Had On Russia

And The Russian People Essay, Research Paper


Stalin ruled Russia from 1928 to 1953. He had some short-term impact on


Russia but he was single-minded and not pragmatic- unlike Lenin-


therefore his impact was mostly long-term.


A significant belief of Lenin?s had been that everybody should be


equal. Where women were concerned Stalin had other ideas. He reversed many


laws from the 1920s relating to women?s emancipation, in favour of


strengthening the family. For example, divorce and child support (if


unmarried) became more difficult to obtain, abortion was made illegal, and


women lost rights in the family. Reasons being that many children had been


born out of marriage. By 1930 Moscow was awash with a high number of


homeless children who had no family and were seen as a stain on the


perfect communist society that Stalin aspired to. Women lost the rights they


had received under Lenin?s rule, silently infuriating them. Traditional


Russians, tsar-like minded, were pleased to see women relegated to the


second class again. It had mixed impact for different groups.


Like the women under Stalin?s Russia, artists and freethinkers were


oppressed and reverted to the Tsarist-like censorship. Individuality was


forbidden under Stalin and writers and artists were forced to produce


work that glorified workers, peasants and the revolution. Likewise,


newspapers were strictly censored and communist papers were exclusive.


Education had been of great importance to both leaders and was strictly


controlled under Stalin. The old Tsarist forms of education e.g.


discipline and examinations were abolished. This produced a batch of poorly


educated and unruly pupils. In 1932 Stalin introduced a rigid programme


of education i.e. exams were reintroduced and much more discipline.


History was a subject Stalin wanted children to mainly focus on,


especially as he had textbooks rewritten to exaggerate his greatness and


importance to historic events, pasting himself onto many photos and erasing


people like Trotsky. This was tightly controlled by the government and


acted as propaganda in favour of Stalin also.


Outside of school time, Stalin ensured that children were encouraged to


attend political youth groups (started by Lenin) such as the


Octobrists, the Pioneers and the Komosol. These youth groups were an ongoing


concept by Lenin, tightly linked with education of the time and shaping the


children into young Stalinists. At the time these youth groups were a


continuation of a positive programme, enablin

g mothers to have time to


themselves and for children to socialise, interact and learn.


Stalin had a hugely positive impact on Russian peoples? leisure time.


Sport and fitness was encouraged to improve the general health of


Russian men and women. Every worker was entitled to a holiday- something that


was unheard of before the revolution. Trade unions and collective farms


played a large part in providing clubs, sports facilities, film shows


(propaganda of course), festivals and general entertainment. Children


were given the ?Archimedes club? for child inventors, ?hall of


interesting occupations?, table games club, toy pavilion and car games.


The biggest (and most positive) impact Stalin had, however, was to


industrialise Russia and create a superpower from a destitute nation. This


was a result of Stalin?s three five-year plans. This was a long-term


impact, which later enabled Stalin to conquer the surrounding countries


in Eastern Europe.


Once Stalin had established dictatorship (after 4 years), he abolished


the When Stalin put an end to the NEP so abruptly there was mixed


feelings. The Bolsheviks and extreme communists were pleased to see the NEP


go, as it did not conform to communist ideology. Conversely, the


peasants and factory owners were not. Even with the NEP in full flow 27


million people had been queuing up on the bread line, more people? those


who depended on the policy- were now to join them. There quickly followed


mass famine across Russia, yet Stalin still made the decision to


collectivise. Collectivisation was Stalin?s solution to the appalling state


of Russia?s agriculture. He believed that Russia had to be


self-sufficient. Indeed his Five Year Plans were dependent upon the peasant


farmers providing food for the workers in the factories.


Such rapid industrialisation could only be achieved if agriculture was


made more efficient, as sufficient food had to be produced to feed the


workforce. Surplus food could then be sold for money to boost the


industrial sector. This was where collectivisation came in. Collectivisation


was implemented in 1928 and was initially on a purely voluntary basis-


at a moderate and achievable pace. In practice this wasn?t the case. In


a bid to increase collective membership, peasants were granted


incentives to join the collectives in 1930. Stalin introduced the machine


tractor station in Russia, where collectives could borrow machinery and


increase their productivity in return for payment in the form of crops.


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