Stalin & his successorsStalin & his successors

From totalitarianism to From totalitarianism to authoritarianism?authoritarianism?

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Stalin and StalinismStalin and Stalinism Crucial period in Soviet historyCrucial period in Soviet history Collective leadership supplanted by Collective leadership supplanted by

personal dictatorshippersonal dictatorship USSR transformedUSSR transformed

• From agrarian to an industrial societyFrom agrarian to an industrial society• Totalitarian or near totalitarian systemTotalitarian or near totalitarian system• Ravaged by World War II – 27 million Ravaged by World War II – 27 million

deaddead• Emerges into cold war with westEmerges into cold war with west

Explaining StalinismExplaining Stalinism Context:Context:

• Peasants made Russian RevolutionPeasants made Russian Revolution• New Economic Policy (NEP), 1921-28, a New Economic Policy (NEP), 1921-28, a

compromise with the peasantrycompromise with the peasantry Collectivization & forced industrializationCollectivization & forced industrialization

• Attempt to proceed with socialist projectAttempt to proceed with socialist project• Ends compromise Ends compromise • Peasantry forced onto collective farms, into Peasantry forced onto collective farms, into

cities, or liquidated or sent into internal exilecities, or liquidated or sent into internal exile

Soviet UnionSoviet Union

Rise to powerRise to power Lenin impaired 1922, dies 1924Lenin impaired 1922, dies 1924 Collective Leadership emerges in his placeCollective Leadership emerges in his place Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the

CPSU emerges as successorCPSU emerges as successor Consolidating power, launches USSR on Consolidating power, launches USSR on

program of rapid collectivization & program of rapid collectivization & industrializationindustrialization

In process, establishes personal In process, establishes personal dictatorship (replacing collective dictatorship (replacing collective leadership)leadership)

StalinStalin Deeply suspiciousDeeply suspicious

• Fears enemies, Fears enemies, internal & externalinternal & external

Purges & show trials Purges & show trials remove purported remove purported enemiesenemies

Ironically, also builds Ironically, also builds loyal supportloyal support• New men needed to New men needed to

staff enlarged party & staff enlarged party & state apparatusstate apparatus

• nomenklaturenomenklature or or apparatchiki apparatchiki owe owe positions to Stalin & positions to Stalin & partyparty

Foreign policyForeign policy Initially isolatedInitially isolated Anxious to protect Western flank –Anxious to protect Western flank –

•Deals with Germany, Nazi regimeDeals with Germany, Nazi regime•Willingly seizes part of PolandWillingly seizes part of Poland

Suspicious of Hitler, yet reluctant to believe that Suspicious of Hitler, yet reluctant to believe that Nazis would attackNazis would attack

Fights ‘Great Patriotic War, allied with Britain & USFights ‘Great Patriotic War, allied with Britain & US Uneasy relationship:Uneasy relationship:

•USSR takes brunt of Nazi onslaughtUSSR takes brunt of Nazi onslaught•Constant complaint: allies not alleviating eastern frontConstant complaint: allies not alleviating eastern front

World War II & its aftermathWorld War II & its aftermath USSR suffers tremendous lossesUSSR suffers tremendous losses DemandsDemands

• territoryterritory• reparationsreparations• Sphere of influence or buffer Sphere of influence or buffer

vis á vis Germany -- control of ‘near abroad’vis á vis Germany -- control of ‘near abroad’ Tightly controlled regime re-establishedTightly controlled regime re-established

• Combination of both personal dictatorship and Combination of both personal dictatorship and control, totalitarian in its reachcontrol, totalitarian in its reach

SuccessionSuccession Stalin dies in 1953 Stalin dies in 1953

• From natural causes?From natural causes?• Or nothing done to stop it?Or nothing done to stop it?

Power struggle in the politboroPower struggle in the politboro• Laurence Beria, head of NKVD Laurence Beria, head of NKVD

(secret police) liquidated(secret police) liquidated• Nikita Khrushchev’s ascentNikita Khrushchev’s ascent

Dismissal of Georgi MalenkovDismissal of Georgi Malenkov The 20The 20thth party congress: party congress:

• Khrushchev denounces Khrushchev denounces Stalin, StalinismStalin, Stalinism

• Consolidates power: 1957-1963Consolidates power: 1957-1963

Khrushchev ousted (1964)Khrushchev ousted (1964)

Replaced by protégé, Leonid Replaced by protégé, Leonid BrezhnevBrezhnev

Brezhnev & others demand end to Brezhnev & others demand end to Khrushchev’s ‘hair-brained’ schemes, Khrushchev’s ‘hair-brained’ schemes, • Shake-ups of party and state bureaucracyShake-ups of party and state bureaucracy• Cultivation of virgin landsCultivation of virgin lands

Collective leadership put in placeCollective leadership put in place • Brezhnev on top, sharing power with croniesBrezhnev on top, sharing power with cronies• Little change in the party leadership from year Little change in the party leadership from year

to yearto year

The Soviet systemThe Soviet system

Entrenchment of party-state system:Entrenchment of party-state system: Communist Party (CPSU) is leading & Communist Party (CPSU) is leading &

guiding forceguiding force Interpenetrates & controls state, which in Interpenetrates & controls state, which in

turn owns & runs the economyturn owns & runs the economy In process, party swells from a small-In process, party swells from a small-

conspiratorial organization under Lenin to conspiratorial organization under Lenin to a massive bureaucratic structurea massive bureaucratic structure• 14+ million members at its peak14+ million members at its peak

StructureStructure Politboro & Central Committee at the centrePolitboro & Central Committee at the centre Politboro as surrogate cabinetPolitboro as surrogate cabinet Central Committee as a shadow governmentCentral Committee as a shadow government Preoccupation with Preoccupation with

• Nomination Nomination – control over appointments to both party – control over appointments to both party & state positions& state positions

• Oversight –Oversight – shadowing different parts of the state shadowing different parts of the state (including the mitary are doing(including the mitary are doing

Party = massive organization extending down to Party = massive organization extending down to factories, collective farms, neighbourhoodsfactories, collective farms, neighbourhoods

position of position of Nomenklatura Nomenklatura (those nominated(those nominated• Privileged access to goods, servicesPrivileged access to goods, services

Central PlanningCentral Planning GOSPLAN – State planning agency -- at the GOSPLAN – State planning agency -- at the

centre of a centre of a command economycommand economy 5 year plans continue5 year plans continue

• Targets set for all sectors of the economyTargets set for all sectors of the economy• Meeting targets: joint responsibility of factory Meeting targets: joint responsibility of factory

managers & party’s (local) first secretarymanagers & party’s (local) first secretary Growing problems:Growing problems:

• All thumbs & no fingersAll thumbs & no fingers• Priority to military Priority to military • Poor quality control: shoddy goodsPoor quality control: shoddy goods• Chronic shortages in agricultureChronic shortages in agriculture

The changing character of the The changing character of the systemsystem

Under Stalin, totalitarian or nearly so:Under Stalin, totalitarian or nearly so: Party & state establish a Party & state establish a total total or or

near total grip on societynear total grip on society However, Stalin’s purges devour However, Stalin’s purges devour

party (or parts thereof)party (or parts thereof) Police power & arbitrary terror as Police power & arbitrary terror as

substitutessubstitutes Party & state rigidifyParty & state rigidify Change comes from above, if at allChange comes from above, if at all

After StalinAfter Stalin Military competition continuesMilitary competition continues Greater attention to consumer goodsGreater attention to consumer goodsHowever,However, Quality uncertainQuality uncertain Access limitedAccess limited

• Moscow & Leningrad, urban areas, Moscow & Leningrad, urban areas, better off than rural better off than rural

• Elites -- upper echelons-- enjoy Elites -- upper echelons-- enjoy privileged access to goods & servicesprivileged access to goods & services

Space for dissentSpace for dissent System relaxesSystem relaxes Less arbitrary recourse to terrorLess arbitrary recourse to terror Party retains controlParty retains control Dissent remains proscribedDissent remains proscribed

• Boundaries clearer – but shift from time to timeBoundaries clearer – but shift from time to time• Samizdat --Samizdat --underground literary network underground literary network

circulates manuscriptscirculates manuscripts Bureaucratic & authoritarian rather than Bureaucratic & authoritarian rather than

totalitariantotalitarian

Eastern EuropeEastern Europe Similar party-state systems in place in Similar party-state systems in place in

Eastern EuropeEastern Europe Varying degrees of control & Varying degrees of control &

accommodationaccommodation All regimes initially StalinistAll regimes initially Stalinist Tighter grip in East Germany, Tighter grip in East Germany,

CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia Looser grip in countries where party is Looser grip in countries where party is

weaker (Poland) or, over the long haul, weaker (Poland) or, over the long haul, trusted, Hungarytrusted, Hungary

Europe DividedEurope DividedWestern EuropeWestern Europe

Liberal democracies Liberal democracies Increasingly affluent Increasingly affluent Enmeshed in Enmeshed in

international & international & transnational transnational structuresstructures

Under American Under American nuclear umbrellanuclear umbrella

Eastern EuropeEastern Europe Party-state systemsParty-state systems Economically, most Economically, most

people better off than people better off than beforebefore

Lag behind westLag behind west Organized as bloc, Organized as bloc,

orchestrated by USSRorchestrated by USSR Under Soviet nuclear Under Soviet nuclear

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