The history of the USSR is characterized by 5 major factors: 1) economic backwardness and struggles for survival (among the folks as well as the ruling Soviet Communist Party), 2) war and invasion (the invasion of NAZI Germany), 3) the role with the West in shaping Soviet policies, 4) internal political struggles in between political figures (Stalin and Trotsky), and 5) the utilization of fear like a political factor. Among these 5 factors, it is stated how the internal political struggles in between political figures within the Soviet Communist Party and Hitler’s invasion on the USSR are the two most crucial factors that characterized the history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1945.
With the death of Lenin (the founder in the Russian Communist Party) in 1927, some of his associates started organizing mass rallies so that you can show their appreciation to the works of Lenin. Their show of aid was a prelude on the successive internal struggles for leadership inside party. 2 figures vied for ones leadership with the Soviet Communist Party: Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Among these 2 figures, Leon Trotsky was the more ready of managing a large bureaucracy (according to Lenin, he was much more philosophical and practical in procedure than Stalin. At the opening from the 15th Congress (December 1927), Stalin launched an attack against the Left and expelled Trotsky from the Party. Stalin also urged his “comrades” to abandon Lenin’s New Economic Policy. He argued that economic development can only be achieved by pursuing a rapid development of heavy industry. Thus, he dismissed Nikolai Bukharin and Alexei Iyanovich Rykov in the government (although they retained their positions from the party) as a result of their disagreements with Stalin.
In 1934, a series of purges had been launched by Stalin against “his” comrades. Sergei Kirov was assassinated. Stalin moved and accused Zinoviev and Kamenev of assassinating Kirov and planning to overthrow Stalin. Stalin old comrades within the Bolshevik Party had been successively accused of conspiracy against the government. Some of them had been sentenced to death after mock trials. Others have been deported on the gulags (similar for the concentration camps on the NAZIS). Trotsky was exiled to Kazakhstan in 1928 and finally expelled inside the Soviet Union in 1929. Based on some historians, the period 1936-37 was called the Good Terror. It is estimated that about 681,692 men and women have been shot. During this period, about 40 000 folks have been sentenced to death. The secret police (NKVD) deported thousands of folks to Siberia; most of which have been members from the Soviet Communist Party. It can be mentioned that during this period (and even after the Second World War), the Communist Party was subordinated on the NKVD. These purges were not limited towards political figures inside Communist Party. In 1937, quite a few Red Army generals have been accused of conspiring to overthrow the federal government of Stalin. Marshal Tukhachevshy was removed from his article and transferred towards prison. These trials and purges strengthened the grip of Stalin to power. His opponents became the pawn with the concentration camps.
Now, the causes why this factor is an significant characterization of Soviet history from 1927 to 1945 can also be summarized as follows:
With the death of Lenin (the founder in the Russian Communist Party) in 1927, some of his associates started organizing mass rallies so that you can show their appreciation to the works of Lenin. Their show of aid was a prelude on the successive internal struggles for leadership inside party. 2 figures vied for ones leadership with the Soviet Communist Party: Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Among these 2 figures, Leon Trotsky was the more ready of managing a large bureaucracy (according to Lenin, he was much more philosophical and practical in procedure than Stalin. At the opening from the 15th Congress (December 1927), Stalin launched an attack against the Left and expelled Trotsky from the Party. Stalin also urged his “comrades” to abandon Lenin’s New Economic Policy. He argued that economic development can only be achieved by pursuing a rapid development of heavy industry. Thus, he dismissed Nikolai Bukharin and Alexei Iyanovich Rykov in the government (although they retained their positions from the party) as a result of their disagreements with Stalin.
Now, the causes why this factor is an significant characterization of Soviet history from 1927 to 1945 can also be summarized as follows:
- The rule of Stalin from 1927 to 1953 was a period of political stability at the expense of the blood of “his” comrades. Not just did this period characterize the rule of terror, it also highlighted that mass murders can be feasible so long as the government becomes greedy for power;
- And, second, it's mentioned how the rule of Stalin through blood purges was a symbolic return towards the Old Russian regime (tsarist Russia). The propensity of opposition during this period was far below from that on the old regime. Political participation in the nation bureaucracy was limited for the close friends of Stalin. People who showed signs of opposition were killed.
The second thing characterized the history on the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1945. On August 23, 1939, Germany signed a non-aggression pact in the Soviet Union. In this pact, Germany as well as the USSR agreed to a 10 year non-aggression in case of war. The two nations agreed to recognize its spheres of influences. However, Hitler broke the pact and ordered the German army, navy and of course, the air force to launch an attack on the USSR (a total of 121 division – more than 3 million German troops). Within the first 48 hours on the invasion, the Russians lost 1000 aircrafts, A single million men, along with a total of 5000 tanks and artillery. City right after city fell for the hands from the Nazis. By the end of August, the Nazis occupied a higher part of West Russia. German tanks have been rolling towards Russian capital. Leningrad was at siege. The south laid in waste as German columns approached. Inside the brink of the defeat (Hitler referred to as an additional Two million SS troops to “dispatch” the Slavic population during the Soviet Union), Stalin made an appeal towards the Soviet people to fight against a tyrant. Women, children, man, as well as the old heeded the call. Thus, the Good Patriotic War began. Russian factories had been transferred towards the Urals (protected from NAZI attack). The mobilization for the Russian bring about was met with enthusiasm by all sectors with the Soviet society. Even the Russian Orthodox Church (which suffered under the rule of Lenin) showed assist to your war effort (thus, Stalin returned on the Church all properties confiscated during the Lenin era).
We can juxtapose the importance with the second point by examining these reasons:
We can juxtapose the importance with the second point by examining these reasons:
- The Soviet war effort (for the first time) united the whole country into a single force; that is, a force that would destroy a powerful military nation;
- And, the Soviet bring about was the beginning issue of recovery to your allies. In the early part of 1941, Britain was the only country facing Nazi Germany (on the brink of war). The entry from the Soviet Union in the war provided the allies fresh hopes of military victory. During the Soviet Union though, the war cost them about 20 million casualties (in contrast, Germany suffered 3.5 million casualties).
