Lecture Notes on Joseph Stalin's Rule

Introduction to Stalin's Rise

• After Lenin's death in 1924, Leon Trotsky seemed the likely successor.
• Joseph Stalin, initially described as a "nonentity" by Trotsky, seized power by 1929.
• Stalin transformed the Soviet Union into a superpower through significant suffering.

Major Events and Policies

Soviet Famine of 1932-33

• Around 80% of Russia's population were peasants.
• Stalin modernized agriculture, targeting wealthier peasants ('kulaks'), executing or deporting them.
• Peasants were forced into collective farms, leading to shortages and famine.
• Millions died as food was exported to fund industrialization.

The Great Terror

• Stalin purged the Communist Party post-1934 Congress.
• 1,996 attended the Congress; over half were arrested or executed by 1939.
• Intellectuals, artists, and Red Army officers were targeted.
• Resulted in over a million arrests and half a million executions by 1938.

The NKVD

• Known as NKVD from 1934-1953, the secret police reported directly to Stalin.
• Conducted arrests and disappearances, instilling fear across society.
• NKVD chiefs, like Yagoda and Yezhov, were eventually executed.

Lavrentiy Beria

• Head of NKVD, described as a sadist and murderer.
• Known for personal acts of violence and abuse.
• Loyal to Stalin but plotted for power post-Stalin’s death.

Suppression of Religion

• Stalin saw religion as a threat and eradicated its practice.
• Religious literature banned, religious figures targeted.

The Great Patriotic War (1941-45)

• Hitler’s Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941; Stalin implemented a scorched earth policy.
• Stalin demanded total civilian and military sacrifice.
• Post-war, the Soviet Union lost millions, but Stalin’s power grew.

Treatment of Prisoners of War

• Red Army POWs were seen as traitors by Stalin.
• Returning soldiers and civilians faced interrogation and often execution.

Stalin's Humiliation of Soviet Leaders

• Stalin humiliated even powerful men like Nikita Khrushchev.
• His amusement derived from others' suffering.

Siberian Gulags

• Labor camps in Siberia expanded under Stalin.
• Estimations of up to six million sentenced; over a million died.

The Cult of Stalin

• Propaganda depicted Stalin as a benevolent and genius leader.
• Stalin's cult required public praise; dissenters were silenced.
• Despite his tyranny, his death in 1953 was mourned by many.