Russia's sense of uniqueness

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Russian Background

Russia’s sense of uniqueness-

  • Very big- geographical size

      Strength- millions of ppl therefore huge potential.

     Weakness- makes communication hard and some parts are ungoverned.

  • Politically quite backward- Tsar (the little father)

Autocracy based on the divine right of the tsar autocrat.

No middle class therefore no stability

  • Socially backwards

80% of pop = peasants (no industrialized middle class)

  • Economically backward- lack of industry

Supported by other European countries therefore can pull out

Foreign countries take wealth

  • Orthodox faith-

Very religious- catholic/protestant

  • 1905-

Russia (European) V Japan (Asiatic)

Racism, believed Russia should have won

Shows military backwardness- 1 way trains therefore slows armies down

  • Russia is not just European. Its Euro Asian (Europe and Asia)

Europe side = power and democracy, Asian side = trying to take over.

Political Tradition-p58

1917-24

  • There are 2 revolutions
  1. Liberal in march/Feb.
  2. Bolsheviks Oct/Nov  (rule Moscow ant Petrograd)
  • Civil war till 1921- therefore alters Bols politics
Stalin’s biography-1979-1917

Personality-

  • V.hard tough man “ruff and ready”
  • V.methodical
  • Organised
  • Good understanding of ppl
  • Excellent memory

Early life-

  • Real name- Joseph Vissarionovich Djugashivili
  • Nickname- Sozo
  • Stalin means ‘man of steel’
  • Born- 1879 in Gori, Georgia-‘a wild and rugged province in the south if the south of the Russian empire- renowned for the fierceness to its ppl)- there is poor, and then there is poor Georgia!
  • Family in constant poverty. “Hardship and poverty” led 2 “socialism of the gut” in fairness of poverty.
  • Father-Shoemaker- away a lot. Mother- religious ‘devout woman’
  • Regularly beaten
  • 1988- goes to elementary school.
  • Training to be a priest-not a brill student- 1988 expelled
  • 1894- Tiflis/Holisis seminary school
  • 1898- involved in- Geordian Marxists called ‘the 3rd group’ or ’Messame dassy’
  • 1917- he had been arrested 8 times and put in prison 4 several periods.

Early political career-

  • @school he was attracted by political ideas.
  • Skipped school -became involved in the Georgian resistance movement which was agitating against Tsarist control (1988 expelled)
  • Anti-government activities drew him into the Social Democratic workers party-Marxist party- Alan wood-“temperamentally and intuitively (Stalin was) more inclined to the Bols camp”
  • Continues to work in Tiflis and Barumb ?????????????
  • Gets nickname “Koba”
  • 1902- arrested.
  • 1903- Marxist split- 1) Mensheviks = minority 2) Bolshevik’s = majority (ironic! Enabled radical elitists to rise to power)
  • Lenin led Bols and Stalin followed – he raised fund for the Bols via bank and train robberies.
  • 1904- escapes from prison. 1905- attends Bols conference ion Finland meets Lenin but he doesn’t notice him.
  • 1907- London conference- Stalin strongly supports Lenin's anti-Mensheviks view.
  • 1908- arrested! Trotsky stays in exile in New York Stalin stays in Siberia (unpleasant, jealous of T)
  • 1911 – released goes to Petrograd- expelled.
  • 1912- 1 of the 6 of the central committee that help find party news paper- ‘Pravda (Truth)
  • 1913 arrested- spends war in exile.
  • 1917- 1 of the 1st Bols 2 come back therefore classed as a leading Bolshevik- his policies 2 begin with are cautious and cooperative as he tries to get on with the Lib gov.
  • October revolution S is loyal to L. overshadowed by Lenin and Trotsky in revolution.
  • Lenin describes S as- “that wonderful Georgian”- reference to his revolutionary work among non-Russian ppl. But b4 Lenin’s death describes S as “ too rude”-although had something bad to say about everyone!
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Struggle for power

The struggle for power-

  • In May 1922 L has his 1st stroke which leads on to a series of others. This reduces his control of power and ability to lead as he is to weak i.e. his speech declines.
  • 1924 L dies of a stroke.
  • Beginning of struggle 4 power 4 2 reasons- 1) there isn’t an ultimate office to aspire to (job)  2)Publicly at least all the patagonists (everyone) are committed 2 the idea of collective leadership.  
  • Early part of struggle 2 keep ppl out of ...

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