4) To what extent were the political and economic ideas of Karl Marx realized in post-revolutionary Russia between 1917 and 1938?

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4) To what extent were the political and economic
ideas of Karl Marx realized in post-revolutionary
Russia between 1917 and 1938?

• Laura Carson, Grace Cho and Alizah Berg
• AP European History
• Nance 4th period

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Thesis Statement

• In Post-Revolutionary Russia between 1917 and
  1938 Marxs economic ideals were not realized
  under Lenin, but manifested in Stalins 5 year
  plans, politically Marxs ideals were hardly
  realized because of the establishment of a
  permanent totalitarian dictatorship.

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Introduction

• Causes of the 1917 Revolution include
• People have little influence over the government
• Failing economy shortages due to the war
• Archaic social hierarchy
• Tsar Nicolas was ignorant of economic problems
  and oblivious to the problems of the majority of
  Russians. He could not institute effective
  reforms and was indecisive.

Tsar Nicolas II
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Introduction

• A tightly organized group under Lenin's
  leadership saw WWI as a chance to start a
  revolution.
• Revolution began with a series of strikes on
  March 1917 and Nicholas abdicated power. The
  Provisional government was declared and
  Bolsheviks works to undermine the government
  until they gain power in November 1917.

Painting symbolizing the October Revolution of
the Bolsheviks
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Economy Not-Realized

• Lenin's initial program called for peasant
  control over land, gave workers more influence in
  factories, and nationalized a few key industries
  (banking and transportation). This program was
  not designed to build socialism in Russia right
  away.
• War Communism Socialist principles implemented
  in the economy, an expedient or shortcut to
  Marxist Socialism, but was ultimately a failing
  economic program.
• Marx had predicted that capitalism would mature
  into proletarian revolt then to socialist
  dictatorship War Communism though was a leap
  into socialism, skipping some Marx's steps.
• War Communism "The most extreme effort in modern
  times to do away with the system of private
  property and voluntary exchange" -- Jack
  Hirshleifer, economist.

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Economy Not-Realized

•  Characteristics
• Production was run by the state, private
  ownership kept to a minimum and private houses
  were to be confiscated by the state.
• Private trade, the hiring of labor, and the
  leasing of land were abolished.
• Property confiscated from the upper classes
• Businesses and factories are nationalized.
• Labor was conscripted and organized militarily
  strikes are outlawed.
• The effects of War Communism were disastrous.
• Economic production levels fell below the levels
  of 1914.
• Industrial labor decreased significantly.

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Economy Not-Realized

• New Economic Policy a temporary program and a
  success, it would attract foreign capital,
  increase industrial output and increase
  agricultural production.
• Lenin justified NEP on the grounds that state
  capitalism was the last step of capitalism before
  a socialist state developed.
• The essential feature of NEP was a negation or
  reversal of the policies of war communism
• Industry operated privately (except for the
  Commanding Heights), increases by 40
• Free market, some elements of trade still
  controlled by the state
• Money, banking, and capitalist accounting
  principles restored.
• Collectivization of agriculture abandoned to
  appease peasants.

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Economic Realized

• Stalin's 5 year plans
• Stalin came to favor rapid industrialization at
  the end of 1927 he ordered the collectivization
  of agriculture agriculture, like industry, he
  said, must be transformed to a large-scale
  unified state enterprise.
• USSR had to "overtake and outstrip the capitalist
  countires"
•  1928 Stalin launches first 5 year plan
  (1928-1932) for economic development
• Gosplan organization was formed to oversee the 5
  year plans
• Set quotas that factories and farms had to meet,
  those that fail to meet quotas are often punished
  and sent to work camps.
• Emphasis on heavy industry (coal, iron, oil,
  steel, and electricity)
• collectivization causes resistance from kulacks,
  widespread famine, and repression of the peasants.

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Economic Realized

• 1933-1937 The second five year plan
• continued emphasis on heavy industry, new focus
  on communication and transportation industry.
•  5 year plans came at a cost
• liquidation of kulak class
• massive amount of death from famine
• sacrifice of quality

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Economic Realized
The Effects of Stalin's 5 Year Plans
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Political Realized

• Lenin stood for the rigid reaffirmation of
  Marxian fundamentals -- dialectical materialism
  and irreconcilable class struggle.
• He denounced all who attempted to "add" anything
  to the fundamentals of Marx.
• Concentrated on four points 
• 1) peace with the Central Powers
• 2) redistribution of land to the peasants
• 3) transfer of factories, mines, and other
  industrial plants from capitalists to committees
  of workers in each plant.
• 4) recognition of the soviets as supreme power
  instead of the Provisional Government.

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Political Realized

• Had won over the soldiers, peasants, and workers
  by promising them "peace, land, and bread"
• Introduced two resolutions
• 1) "just democratic peace" without annexations
  and indemnities.
• 2) "abolish all landlord property" immediately
  and without compensation.
• Lenin had the belief that because of the
  revolution in Russia, all of Europe would all
  undergo a Marxist Revolution and the Poles,
  Ukrainians and others would emerge together as
  free socialists.
• Had created a party that's function was to carry
  out the dictatorship of the proletariat.

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Political cartoon of prominent Communist
Revolutionary Leon Trotsky published in 1917
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Political Not Realized

• Lenin/the Bolsheviks
• Expanded upon the basic principles of Marxism
• the role of the party- saw it as an organisation
  in which intellectuals provided leadership for
  the common workers
• Believed that the party should be a small,
  revolutionary elite, as well as strongly
  centralized, contradicting the Marxist opinion in
  a greater degree of influence by the membership
  as a whole 

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Political Not Realized

• Stalin 
• Attempted to fully realize Marxist principles in
  his collectivisation of agriculture, but this
  caused more class struggle and famine 
• Created a totalitarian government in which no one
  could leave the country without special
  permission, there was one political party, no
  free labor unions, and no free press
• Contrary to the Marxist belief in eventual
  Proletarian revolution, because his policies did
  not encourage movement in this direction. 

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Conclusion

• Karl Marx's economic ideals were realized as time
  progressed and Stalin implemented the 5 year
  plans
• Politically, Lenin had kept many of Marx's
  fundamental beliefs -- however they changed
  slightly depending on the situation. The
  establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship
  under Stalin however prevented Marxism Socialism
  from succeeding completely