Socialism and Cooperative Ideas

Study Notes

Socialists believed that cooperatives could be built on a large scale, but required government support.
Louis Blanc advocated for government-encouraged cooperatives to replace capitalist enterprises in France.
These cooperatives were envisioned as associations of people working together, sharing profits based on individual contributions.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels argued that industrial society was inherently capitalist.
Capitalism was characterized by capitalists owning the means of production and workers generating profits for them.
Marx believed that to free themselves from exploitation, workers needed to overthrow capitalism and establish a socialist society with social control of all property.
This socialist society would be a communist society, where the workers would triumph over the capitalists.

Socialist ideas gained traction in Europe during the 1870s.
Socialists formed the Second International, an international organization to coordinate their efforts.
Workers in England and Germany organized associations to fight for improved living and working conditions.

The war was initially supported by Russians, who rallied behind Tsar Nicholas II.
However, the Tsar's refusal to consult with the Duma, his wife's German origins, and the influence of Rasputin made the autocracy unpopular.
The war on the eastern front was characterized by large-scale battles and heavy casualties, leading to disillusionment and demoralization among the Russian people.
The Russian army suffered significant losses against Germany and Austria, with over 7 million casualties by 1917.
The war also severely impacted industry, leading to food shortages and increased poverty.

To address the shortcomings of agriculture, Stalin's government implemented a collectivization program.
Peasants were forced to join collectivized farms (kolkhoz), losing their land and implements to the collective.
Peasants resisted collectivization, fearing the loss of their autonomy and the potential for exploitation.
This resistance led to harsh punishments, deportations, and exiles.
The collectivization effort resulted in a significant decrease in cattle and contributed to widespread famine between 1930 and 1933, leading to the death of over 4 million people.

The Bolshevik revolution sparked global interest and inspired the formation of communist parties in various countries, including the Communist Party of Great Britain.
The Bolsheviks actively encouraged colonial peoples to adopt their model.
The USSR hosted the Conference of the Peoples of the East and the Comintern, fostering international socialist solidarity.
The USSR provided education and support to international socialists through the Communist University of the Workers of the East.
Despite initial acclaim, the Soviet government's policies diverged from the ideals of social equality and democratic participation championed by the Russian Revolution.

Indian revolutionaries, like Shaukat Usmani, were impressed by the USSR's apparent social equality and lack of caste or religious barriers.
Rabindranath Tagore, however, observed the less glamorous side of the USSR, noting its lack of cleanliness and the focus on worker society.
Both Indian observers were captivated by the Soviet Union's societal transformation and its dedication to social upliftment.