History 127C - Modern Russia Week 4 Lecture 804-26-12Political Instability Midterm - On Tuesday- Themes; be thoroughly competent in these two themeso How and why the Bolsheviks came to power?  What did the Bolsheviks do to come to power? What didn’t they do? What role do circumstances play? How do we measure? How do we account? How do we decide at different stages?o How and why Stalin came to power?  What did Stalin do? What didn’t he do? What role do circumstances play? How to measure? How do we accurate? How do we decide at different stages?- Quote may be used- Primary source may be used- Bring bluebookStalin’s Terror- 1936-1938- 700,000 were executed by shooting without any trial- Military high command is wiped outo High command in every industry, administration, agency is arrested and wiped out- Today we will discuss the causes for Stalin’s terroro Many hypothesize that Stalin was a homicidal maniac- Millions of people participated and thought it was righto That is how it became a huge historical event, terroro The environment that made it possible- Part of the story had to do with mass psychology- Part of the story had to do with mass paranoia Review: Social Conflicts- Bourgeois specialist vs. red specialisto One is more likely to denounce people that they have a special grudge with - Experts vs. red- Red director vs. Red specialists- Old vs young- Societal battle lines were drawn based on social conflictso Self identifications that lead them to assume they have oppositionsPolitical grumbling 1930-34- From aboveo Responsibility for the famine They to wonder about the famineo Problems with the 5-Year Plano The party dictatorshipo Stalin’s continued leadership?o They wondered if Stalin was the best guy to have powero Considered a change in leadership- From Belowo Low wages, high-handed arbitrary party bosseso Responsibility for the famineo The party dictatorshipo Mass dissatisfaction - Stalinist leadership worried and afraido Police infiltration, informantsPolicy Conflicts, 1934- Three main issues debated under closed doors because it was party tradition to you really don’t want the masses to know what the party was arguing abouto What to do with the former opposition; the defeated Trotsky; the defeated Bukharin?  Removed from leadership but they are still in the party have prestigious jobs Still heroes of the revolution Powerful Some in ministries, some working as economic advisors Hard line- Opposition is and will always be disloyal- Ezhov –upcoming, young bureaucrat - Molotov – Stalin’s right-hand man  Soft line - Opposition is not dangerous or threatening- Ordzhonikidze- Iagodao Structure of government – centralization Hard line - System has become to decentralized; power needs to be recentralized- Problem with disobedience - Zhdanov Soft line- Party secretaries- Powerful people - Argue that the system is working  Collectivization is done, the 5-Year plan was doneo Tempos Hard line – Molotov Success emphasis Soft line – Ordzhonikidze, Gosplan When Things Go Wrong…Fear and Scapegoating- Accidents, Plan problems- 1933: rise of Hitler and German fascism- 1934: assassination of Kirov o Who is the assassin? o Had to be explained- 1936: bad harvest, economic slowdown o Mostly because of weathero High food priceso How could that be? Collectivization is obviously the right policyo Agricultural saboteur? - Wreckers! Sabotage!o Seems like the obvious answero Somebody is deliberately screwing this up- Infiltration of spies!o Germany and Poland are right next door and both have first class intelligence services Both are capitalist and don’t want the Socialist Soviets to succeed- Opposition Terrorism!o Foreign capitalist benefit from failures- Fascist-Opposition Terrorism and Sabotage! o 1937 the government is discussing a fascist-opposition and sabotage o All the suspicious elements; terrorist group (Japan-Germany-Poland)o Conspiracy theories provide available easy explanations to politicians who can’t question the policies themselveso Easy for the populations at large to buy conspiracy theories (new and old peasants) Explained all types of disasters in terms of dark mysterious forces that never do any good; cultural reflexRise of the Hard Line, 1936-37Who is suspicious?- Wreckers! Sabotage!- Infiltration of spies!- Terrorism! - Fascist-Opposition Terrorism and Sabotage!- Bourgeois specialistso Disloyal, disliked- Oppositionistso Hardliners initially don’t like oppositionists o Lifetime of overthrowing governmentso Intelligent, talento Sabotage is what the oppositionists doo 1937 – Kirov assassination, oppositions are blamed- Foreign spies o Everywhere o People with German, Polish names are considered suspicious  People are denouncing their next door neighbors as a result if they have German or Polish associateso Then… Softliners - now under suspicion Vigilance!- Tolerant policeo Informers everywhereo Maybe the police are part of the conspiracy - Tolerant secretaries- Tolerant economic planners o Arguing quality over quantityo Arguing for slowing down, so would Nazi-Germanyo Their interests are the interests of the enemy to weaken the nation, etc - From suspicion to insanity, maniaStalin sides with hard line (II)- Aug. 1936: Zinoviev and Kamenev Trialo Old Bolsheviks trialed for treason, arrested, forced to confess for crimes they supposedly committed and then they were imprisoned o Ezhov takes over NKVD (secret police) o More investigations started by Ezhovo In 50years their good names were restored, but for that time they needed to be the enemy so that peasants, etc were shown how dangerous it would be to be the opposition- Jan. 1937o Second Show Trial  New group of old revolutionary Bolsheviks confess to economicsabotage  New round of execution It was like killing off the founding fathers  Notion – that even the high and mighty could become corrupt Any sign of disagreement, etc could lead to imprisonment Teach a political lessono Iagoda was removed as the policeo First arrests of economic chiefs - Feb. 1937o Arrest of Bukharin, Stalin’s co-leader in the ‘20s Accused of being one of the ringleaders of the multifaceted sabotage plot Huge because next to Stalin he was the most prestigious guy in Russia - June 1937: