Early Lives JOSEPH STALIN Family life Born in 1879 in Georgia, which was part of the Russian Empire. Original name was Iosif Dzhugashvili. Changed his name to Stalin (which means man of steel ). His father was a shoemaker and alcoholic. He abandoned the family when Stalin was a young child. Early political life Stalin made his name by taking part in violent bank raids to raise money for the Communist Party which was trying to overthrow the Tsar (the rule of Russia). He was twice exiled to Siberia by the Tsar s secret police but he managed to escape each time. Stalin became a leading communist after playing an important role in defending the city of Tsaritsyn (later Stalingrad) during the Civil War. Leadership qualities Not rated highly by Lenin (the leader of the Communist Party) or other leading communists. In 1923 Lenin had called for Stalin to be replaced. Stalin was seen as being slow, steady, dull and unimaginative. He was not a great public speaker. Ruthless and devious. He held grudges and was determined to make his enemies suffer. Hardworking and a clever politician. He was very good at using his power within the Communist Party. He took on many boring but important jobs such as General Secretary. He used this position to put his own supporters into important posts within the Party. ADOLF HITLER Family life Born in 1889 in Austria. He got on badly with his father who died in 1903. Unhappy and lonely at school. He was moody, shy and poor at most subjects. Hitler left school with no qualifications. Hitler failed to get a place at art school. For the next few years he struggled to make a living on the streets of Vienna. In 1914 he joined the army. He fought in the First World War and won a medal for bravery. Early political life After the war Hitler was sent by the army to spy on a meeting of the German Workers Party (DAP). He found himself agreeing with many of their ideas and joined the party. He was given membership card 555. The Party was renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). Hitler became leader of the Party in 1921. By the end of 1922 the Party had 20,000 members. In 1923, during the Munich Putsch, the Nazis attempted to overthrow the government by force. The Putsch failed and Hitler was sent to prison. However, he only received a short sentence and was soon back as leader of the Nazi Party. Leadership qualities Energetic and charismatic. Hitler was a great public speaker. His timing, the style of his delivery and the content of his speeches captivated his listeners. Single-minded and very suspicious of others. Devious and ruthless.
What did Stalin believe in? Joseph Stalin was a member of Russia s Communist Party. Karl Marx developed the idea of communism in the nineteenth century. The world is run by capitalists, who own the banks and factories. They make huge profits and become very rich. The people who work in these factories have to put up with terrible working conditions and receive very little pay. Eventually these workers will not accept this situation any longer and there will be a revolution. The workers will rise up and take power themselves. This will lead to a communist society in which a workers government will share out the wealth fairly. There will not be a division between rich and poor. Karl Marx At the start of the twentieth century Russia was a large but backward country. It was ruled by a Tsar who had complete power. Factory and mine workers were badly paid and had to put up with poor working conditions. Most of the population were peasant farmers who were very poor and lived in dreadful conditions. In 1917 the Tsar was overthrown during the Russian Revolution. Eventually, after a civil war, the communists, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power. Lenin made a number of changes to the way that the country was ruled. The workers have been told to take control of the factories and to run them by committees. The peasants have been told to share out the land between themselves. Our government has taken control of the banks and the wealth of rich people has been confiscated. Houses have been taken from their rich owners and shared among the workers. No political parties are allowed, except the Communist Party. All newspapers are under our control. However, we are encouraging all classes to have access to the finest theatre and music not just the rich. Women are equal to men and all titles and ranks have been dropped. Everybody is now called comrade. The Tsar and his family have been shot. The old Russian Empire is now known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR or Soviet Union). Vladimir Lenin
How did Stalin rise to power? Lenin died in 1924. Stalin was one of several leading communists who were possible candidates to take his place. However, he was not the favourite to take over. Most people believed that Leon Trotsky would take Lenin s place as leader of the Soviet Union. LEON TROTSKY Family life Born in 1879 into a respectable Jewish farming family. Exceptionally bright at school and university. Early political life Worked closely with Lenin. The two men had met in London in 1902. Published two communist newspapers. Played a key role in the 1917 Revolution. Leader of the army during the Civil War. Leadership qualities A brilliant writer and public speaker. Seen as the Communist Party s best political thinker, after Lenin. Very arrogant. Often offended other members of the Party. How did Stalin win the power struggle? Trotsky underestimated Stalin. Unlike Stalin, Trotsky made little effort to build up support from members of the Communist Party. He also scared people in the USSR by arguing that as a country they should try and spread communism to other parts of the world. People in the Soviet Union were worried that this might bring them into conflict with other countries. In contrast, Stalin argued that the Party should concentrate on establishing communism in the USSR rather than trying to spread the revolution across the globe. Trotsky was also unlucky. He fell ill towards the end of 1923. This was when it became clear that Lenin was dying and the Trotsky needed to rally support. Stalin also tricked Trotsky into not attending Lenin s funeral. Stalin told Trotsky that Lenin s funeral was going to take place on 26 th January, when it was actually due to take place on the 27 th. So, at Lenin s funeral Stalin attended as chief mourner and was able to present himself as Lenin s closest friend. Stalin was also a clever and ruthless politician. In 1924, Stalin worked with Kamenev and Zinoviev to keep power within the Party away from Trotsky and Bukharin. In 1926 he turned against Kamanev and Zinoviev and allied himself with Bukharin. After Kamanev, Zinoviev and Trotsky had been expelled from the Communist Party, Stalin attacked Bukharin. By 1929 Bukharin had also been expelled from the Party. Stalin was now the undisputed leader of the Soviet Union.
How did Stalin control the Soviet Union? Part One In the 1930s, Stalin s main aim was to turn the Soviet Union into a leading world power. He wanted to show the world that communism could succeed and that he could turn the USSR into a modern, industrial country that could match the capitalist countries of the West such as Britain and the USA. In order to achieve his goal, Stalin believed that he had to be in complete control of the country opposition could not be tolerated. One of Stalin s aims was to control people to such an extent that they would be afraid to even consider opposing him. Terror how did Stalin use fear to keep people in line? Stalin had a large secret police force, which he used to crush any opposition. People believed that there could be spies and informers everywhere. Children were encouraged to inform on their parents. People who criticised Stalin were arrested and often tortured before being sent to labour camps (known as gulags). The camps were often in the north of the Soviet Union where prisoners would be forced to work in freezing conditions for long hours and no pay. Stalin was ruthless with political opponents or people he saw as a threat to his position of power. Stalin purged all the people in the Communist Party who he thought might challenge his leadership. These people were arrested and put on show trials in public where they would be forced to admit to crimes before being sentenced and executed. It is thought that around half a million members of the Communist Party were arrested and either executed or sent to the gulags. In addition, 25,000 army officers were removed from their positions. Later, the Purges were extended to teachers, engineers, miners, factory managers and workers. It has been estimated that, by 1937, 18 million people had been transported to the labour camps. Source 1 This mock travel poster was produced by people who had been exiled from the USSR. The caption says, Visit the USSR s pyramids! Source 2 Forced labour on the Belomar Canal
How did Stalin control the Soviet Union? Part Two Censorship and propaganda how did Stalin control ideas? People living in the Soviet Union only received the information that Stalin wanted them to. The government controlled all newspapers and radio stations. Communists did not believe in God so churches were closed and religious worship was banned. Instead, people were encouraged to worship Stalin. Belief in God was replaced by belief in communism. Source 4 Stalin at the helm, a poster from 1933. ewe DISCUSS Look at Sources 3, 4 and 5. What is the main message of each source? Source 5 A 1937 photomontage of Stalin surrounded by a sea of children s faces. Source 3 The cover of a magazine from 1949. During the celebrations of his 70 th birthday a giant portrait of Stalin was suspended over Moscow and lit up at night by searchlights. At the time, Stalin was popular and admired by the majority of people living in the Soviet Union. This was largely due to propaganda. Paintings, films, plays and posters were produced to show people that Stalin was the best person to lead the Soviet Union. Every town had a large statue of Stalin in the centre, a Stalin Square or a Stalin Avenue. Regular processions through the streets were organised in honour of Stalin and what he had achieved.
How did Stalin change life in the Soviet Union? Part One Source 6 Poster showing Stalin marching alongside Soviet miners. It is our workers who make our programme achievable. Life for workers The government ran all the main industries. A five-year plan was introduced that set targets for each of the key heavy industries (coal, iron, oil and electricity). Some of these targets were almost impossible to reach because of a shortage of raw materials. However, many people supported Stalin and were determined to reach the targets that had been set because they thought that they were working for a better future and helping to make the Soviet Union a leading world power. Propaganda posters like the one on the right played an important role. Results during the first five-year plan were very impressive. Over 100 new industrial towns and 15,000 factorise were built. Between 1927 and 1937 coal production rose from 35.4 million tons to 128 million tons; oil from 11.7 million to 28.5 million tons; and steel from four million to 17.7 million tons. By 1937, the Soviet Union had been transformed into a modern industrial power. Unemployment was virtually non-existent. However, progress came at a great cost. People working in the factories had to work very long hours for very little pay (wages actually fell between 1928 and 1937). If they were late for work they could be sacked and lose their house or flat. Workers were fined if they could be sacked and lose their house or flat. Workers were fined if they failed to meet targets. If they made mistakes they were accused of sabotage and arrested. Overcrowding was a problem in the towns and the cities. In the countryside, peasants were forced to join collective farms, under the control of the local communist leader. Land, animals and tools were not owned by individuals but by the collective. People were expected to work cooperatively. If they refused to join the collectives they were rounded up by the police and sent to labour camps. It took time for people to get used to the new system of farming and at first there were food shortages. In 1932-33 there was a famine and millions died in Kazakhstan and the Ukraine the Soviet Union s richest agricultural region. Source 7 Alexei Stakhanov a Soviet coal miner, whose amazing productivity at work inspired others to work as hard as he did. Source 9 Higher and Higher, a painting by Serafima Ryangina, 1934 Source 8 Woman Metro-Builder with Pneumatic Drill by Alexsandr Samohvalov, 1937. How much did life change for women? The Communist Party wanted to change the position of women in society. They thought that women should be more independent and not just fulfil the domestic role of caring for the home and family. Women played a key role in industry. The five-year plan revealed a shortage of workers so thousands of creches and day-care centres were set up so that women could work in the factories. By 1937, 40% of industrial workers were women. However, not enough childcare was provided by the government. Many children lived on the streets in gangs of orphans and survived by begging and stealing. Also, although the Communist Party stressed equality for women, few became actively involved in politics.
How did Stalin change life in the Soviet Union? Part Two Life for young people The communists thought education was very important. Their aim was for each child to receive nine years of free education. However, schools often struggled for resources. Teachers were badly paid and many children left school early. At school, the aim was to combine education and political propaganda. During the 1920s: Religious teaching was replaced by an emphasis on communism and atheism. A large part of education focused on technical subjects and industrial training in order to prepare pupils for the world of work. There were visits to farms, factories and power stations. The history of the Soviet Union was rewritten in order to present Lenin and Stalin as the real heroes of the Revolution and the Civil War. Trotsky was given little credit. Like other old heroes of the Revolution he was written and airbrushed out of Soviet history. Look at the two photographs on the rights. Can you spot the difference? Turning young people into loyal communists was not just left to teachers. Outside of school, students were expected to join the Pioneers and promise to obey what the Communist Party taught them. In the Pioneers, children took part in activities like camping. However, they were also taught communist values. From the age of fourteen or fifteen young people could join the Komsomol. This was more serious and focused on politics. It was seen as an important step before becoming a member of the Communist Party. Source 11 After Stalin seized power, a very similar photograph was published with Trotsky and Kamanev painted out. Source 10 A photograph of Lenin addressing troops in 1920, with Trotsky and Kamanev on the steps to the right of the platform.