grade 11 Soviet Union, Communism

Communism in Russia 1917

• Socialism/Communism = belonging to all; no completion
• Communism developed after the industrial revolution
• Communism took over Russia (first country to introduce a communist system)
• Industrial revolution involved the rise of machinery and production change
• European imperialism was a 5-century quest by European countries to gain outside territory
• Wealthy people were rich, while farmers were poor
• Key features of communism: resources owned by government, equality, government-controlled economy, free basic human needs including freedom

Karl Marx 1818

• Marxism was a German philosopher's idea to evenly spread wealth amongst people
• He wrote articles to encourage revolution, and his book "Das Kapital" focused on social inequalities during the industrial revolution, and how capitalism exploits workers
• He presented the theory of Marxism as a human history of wealth and power versus the poor and powerless. This includes a conflict between owners of private property and the workforce.

Issues that led to the 1905 Revolution

• Russia was ruled by Tsar Nicholas with absolute power
• The system needed modernizing and the peasants lived in poverty and hardship
• Poverty was high in the rural areas, resulting in low wages and poor working conditions
• Poor harvests and low wages led to poverty and hardship, with low agricultural production resulting with food shortages.
• Educated people took leadership positions but were unequal with the majority of the population
• Majority of the population was illiterate
• Opposition against the government existed, with secret police to crush or punish those opposed

The 1905 Revolution Significance

• Workers protested in St. Petersburg, leading to strikes and unrest, due to unemployment, inflation and food shortages
• People demanded improvements in their working conditions and basic human rights (amnesty, civil liberties, and fair wages)
• Peasant demanded land to improve their lives
• Reform was needed for a change in their living situation

February Revolution 1917

• Soldiers joined protestors to overthrow the tsar, as he had no power
• Economic issues and discontent played a role in the revolution (caused by WW1)
• Food shortages and inflation occurred
• Ineffective government, leading to ongoing protests
• The provisional government took over control to end elections

October/Bolshevik Revolution 1917

• Lenin and Trotsky planned a coup that was successful
• Red guards took key places in Petrograd and stormed the Winter Palace which resulted in the provisional government's surrender
• Bolsheviks gained control over Moscow, despite resistance
• Social, political and economic problems caused the October revolution

Lenin's Political and Economic Policies

• Bolsheviks formed a communist party that controlled policies
• Lenin's policies were focused on a political revolution to gain control
• Policies emphasized Lenin's leadership and totalitarianism where the state took control.
• Bolsheviks seized control and closed down the constituent assembly.
• Land reforms gave large landowners’ land to peasants.
• Economic policies focused on nationalization of private ownership

Civil War and War Communism

• Opposition to communist rule resulted in a Civil War
• Communists gained victory over opponents.
• War communism aimed to control the economy for the red army
• Private ownership was banned, and food was forcibly requisitioned affecting food production and shortages
• There was a negative impact, especially the reduction of agricultural production and distribution of food for the peasants
• Sailors at Kronstadt revolted against communism due to lack of freedom and negative impacts of the policy

New Economic Policy (NEP)

• NEP was a compromise to fix the economic crisis by implementing free enterprise
• Peasants paid taxes in grain to sell any extra, helping them become wealthier
• Government controlled large companies
• Workers got bonuses for hard work

Lenin's Death and Struggle After

• Russia became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1923.
• The communist party was the only legal party.
• Bolsheviks supported the spread of communism worldwide
• Stalin and Trotsky were the new leaders striving for power

Stalinism

• Stalin consolidated power and instilled a cult of personality through public displays and statues, promoting and worshipping him as a great leader.
• Personal power = terror to control population. Centralized control of politics and government.
• Censorship and propaganda to control beliefs and enforce his ideas on the population
• Stalin's interpretation of Marxism-Leninism was focused on personal control and terror.
• Collectivization = land and production by state; increased agricultural production

Collectivization

• Increased agricultural production
• Collective farms were owned by the state, taking land away from farmers
• Food production was intended to be exported
• Peasant resistance resulted with food shortages, starvation, and deportations
• Stalin's forced collectivization resulted in famine and the death of several million people

Industrialization

• Five-year plans transformed the Soviet Union into an industrial superpower
• Heavy industries such as iron, mining, and steel expanded
• Industrial infrastructure and towns were developed, producing new skilled workers
• Goods were of low quality, and productivity levels were low
• Workers faced dangerous conditions and suffered in Gulags
• Industrialization resulted in a great transformation of the Soviet Union into a manufacturing-focused country

Political Terror: Purges and Show Trials

• Show trials were used to eliminate opposing political figures
• Purges removed many high-ranking members and officers in the Communist party and army
• Gulags (labor camps) were used to imprison those considered enemies of the state

Women under Stalin

• Women played active roles in the Communist Party, holding positions of leadership and participating in revolution
• Bolshevik's radical ideas emphasized the removal of discrimination against women, making women equal

Pseudo-scientific ideas of Race

• Ideas of race were developed by European in pseudo-sciences or fake sciences, based on prejudice
• Ideas of race were based on the concept of different races and a hierarchy of races, arguing that Europeans were superior in their physical prowess, tech, and social behavior
• This racist ideology is based on prejudices and not on actual science

Eugenics

• Promotion of genetic health among favored races and the elimination or control of inferior groups
• Positive eugenics sought to encourage the reproduction of individuals with desirable traits.
• Negative eugenics sought to prevent reproduction among the undesirable groups.

Understanding of Race

• Eugenics = the abuse of human rights; sterilisation and mass murder
• Genetics showed that pseudo-science was wrong
• Trace DNA to discover mothers

The First Duma (Parliament)

• Established first duma, a new law, to stop protests
• Armed forces loyal to the tsar were unreliable

Nazi Germany and the Holocaust

• Hitler consolidated power from 1933 to 1934
• Solved economic problems for Germany and consolidated totalitarian dictatorship
• Hitler's Nazi Party accused communist of burning down the parliament

Nazi Ideologies and Policies

• Nazis promoted a single ideology and national community
• Promoted one race and eugenics
• Superiority of the Aryan race and discrimination against other races: people deemed “inferior” were considered threats
• Encouraged hatred and discrimination against the Jews (considered the biggest threat)

Nationalism

• Nationalism is a sense of belonging to a nation
• Nationalism was developed over time and in different events in various countries, with different motives and consequences

Nationalism in South Africa

• Different views on nationalism regarding all South Africans equally
• Nationalist movements emerged as a form of resistance against colonialism and segregation
• African nationalism developed its own sense of pride and identity, opposing segregation policies made by the government
• Some South Africans were involved in British efforts in the war

The Stolen Generation

• Children who were mixed-race were separated from their parents
• Aborigines mothers and white fathers were separated due to racial purity ideas of higher races
• White families and missionaries raised the mixed-race children to erase their indigenous traditions

National Policies of Genocide

• State policies that lead to extermination of a group of people. Countries used such policies across continents, and groups of people were targeted for racial or ethnic reasons.

Allied Propaganda and Post World War Two

• Allied propaganda used nationalism as ideology for the war
• African nationalism and the African Claims were a new political ideology against discrimination
• There were important events from 1941 to 1945 that influenced and shaped African Nationalism which led to new development and demands
• Younger members formed a group aimed at solving political issues causing segregation in South Africa

Afrikaner Nationalism

• This concept of creating a distinct national identity gained popularity
• This was achieved by establishing organizations and cultural activities that sought to preserve the Afrikaner culture
• Afrikaner nationalism grew stronger and there were different groups that sought to create their identity among themselves
• These groups were successful at organizing events and created a unified identity between different people
• Nationalism influenced various aspects such as economics and politics in South Africa and various other countries

Communism in Russia- Summary

• Communism's development was a result of the industrial revolution and inequalities across European countries
• Key features of communism include government ownership of resources and equality
• Karl Marx presented his theory on Marxism and das Kapital, discussing social class conflicts and capitalism's effects on workers
• Factors such as poverty, low wages, and lack of equality led to revolutions in Russia, with leaders like Lenin and Trotsky shaping their own paths in history and politics
• Lenin and Trotsky were influential figures in promoting communism in Russia, while others actively opposed it.