The XXth Century Political History of Russia: lecture materials

Оглавление

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION. Theme 1. THE STUDY OF MODERN RUSSIAN HISTORY: MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS

Theme 2. RUSSIA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY: ITS SELF-IMAGE, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, AND CONTRADICTIONS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT

Theme 3. FESTIVAL OF THE OPPRESSED OR SOCIAL DISEASE? THE NATURE OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONS

Theme 4. EMERGENCY MEASURES AND THE «EXTREME EMERGENCY REGIME» IN THE SOVIET REPUBLIC AND OTHER STATE FORMATIONS ON THE TERRITORY OF RUSSIA, 1918‒1920

Theme 5. FROM «WAR COMMUNISM» TO THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY: CONTRADICTIONS OF THE NEP

Theme 6. NEP DOWNSIZING AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE POLICY OF EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES INTO A PERMANENT SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

Theme 7. THE 1930S: CRISES, REFORMS, REPRESSIONS

Theme 8. THE HIERARCHY OF THE GREAT TERROR

Theme 9. ILLUSIONS AND AWAKENING OF THE GENERATION OF 1930S

Theme 10. THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 1941‒1945: MAIN EVENTS AND POPULAR MOOD IN THE UNOCCUPIED SOVIET UNION

Theme 11. THE PEOPLE AND PROBLEMS OF THE POST-WAR ERA

Theme 12. THE KHRUSHCHEV’S THAW AND ITS REVERSE SIDE

Theme 13. SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES: FROM REFORMS TO STAGNATION

Theme 14. THE 1980S: THE SPACE OF POWER AND A SEARCH FOR NEW WAYS OF HISTORICAL PROGRESS

Theme 15. AUGUST PUTSCH OF 1991 AND THE TERMIDOR OF YELTSIN

CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA. WITH WHAT DOES RUSSIA ENTER THE NEW MILLENNIUM?. Theme 16. THE REALM OF POWER UNDER VLADIMIR PUTIN

Theme 17. REFORMS AND THE HIERARCHY OF NATIONAL PROJECTS

Theme 18. LOCATING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD OF 1917 IN RUSSIAN HISTORICAL MEMORY

Theme 19. THE GREAT VICTORY OF 1945 IN HISTORICAL MEMORY

Theme 20. TWENTIETH-CENTURY RUSSIAN UTOPIAS: ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE FUTURE AS IMAGINED BY THE STATE AND DESIRED BY THE INTELLIGENTSIA

MAIN EVENTS, DATES AND GLOSSARY

SELECTED BIOGRAPHIES

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Theme 7.
THE 1930S: CRISES, REFORMS, REPRESSIONS

There are three prevailing notions about the 1930s both in academic history and the popular historical consciousness. The first is a «bright» myth: the 1930s were the epoch of general enthusiasm and grandiose achievements. The second explanation of the 30s is a «black» myth: the 30s were the time of unprecedented crimes; it was a «black period» in national and world history. The third notion represents a so-called «bipartite approach.» On one hand, there was real enthusiasm, on the other — persecutions. This bastardization of the scientific method of analysis once ridiculed by Karl Marx: «Napoleon is a great man. He did much good. But he also did much that was bad.» One must keep the good and remove the bad.

A new outlook on the 30s has recently been presented. It regards the 1930s as a period of «dialectic movements.» Two contradictory sides coexisted in those movements. They fought and thus created a new reality.

According to this scheme, by the late 20s, Stalin and his retinue had gained their foothold in a power play. Their program was as follows: To liquidate the private-ownership sector by force, to subordinate everything to the state, to reject the market with its problems and then to abolish money altogether. Their aim was to direct all of society’s effort to a common purpose — the construction of a powerful heavy industry. Moreover, this had to be accomplished in the shortest possible time, in a «leap.» This «revolutionary leap» would, as Stalin hoped, make it possible to outdistance the USA and Europe. Hence the tasks were: to concentrate on the main goal; to suppress any differences of opinion; to call for blind obedience; to put public interests before private ones. Stalin and his group conceived an «ideal society» as a well-organized mechanism, as a pyramid with the all-knowing government, the only reliable guide to progress, — at the top, and with conscious and disciplined masses — at the bottom. It was «general party line.»

The ruling clique indeed succeeded in achieving many of its partial goal, but at the enormous price of forsaking its true ideal. Stalin had soon to resign himself to many things. For example, to the failure of abolishing money, to the impossibility of changing economic laws, and to the indestructibility of human interests. But this was not apparent immediately; throughout the 1930s there were leaps, attacks and retreats creating a chaotic disorder.

In 1931 the results of the revolution from above have already became clear. Agriculture was in collapse. The surplus-appropriation system has triumphed. Peasants didn’t care anymore to work hard. A number of regions were stricken with famine. Trying to escape, the rural population left for cities and construction sites. A run of disintegration of collective-farms started.

Industrial labor productivity had fallen. A great increase in manpower supply entailed an increase in prime cost of production. Enormous subsides for industry had ruined the budget.

A rapid decrease of living standards increased social tensions. Open actions, silent sabotage, flight from collective farms — all this became the usual picture of the countryside. Moreover, when in 1932 the Government reduced the bread rations because of the poor harvest, unrests started in towns too.

A massive wave of rebellions rolled over the towns, when any opposition to the regime seemed to be suppressed by the «revolution from above». These rebellions have never been described in the Soviet press. But they were very real. People looted bread stores and bakeries, demonstrators drove local authorities away. An anecdote was wide-spread among workers: «In five years, after the 5 year plan, all that will be left in USSR will be — a party card, Stalin’s portrait and the skeleton of a worker».

История Bordyugov G., Devyatov S., Kotelenet E. The XXth Century Political History of Russia: lecture materials

История Bordyugov G., Devyatov S., Kotelenet E. The XXth Century Political History of Russia: lecture materials

The XXth Century Political History of Russia presents lecture materials for academics working with undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students as well as researchers of Russian history.<br /> The chapters are an unusual insight into the Russian past, which makes the readers think, analyze and also reconsider some events of the Russian history. It is an exciting blend of stories of the past and future trends, allowing to make forecasts and predictions.

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