Explore the rise, impact, and fall of the Soviet Union, from its establishment in 1922 to its dissolution in 1991. Learn about key events such as the leadership of Joseph Stalin, the Great Famine of Ukraine, the Great Purge, and the role of the Soviet Union in World War II.
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Rise of Soviet Union: Russia emerged for a civil war in 1922 as a newly established Soviet Union. A treaty was signed between Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Transcaucasia (modern Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The newly established Communist Party, led by Marxist revolutionaryVladimir Lenin, took control of the government. At its peak, the United Socialist Soviet Republic, or U.S.S.R., was made up of 15 soviet republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The first Marxist-Communist state in the world has become one of the largest and most powerful nations in the world, occupying nearly one-sixth of Earth’s land surface, before its fall and ultimate dissolution in 1991. Joseph Stalin: After Lenin’sdeath, another revolutionary Bolshevik Joseph Stalin gained power in 1924 despite the serious opposition from Lenin in his final years. Lenin felt that Stalin had more power than he could handle and might be dangerous if he was Lenin's successor so he recommended Stalin's removal from the position of General Security of the Party but this was kept a secret form the public and Stalin effectively became a dictator in the Soviet Union. He implemented Five-Year Plans to spur economic growth and focus on rapid industrialization which transformed the Soviet Union from an agrarian society to an industrial and military superpower. The Great Famine of Ukraine Although the Five-Year plan was generally successful they came at a severe cost. Collectivization was enforced by Stalin between 1928 and 1940. Farmers were forced to join collective farms. Many who owned land or cattle were stripped of their holdings. Hundreds of thousands of high-income farmers, called kulaks, were rounded up and executed, their land seized. The Communists believed that the incorporation of individual farmers into a number of large state-run collective farms would improve agricultural production. But instead this led to the worst man-made famine in history. The Great Famine also known as Holodomor of 1932-1933 killed millions because workers were unable to eat their own grain, as it was considered state property under socialism. The Great Purge: The Great Purge, which took place between about 1936 and 1938, was a brutal political campaign led by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to execute or exile dissenting members of the Communist Party and anyone else that he considered a potential threat to his leadership. Moreover, Stalin’s forced actions caused opposition in factories, military and even in the party. More than a million other people were sent to forced labor camps, known as Gulags and at least 750,000 people were executed during the Great Purge. This ruthless and bloody operation caused a great terror throughout the U.S.S.R. and impacted the country for many years. World War II:
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The war in Europe began on 23 August 1939, when the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed a non-aggression pact that created a partnership between them in dividing up Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe. Under the terms of this pact, the German Wehrmacht moved into western Poland on 1 September 1939, and the Soviet Union seized eastern Poland, parts of Romania and Czechoslovakia, and then the Baltic States after the start of the Second WorldWar. The outcome of winter war 1939-40 reveals the poor state of soviet armed forces, hence it pushes Stalin to strengthen the military. The pact fall apart on June1941 when Germanyattempted to invade The Soviet Union, Stalin in retaliation sent millions more citizens to defend the country, and later in 1942 the Soviet Union formed an alliance with Britain and United States, who provided them with military supplies throughout the rest of the war. The Red army’s success at the Battle of Stalingradserves as a turning point in ending the war. The Soviet Union faced a lot more causalities than any other nation and lost an estimated 20 million people during World War II and hence during 3 big conferences Stalin demanded much of Eastern Europe as compensation. Although Stalin might be considered a cruel and manipulative person in the history but he was a man who’d fought back the Nazis and brought Russia into the industrial age, which is considered the peak of the USSR’s power. In the aftermath of World War Two, Stalin’s regime supported communist uprisings in other countries, creating conditions for the Cold War against the Western and Capitalist United States. After Lenin’s death, another revolutionary Bolshevik Joseph Stalin gained power in 1924 despite the serious opposition from Lenin in his final years. Lenin felt that Stalin had more power than he could handle and might be dangerous if he was Lenin's successor so he recommended Stalin's removal from the position of General Security of the Party but this was kept a secret form the public and Stalin effectively became a dictator in the Soviet Union. He implemented Five-Year Plans to spur economic growth and focus on rapid industrialization which transformed the Soviet Union from an agrarian society to an industrial and military superpower. Conclusion: Lenin rules until his death in 1924 and Stalin became a dictator. He implemented five year plan to increase economic growth and transformed Russia from a peasant society to a military and industrial power. Although it was successful but at a severe cost. Farmers were forced to join collectivism. Hundreds of thousands of high-income farmers, called kulaks, were rounded up and executed, their land seized. The Communists believed that during this would improve agricultural production but instead this led to devastating food shortages. Millions died during the Great Famine of 1932-1933. During the height of Stalin’s terror campaign, a period between 1936 and 1938 known as the Great Purge, an estimated 600,000 Soviet citizens were executed. Millions more were deported, or imprisoned in forced labor camps known asGulags. World War
IIbegins, and, in accord with apact between Stalin andAdolf Hitler, Russian invades Poland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. Germany breaks the agreement in 1941, invading Russia, which then joins the Allies. The Russian army’s win at theBattle of Stalingrad serves as a major turning point in ending the war.