Zeba Khetani
Research Essay
Vladimir Lenin officially took power of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic in 1917 with the Communist Party. The USSR broke into a civil war in 1918 occurring between the Red Army, consisting of Bolsheviks, and the White Army. The Red Army defeated the White Army by 1921 and the Communist Party gained complete power. Eventually the USSR was under War Communism, which further diminished its economy. [0: "South African History Online," Challenges to capitalism; Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Communist state. Accessed January 17, 2014. http://www.sahistory.org.za/grade-11/challenges-capitalism-russian-revolution-and-establishment-communist-state]
After Vladimir Lenin's death, Joseph Stalin took control of Russia in 1924. He considered himself a Marxist. Stalin was a strong believer in Bolshevism and supported Lenin, until he came into power. Stalin eliminated everyone close to Lenin and established himself as dictator of Russia. He obliterated any opposition or anyone that challenged him. During the Great Purges of 1930s, Stalin executed or imprisoned 35,000 soldiers along with killing close to all significant leaders of the time.
English: Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, March 1...
English: V. I. Lenin Français : V. I. Lénine - r...
Joseph Stalin, seated outdoors at Berlin conferenc...Though Stalin supported Lenin as a dictator, after Lenin's death he stripped Russia of Lenin policies. Stalin began to devise his own policies, which he enforced upon the people of Russia, under his dictatorship.[1: Naum Jasny. The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Feb., 1950), pp. 92-99http://www.jstor.org/stable/20099624][2: "South African History Online"][3: O. A. Narkiewicz. Stalin, War Communism and Collectivization Soviet Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jul., 1966), p. 20http://www.jstor.org/stable/149830]
Research Stalin's policy of collectivization. How did Stalin change Lenin's policy? How did the Kulaks resist collectivization? What were the consequences of their resistance? Did the ends justify the means?
Joseph Stalin's policies largely modified the Soviet Union between 1924-1941. He wished to grow Russia's industry to be as developed and technologically advanced as countries such as Germany.