Stalin’s solution to Russia’s economic problems came under the form of a series of five year plans in which Stalin set up ambitious targets for each industry and agriculture to reach after a five year period. Although Marx states in his manifesto that “the proletariat will… increase the total productive forces as rapidly as possible,” the basic philosophy behind the five year plans was in fact inherently opposed to that of the true communists: Under the five year plans workers and peasants alike were pushed beyond their limits as they laboured not for themselves but for figures which were often impossible to reach. Yet Stalin still used the label of communism to characterize his rule. His speeches resembled those of Karl Marx as he called attention to the imminent threat of capitalism; he played upon this fear so as to install popular support for his five year plans, without which “they [the capitalist countries] will crush us.” Stalin was thus openly hostile to the surrounding capitalist countries, a view which some have interpreted to be representative of a truly communist belief system. Others claim that Stalin used the supposed threat of capitalism as a convenient way to provide a common enemy thereby uniting Russia and consolidating his hold upon the subjugated people. Lenin stated that Russia could “either perish or overtake and outstrip the advanced capitalist countries.” In this respect Stalin therefore upheld the true communist fear and hatred of capitalism; this was then coupled with his personal paranoia concerning a foreign invasion. When this feared invasion came with operation barbarossa in June 1941, Stalin did indeed manage to resist what would have been a disastrous defeat at the hands of fascists. Some, certainly those who lived at the time, hail “Uncle Joe Stalin” (a nickname attributed to the Russian leader in the USA) for saving communism in what became known as one of the most heroic battles of the war.
The rapid industrialisation (an indispensable ingredient in Russian victory at Stalingrad) brought about by the five year plans did reap significant benefits for Russia. There was a drastic increase in the amount of jobs as employment reached unprecedented scales. This was in accordance with the communist belief in an ideal society where everyone would work. The increased industrialisation also meant that Russia was able to become almost self sufficient and thus largely free from dependence on foreign loans or capitalist investment. This isolation was characteristic of a communist ideology although, in Stalin’s case, it led to the notion of “socialism in one country” which contrasted drastically with what Marx and Engels had to say about the international character of the socialist movement. Stalin believed that socialism must be created and consolidated in one country before it can survive anywhere else. Based on Marx’s teachings and assurances that communism and capitalism can not co exist Trotsky called for a permanent revolution in an attempt to spread communism throughout Europe and eventually the rest of the world. Stalin put an end to Trotsky’s ideas (which upheld true communism) when he exiled him in 1929 and then had him killed. Having said this, Stalin did initiate, years later, the largest communist expansion to have ever taken place. This therefore provides a strong argument as to how Stalin did conform with Marxism. As with the abolishing of the NEP, however, it is unlikely to have been Stalin’s belief in pure communism that motivated this expansion but rather his ambitious thirst for land and his inherent fear of another invasion from the west.
The sudden industrialisation that Russia underwent needed to be paid for with money that Stalin simply didn’t have. Just as Marx believed that interdependence between agriculture and industry was necessary for communism (he called for a “Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries”- Communist Manifesto) Stalin decided that agriculture would have to produce enough for export. The money made would then be poured into industrial development. In order to squeeze as much out of the peasants as possible, Stalin introduced forced collectivisation. This system was based on the principle of equality. It consisted in a grouping together of hundreds of small farms to make large, communal farms called KOLKHOZS. The communities that existed within these farms were thus based on a communist mentality where everyone would work together for a common goal. People pooled together their equipment, crops, livestock, and technology, carrying out the abolition of private property which Marx said “summed up the theory of the communists in a single sentence.” (Communist manifesto) Theoretically, collectivisation was therefore in full accordance with true communism. This revolutionary method of farming was put in place at a phenomenal pace, by 1937, 90% of all farmland had been collectivised. Stalin did also abolish all free markets in grain by 1929 which was undeniably in keeping with true communism.
Collectivisation also provided the promise of a classless society. Under the NEP, a wealthier class of peasants had been born, these peasants were called Kulaks. Stalin used this class as a scapegoat for agricultural failure and then for the initial disaster brought about through collectivisation. He proceeded to wipe out this entire class of peasants who he saw as a threat to communism, around 10 million were deported, killed, or put into labour camps. These ruthless methods succeeded in eliminating the hierarchy that existed in rural areas yet failed to show any respect for the dignity of human life, a concept which true communism obviously upheld. The kulaks were by no means the only ones to suffer from the five year plans. In the towns, workers were forced to work long hours for ridiculously low wages. Ironically, their living conditions were often unbearable. Marx had, on many occasions, denounced the deplorable living conditions of the workers of the industrial revolution and now that communism had been put in place, the conditions were as bad if not worse than under capitalism. Workers were denied social security and were also forbidden to change jobs or even choose what they wanted to do in the first place, this was a clear breech of Marx’s ideal of “from each according to his means, to each according to his needs.”
The farm workers were by no means better off than their fellow Russians in the towns. The unrealistic targets set by Stalin had to be met and no time was allowed for farmers to adjust to the radical changes. Peasants were often unable to reach targets and those who managed to were often left with no crops to keep themselves alive. Even if the extermination of the Kulaks meant that the hierarchy was abolished, another, more distinct system of hierarchy appeared as the peasant worked not for themselves but for the government. As historian Richard Freeborn points out: “It is probably no exaggeration to claim that the first five year plan represented a declaration of war by the state machine against workers and peasants of The USSR who were subjected to a greater exploitation than any they had known under capitalism.”
Resistance, which was particularly strong in the countryside, was met by brute force and ruthless determination. Any peasant caught refusing to cooperate was automatically shot or, perhaps worse, sent off to labour camps in remote areas of Russia (often Siberia) where the vast majority would soon die from exhaustion of starvation. This obviously went against true communism where the state would “point out and bring to the front the common interests of the entire proletariat.” (communist manifesto) Having said this, some do argue that that kind of force was necessary in order to implement a communist society which would be accepted by the people. Karl Marx warned of this use of force although it is hard to believe that he had anything in mind which compared to the atrocities inflicted by Stalin. The work camps, for instance, represented the ultimate kind of exploitation, the very type which provided a base for Marx’s criticism of capitalism.
In what concerned the economy Stalin failed to abide by many truly communist ideals. He still exchanged goods with other countries and thus used money which was against Marxist view of a planned economy. It can, however be argued that this was inevitable until the other countries had become communist. Money was also used internally as people received wages. Elements of capitalism were also kept in respect to piecework and price differentiation between skilled and unskilled workers. There was also, in many cases, a hierarchical system where capitalist methods were openly used to encourage production. Rewards were given for accomplishing or exceeding targets. Take Alexei Stakhanovite, for instance, a champion miner who managed to cut 102 tons of coal in a single shift and thus became a sort of hero receiving special privileges and extravagant prizes.
Marx was not so naïve to believe that people would willingly accept communism, he realised the radical change it would bring about and therefore deemed necessary a brief period of dictatorship. Lenin set up this dictatorship of the proletariat and Stalin carried it on for the rest of his rule. Some blame Stalin for never reaching the stage where the state would “simply wither away” others blame Marx for overlooking the fact that in reality no group of men who exercised the powers of a despot can ever be expected to retain the habit of democratic responsibility. As the saying goes “all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This inherent thirst for power amongst humans was then coupled with Stalin’s personal need for attention and he aimed at and achieved complete and unchallenged power for himself.
Stalin, once in power, did seem to become obsessed with the idea of having such control over an entire population. From the beginning of his rule, he began to censor and control all newspapers along with all political and social activities. He became extremely skilled in the art of manipulation as he used extensive propaganda to portray himself as a god. Stalin created and developed his own personality cult where he placed himself above all else. This was evident hypocrisy as he made himself larger than life whilst preaching equality and denouncing the crimes committed by communism. Where peasants used to carry pictures of the Tsar, they now worshipped pictures of their infallible master, Stalin. This was perhaps one of Stalin’s most blatant breeches of true communism as he failed in all respect to install total equality.
Stalin developed maximum control over each and every individual and installed a hierarchy as distinct as that under the Tsarist system. He relied upon his secret police, the NKVD and his spies were everywhere, searching for anti-communists. Stalin also imposed “the terror” in which any resistor would be found and destroyed, through the use of fear and clever propaganda, Stalin managed to make children spy on their parents and parents spy on their children. The atmosphere must have been unbearable and, without a doubt, far from anything Marx had envisioned. As the years went by, Stalin became obsessively suspicious of anyone and thus proceeded to carry out a series of show trials in which he forced crimes upon loyal Bolsheviks and killed a large number of his party members. To ensure that his interpretation of Marxism-Leninism was above and beyond criticism, Stalin also proceeded to eliminate questioners and critics- particularly those who had some knowledge of Marxian theory. Through the brutal methods of the purges Stalin thus sought to eliminate not only potential political opponents, but theoretical or ideological critics as well. Ironically, the purge extended even to the writings of Marx as he suppressed publication of his collected works. This proved, once again, Stalin’s blatant disregard for human life, the only argument attempting to justify this excessive use of force places the blame upon Marx’s shoulders. Some say that Marx called for a society in which anthropology and ideology would find themselves in conflict. In other words, that Stalin was attempting the impossible, trying to get a population to accept a system which went against their inherent qualities as humans.
Stalin did conform to true communism in regard to education. The rate of literacy soared under Stalin’s rule as education was made free and compulsory and adults were taught how to read and write. Marx had promised “Free education for all children in public schools” in his communist manifesto and that is what the Russians received. Stalin also upheld Marx’s view of religion as he rejected it, yet replaced it with his personality cult.
So it is true that, to some degree Stalin abided by Marx’s ideal of communism in his attempt to create a classless society and implement a planned economy. Despite certain advantages that his rule may have brought, the sheer exploitation of the people, coupled with his reign of terror and self-portrayal as a God, created a society which by no means compare to the “paradise” Marx predicted. Many historians, such as Roy Medeven, for example, reject the argument that Stalinism abided by communist ideals altogether and give him “no credit at all.” The fact that the period under Lenin’s rule is now called Marxist-Leninism and that the period under Stalin’s rule is simply called Stalinism, gives us a solid indication that Stalin did not abide by the message of the true communists. As Norman Lowe states, “Instead of Marxism, dictatorship of the proletariat, there was merely Stalinism and dictatorship of Stalin.” Some argue, however, that the blame for this failure does not lie with Stalin, but with the ideal of communism that is believed to be impossible to implement successfully. This theory holds some weight when one takes the example of any other attempt at communist rule. Whether it be in China under Mao, or Cambodia under Pol Pot, no regime has ever honoured Marx’s idea of communism in its purest form. The fact is that where there has been a revolution the Marxist ideology has been hijacked by the eternal human thirst for power.
