The Decision:

To Invoke a Communist Rule in Russia.

Introduction
Karl Marx had expected his theories on communism to be tested in Germany, the United Kingdom, or some other highly industrialized country. But it was in relatively agricultural Russia that Communists first succeeded in setting up a Communistcontrolled government.
Communism led to the stabilization of Russia as a country and later to a consolidated USSR, but at the costs of the lives and freedom of millions of people. The Communist regimein Russia was very suppressive and very brutal against its enemies. Also the Communist ideals proved to be too hard to implement. This eventually led to the economic paralysis of the USSR and finally, the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of Communism in Russia.

Background
As Industrialization spread its roots in Russia in the 1800s, the country began to modernize. Along with the growth of industrialization came the growth of discontent among the rising middle class and the workers. To add fuel to the fire, Russia faced an acute famine in the 1890s. Along with this came the devastating effect of World War 1 on the lives and property of the people. The people were so discontent that they overthrew the reigning autocrat, the Czar,in 1917.In the autumn of 1917, the Bolshevik Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized control over Russia and decided to form a Communist Government.

How the Communists Envisaged Russia

Leninists advocate the creation of a vanguard party led by dedicated revolutionaries in order to lead the working class revolution to victory. Leninists believe that socialism will not arise spontaneously through the natural decay of capitalism and that workers are unable to organize and develop socialist consciousness without the guidance of the Vanguard party.

After taking power, Vanguard parties seek to create a socialist state continually led by the Vanguard party in order to direct social development and defend against counterrevolutionary insurrection.

As the government, the vanguard party must educate the proletariatto dispel the societalfalse consciousness of religion and nationalism that are culturally instilled by the bourgeoisie in facilitating exploitation, and to instil the material scientific outlook of the world and the sense ofproletarian internationalism. The dictatorship of the proletariat is governed with a de-centralized direct democracy practised via soviets (councils) where the workers exercise political power (cf.soviet democracy)

The fundamental policy, however, of the Communist party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from its beginning was complete socialization.

The Actual outcome:

Post Communism, Peasant and sailor revolts broke out, and famine threatened. The world war, revolution, and civil war had brought Russia near economic collapse. Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP) Steady Economic Growth. 1922, USSR is born. 1924, Lenin dies. All non-Communist political parties had been banned All public organizations had become tools of the Communists. 1929- Stalin takes complete control. Rules with Iron hand Steady economic growth and International influence But at the cost of many a peoples lives. Also growth concentrated in heavy industry. 1930s- Five Year Plans Peasants murdered. The Great Purge and The Secret Police Tight Suppression. Khrushchevs Relaxation of writers, artists, scholars, etc.- But slow gains. Khrushchev forced to resign by others. Brezhnev takes over - Stalins policies return. Severe economic problems, infighting among top leaders, rampant corruption. 1985, Michael Gorbachev takes charge in this scenario. He deviates away from core communism Brings in political and economic reforms. More independence to the Eastern Bloc. In 1991, the Soviet Union disintegrates and the era of Communist USSR comes to an end.

What did they overlook while taking the decision : CLD:

THE FOLLOWING IS SOME MATERIAL WHICH WILL HELP THE PRESENTER:

During the late 1800s, Russia began to modernize. Although the country was still largely agricultural, its industry began to flourish. As industrialization increased, discontent grew among the rising middle class and workers in the cities. In addition, a series of bad harvests in the 1890s caused starvation among the peasants. During this period, revolutionary activity grew, and radical ideas-including Marxism-became popular. In 1898, Marxists founded the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. The party split into two groups in 1903. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, accepted his idea of a small Communist Party made up of professional revolutionaries. The Mensheviks wanted the party to have wider membership and to reach decisions through democratic methods. In 1905, large numbers of Russians revolted against the czar and forced him to establish an elective assembly. During the next several years, the government enacted some reforms. But World War I (1914-1918) created more problems for Russia. The nation suffered heavy troop

losses on the front and food shortages at home. In 1917, the people overthrew the czar. A democratic provisional (temporary) government was set up.

In autumn 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized power and established a Communist government. When the Bolsheviks took over, they had fewer than 300,000 members in a country of more than 160 million people. The coup succeeded partly because the provisional government leaders did not want to withdraw from the war, and they could not carry out reforms while the war continued. The Bolsheviks also succeeded because of their effective organization and their appealing slogans, such as Bread, Peace, Land. Lenin led Russia from 1917 until his death in 1924. For a short time, Lenin let the peasants keep farmland they had seized. He permitted workers to control the factories and to play important roles in local government. But the government soon tightened control and forced the peasants to give the government most of their products. The government also took over Russian industries and set up central management bureaus to run them. In addition, the state created a secret police force called the Cheka. Soon after Lenin came to power, Russia made peace with Germany, but from 1918 to 1920 Russia was torn by civil war between Communists and non-Communists. The Communists defeated their rivals, who were divided and poorly organized. From the start, Lenin used force and terror against his political opponents. By 1921, conditions had become disastrous throughout the country. Peasant and sailor revolts broke out, and famine threatened. The world war, revolution, and civil war had brought Russia near economic collapse. In 1921, realizing the need for a change in policy, Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP). The NEP called for Communists to cooperate with certain groups who were considered enemies of Communism. These included shopkeepers, peasants, engineers, scholars, and army officers. Russias economy recovered steadily under the NEP. In 1922, the country became known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), or the Soviet Union. By the time Lenin died in 1924, the Soviet Union had become a one-party state. All nonCommunist political parties had been banned, and all public organizations-such as professional associations and labor unions-had become tools of the Communists.

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Karl Marx had expected his theories on communism to be tested in Germany, the United Kingdom, or some other highly industrialized country. But it was in relatively agricultural Russia that Communists first succeeded in setting up a Communist-controlled government.
After Lenin died, leading Communists in the Soviet Union struggled for power. Through plotting and trickery, and by shifting alliances, Joseph Stalin gained complete control of the Communist Party and the Soviet government by 1929. Until his death in 1953, he ruled with an iron hand. The Soviet Unions economy and influence abroad grew rapidly-but at a great cost in human life and personal freedom at home.

Stalin established a centrally planned economy in the Soviet Union and, in 1928, began the fiveyear plans. These were comprehensive economic plans for the country. The first plan included a program that combined small peasant farms into collective farms, large farms owned and controlled by the government. In the early 1930s, Stalin ordered millions of peasants murdered or exiled when they resisted giving their land to collective farms. Many other people opposed Stalins policies during the 1930s. To crush this opposition, Stalin began a program of terror called the Great Purge. Communists suspected of opposing Stalin or his policies were executed or imprisoned. Stalin ordered many of his earlier Communist associates arrested or put to death. Numerous party officials were labeled enemies of the people and forced to confess imaginary crimes. The secret police assisted in the purges, in which army officers and citizens from all walks of life were imprisoned, sent to labor camps, or killed. The peak of mass terror came between 1935 and 1938. Read more in History Communism in Practice: A Sophisticated Ideology The Red Menace: An Expansion of Communism During World War II, such political repression eased somewhat. The Soviet people rallied to defend their country from invading armies of the German dictator Adolf Hitler. But after the war ended, Stalins secret police returned to using terror to maintain strict control over the people. Shortly after Stalin died in 1953, Nikita S. Khrushchev became head of the Soviet Communist Party. In 1958, Khrushchev also became the head of the Soviet government. He strongly criticized Stalin for his rule by terror. Khrushchev relaxed political control over writers, artists, and scholars. He also introduced reforms designed to improve the productivity and efficiency of the economy. But the reforms resulted in only slow gains. In 1964, Communist Party officials forced Khrushchev to retire. Leonid I. Brezhnev replaced Khrushchev as head of the Communist Party. Brezhnev reestablished many of Stalins rigid cultural and economic policies but did not return to rule by terror. After Brezhnevs death in 1982, two other leaders briefly headed the government and the party. But no major changes were enacted until Mikhail S. Gorbachev became head of the country in 1985.

The Fall

The Soviet Union was confronted with serious economic problems, a dissatisfied middle class, and disappointment with the Communist political system among key members of the political elite. Hostility among the countrys numerous ethnic groups had smoldered for years. Many nonRussians resented the power of ethnic Russians and began to demand more control over their own affairs. In addition, corruption was growing among members of the Communist Party bureaucracy. In Western Europe, Communist parties faced declining electoral support by the late 1970s. Centralized planning proved to be inefficient, and it hindered the development of new

technologies. As a result, most Communist countries could not compete economically with Japan and the industrial powers of the West. Mikhail S. Gorbachev became head of the Soviet Communist Party in March 1985. When he took power, the Soviet Union faced a declining economy burdened by heavy military expenses. These expenses included maintaining troops in Eastern Europe, supporting unpopular leftist regimes in developing countries, and competing in the arms race. In addition, Soviet technology lagged far behind that of the West, and aging industrial equipment contributed to economic inefficiency. Inefficiency, in turn, caused shortages of food and other consumer products for Soviet citizens. Dissatisfaction with the Communist system attracted many people to the Western way of life. Gorbachev and members of the Communist Party elite observed the West while traveling there. Other people learned about non-Communist countries through foreign radio broadcasts, contemporary books and motion pictures, and professional journals. Citizens began to want the Soviet Union to become more like Western countries. In response to the U.S.S.R.s problems, Gorbachev began a program of reform. First, he introduced perestroika, or restructuring of the Soviet political and economic systems. Political reforms included the legalization of non-Communist parties and candidates and the creation of a functioning parliament. Economic reforms included lifting the ban on private businesses run by families and individuals, and modifications in the central planning system. To help win popular support for reform, Gorbachev increased freedom of expression in a policy called glasnost (openness). Gorbachev was chosen for the new office of president of the U.S.S.R. in 1990. But his policies had begun to provoke the opposition of hard-line Communists in the party. His plans to give the 15 republics of the Soviet Union more control over their own affairs further angered the conservatives. In August 1991, leading hard-line Communist officials staged a coup against Gorbachev and removed him from power. However, the coup soon failed, and Gorbachev resumed his duties. Shortly after returning to power, Gorbachev resigned as the partys head but remained president of the national government. He also ordered the suspension of all Communist Party activities. By late 1991, most of the republics that made up the Soviet Union had declared independence. In December, most of the republics joined to form a loose organization called the Commonwealth of Independent States. Gorbachev resigned as head of the Soviet government, and the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist.

In Eastern Europe, many people had always opposed Communism. Over the years, some Communists there also began to resist Soviet domination. In Hungary, some of these Communist reformers joined non-Communists in an uprising against Soviet control in 1956. Soviet armed forces invaded Hungary, put down the rebellion, and installed a new Communist regime. Soviet armed forces also crushed strikes and riots in East Germany in 1953. Read more in History The Red Menace: An Expansion of Communism The Western Front

The Communist government of Czechoslovakia, led by Alexander Dubcek, adopted a reform program in 1968. The program included some genuine political competition, less centralized planning of the economy, and an end to censorship. Soviet leaders, fearful of losing control over Czechoslovakia, ordered troops into the country. Under pressure from the U.S.S.R., the Czechoslovak Communist Party replaced Dubcek with a rigid pro-Soviet government in 1969. In 1980, workers in several cities in Poland went on strike. The strikers called for higher wages, better working conditions, and political reforms. They also formed a free labor-union organization called Solidarity. In 1981, the Polish government, under pressure from the Soviet Union, imposed martial law and suspendedSolidaritys activities. The Polish government officially outlawed the free labor-union organization the following year. In 1989, Communist parties began to lose control over the governments in four Eastern European countries that had been dominated by the Soviet Union since the late 1940s. These countries were Poland, Hungary, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia. The rapid liberalization of these countries occurred because the people realized that the Soviet Union, under Gorbachev, would not use armed forces to prevent it. The Polish government ended its ban on Solidarity in 1989. That year, negotiations between Solidarity and the government led to partially free elections in which pro-Solidarity and other non-Communist candidates won control of the legislature. A coalition government was set up in the summer of 1989. It was the first Polish government since World War II not controlled by Communists. Also in 1989, thousands of East Germans who had traveled to Hungary went to West Germany by crossing over a newly opened border between Hungary and Austria. Anti-Communist demonstrations soon followed in East Germany, and its hard-line Communist leadership resigned. In November, the country opened its long-closed borders with the West. The disintegration of Communist authority in East Germany sparked anti-Communist demonstrations in Czechoslovakia. These demonstrations quickly brought about the downfall of the Communist government, and members of liberal opposition groups took power. In Romania, a bloody revolt led to the execution of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. A group of former Communist Party members and officials called the National Salvation Front took control of the country. Communists who favored reforms also took power in Bulgaria. In 1990, free multiparty elections were held in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, East Germany, Romania, and Bulgaria. Non-Communist parties came to power in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and East Germany. The new East German government agreed to the unification of East and West Germany. Unification took place on Oct. 3, 1990. In Romania, the winning group was the National Salvation Front, which ran candidates as a political party. In Bulgaria, the former Communist Party, which had renamed itself the Socialist Party, won the election. In 1991, the Communist Party won multiparty elections in Albania. But protests by Albanians led the Communists to form a coalition government with other parties. In early 1992, non-Communists took control of the governments in both Albania and Bulgaria. ......................................................................//////////////////////////////////////////////
The fundamental policy, however, of the Communist party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from its beginning was complete socialization. Between 1918 and 1921, a period called "war communism," the state took control of the whole economy, mainly through the centralization of planning and the elimination of management from factories. This led to inefficiency and confusion, and in 1921 there

was a partial return to the market economy with the adoption of the New Economic Policy (NEP). The NEP ushered in a period of relative stability and prosperity, and in 1922 the treaty of union formally joined Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, and Transcaucasia(divided in 1936 into the Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijan republics). The mid-1930s saw a conservative trend in official attitudes toward culture: family life was emphasized again, and divorces and abortions were made difficult to obtain; great men and events in pre-1917 Russian history were extolled in literature (e.g., in works by Aleksey N. Tolstoy) and in films (especially those of SergeiEisenstein); and experimentation in education gave way to a return to structure and discipline. In 1936 the Stalin constitution was issued, and it included many features of Western democracies, which, however, were more window-dressing than true indications of the distribution of power in the Soviet system.

The Purge
Following the murder (1934) of Sergei M. Kirov, one of Stalin's closest associates, and the announcement of the discovery of an alleged plot against Stalin's regime headed by the exiled Trotsky, there began a series of purges that culminated in the great purge from 1936 to 1938. The armed forces, the CPSU, and the government in general were purged of all allegedly dissident persons; the victims were generally sentenced to death or to long terms of hard labor. Much of the purge was carried out in secret, and only a few cases were tried in public "show trials."