Lenin constructed the base of communism in Russian society and his predecessor Joseph Stalin, continued his reign of terror. Since staling controlled a bulk of all political power he started a ruthless campaign of removing all opposition to the Communist rule. During this period called the “great Purge” Stalin systematically executed anyone who stood in his path.
“Anybody could be denounced for being anti Stalin or counter revolutionaries, even on the evidence of a single comment. Millions were expelled from the party and sent to labor camps. They were then put on public trial and executed”(A. Marin 34).
This reign of terror was projected to the public and the public from fear complied with the Communist reforms. “Children were encouraged to denounce their parents, you could even be arrested for to denounce suspicious people”(A. Marin 35).
All this terror ensured Stalin’s domination of the country, but the country suffered economically as it was feared and a suspected enemy by the global community;
It was obvious by the end of Stalin’s rule that life was not what Communism had promised. Instead of living in equal brotherhood, the people and the government were separated into un-equal classes and one man through oppression and violence controlled every aspect of the life. While the political leaders stressed their power to their own contempt, the USSR was essentially crumbling to damnation.
As a one-man dictatorship governing the largest country in the world, the economic system at the desolation of the Soviet Union was fundamentally dysfunctional because the state attempted to control far too many aspects of life.
From the very beginning Russia’s economy was at a set back when Lenin tried to improve diplomatic relations with Germany and gave up Brest-Litovsk to Germany. The impact of this was great economically; Russia lost 75% its iron ore industry, 27 % of its farming land, a fine of 300 million gold roubles and a loss of 35% of its work force (O. Stevens). This great loss impoverished Russia more then it was and set it back economically. Yet conditions did not become any better with the death of Lenin and rise of Stalin, they instead seemed to worsen.
During Stalin’s period of leadership Russia endured many hardships as “agricultural production output diminished resulting in food shortages, these shortages were enhanced by the mass exportation of food, this was done to pay for industrial imports” (R. Kraft). The production of weapons, and trading food (which the country needed desperately), became second to the need of a growing army. While people died of starvation and food shortages became a critical problem, in 1829 the collectivization of farms began. The one aspect of life, which was not completely out of the people’s control, was now to be handed over to the government. This “ 5 year plan” Stalin introduced was to solve all the problems of hunger and level out the economy. Collectivism of farms would collect all small farms in one area and make on large farm producing the maximum food supply. This caused much outcry and rebellion from the peasants and farmers who relied on these small farms for survival; they burned grain, slaughtered animals and destroyed land, which would be taken by the government. In 1939 as the nations population was booming, “the production of grain was 10% less the what it was in 1929, yet the population was twenty million more” (A. Marin 52), yet the largest protest to collectivization occurred in Kazakhstan where 80% of the animals and grain were destroyed (A. Marin). These silent rebellions were signs of weakening system with a desegregating economy, starving people, trade lost and the government losing popularity amongst its people.
Agriculture was not the only weakening link in Russia’s Communist economy; the global relationship of import and export was slowly diminishing because Russia was seen as a threat to the free world. “The mass production of weapons scared the global community and consequently deterred it from positive relations with the country”(L. Nichols). As Russia’s economic problems overshadowed communist policies of efficiency and production which were not able to recover what was lost from the nation, nor maintain what the nation had to offer because support within the countries people was weakened as was the support of the world.
With a corrupt political system and a weak economy, social injustices were the biggest problem the Russian people faced. As the dictators tried to maintain absolute rule and obedience. All religious institutes were abolished as they were considered “opium of the masses”(K. Marx) and seen as a threat to the establishment. “Between 1930 and 1931 there was a marked increase in the attacks on churches; over one million clergy men and women were publicly executed. Anyone who practised privately or attempted to endorse religion was also executed” (O. Stevens). This intolerance of religion caused the pious population to live in fear for their lives because of the high level of checks and surveillance the government had put out. The freedom of media, and expression was also completely censored by the government who feared anti-communist slogans and revolt; keeping the people in the shadows from the truth.
The people had to read what the state allowed, see what the state allowed and listen to what the state allowed. The states control of the media was total. Those who attempted to listen read or watch anything other ten what the government prescribed were severely punished. Everyone knew of the labour camps and that was enough of a deterrent (A. Marin 75).
This oppression of thought, expression and opinion dimmed the enthusiasm of the Russian people and weakened support for a communist way of life. What the Marxist- Leninist ideals had hoped to achieve had actually become what the Russian people were trying to escape before the revolution.
The dictators of Russia made decisions for approximately 270 million people inhabiting eleven time zones. The lives of every one of these people lay at the mercy of what this leader would reign upon them. And what the leaders of communist Russia did reign on their people was the deaths of almost 25 million people who had been killed at the hands of the government(R. Kroft). This poor leadership made “the country which was one of the largest super power in the world was now poor and desolate while every new political figure was criticized and no longer trust worthy”(L. Nichols). Communism had brought about the most corrupt, hypocritical political figures that would be known throughout history, for their policies contradicting their initial promises and actions offending so many human rights. Russia’s economic struggles would also lead it to a state where recovery would not come for years after due to the fact that “the communist way of life was so ingrain in Russian society, the people did not know how to live any other way”(H. Berard 12). This would lend itself to be a problem because new governmental policy would mean reform on the behalf of the people. But what tied all of the flaws of communism in Russia together may most apparently be the frailties of humanity. People were subject to cruel, inhumane treatment and possessed no individual rights as communism progressed to grow in the country, this type of public treatment would be intolerable by the people of Russia and soon cause revolt, this lack of support on the publics behalf weaned communism and would not sustain its survival. Ultimately communism was ideally a theory, which was accepted as relief of the hardships the people of Russia faced from the Monarchy before the revolution. But communism lent its self to have flaws, which easily allowed corruption in Russia when interpreted by leaders who destroyed the economy, inflicted cruelty on humanity and corrupted the political system. Communism may after all, just have been, “a pie in the sky”(L. Nichols).
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Visited April 31, 2003
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Visited: May 1 2003
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visited: April 6 2003
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The Fall
of
communism
An Essay By:
Mira Rahmani
Mr. Beardall
OAC Modern Western Civilization
May 9 2003
