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"Mankind is divided into rich and poor, into property owners and exploited; and to abstract oneself from this fundamental division; and from the antagonism between poor and rich means abstracting oneself from fundamental facts."
- J. Stalin
LIST OF POLICIES
1.) iNDUSTRIALISATION (5-YEAR PLAN)
Stalin sought to modernise the Soviet Union and achieve the same economic and military levels as the Western Powers. He attempted to achieve this through a series of Five-Year Plans, setting targets for industrial and agricultural development for each plan.
The 5-year plans were nationwide, centralised exercises to rapidly develop the Soviet Union. This was done through the setting of ambitious targets to increase production. The most significant of the 5-year plans was the first plan, which only lasted 4 years: 1928 - 1932. The main focus was expanding industry, transport and the power supply.
The second plan spanned from 1933 - 1938. This plan aimed to produce more manufactured goods, including machinery for the collective farms.
The third plan began in 1939 and was the first to allow 'luxuries' such as bicycles and radios. This plan was however disrupted by the outbreak of World War II, when war production became the top priority.
2.) COLLECTIVISATION
Stalin sought to merge the small farms of the Soviet Union into larger collective farms, or kolkhozy. It was believed that larger units of land could be farmed more efficiently through mechanisation, such as the use of tractors. It was a complete reversal from the previous economic policy - Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP), in terms of its aims and measures. By 1935, almost all the farms in the Soviet Union were kolkhozy.
However, collectivisation brought about mixed results because the overall development if the Soviet agricultural sector was severely hampered. It was only in the 1950s that Soviet agricultural production regained levels it had achieved in 1928.
3.) PURGES
In order to consolidate his power and enforce party discipline, Stalin turned his attention to create a series of campaigns of political repression and purges to eliminate his enemies and remove any domestic opposition to the Soviet government between 1934 - 1938. This period became known as The Great Terror. It was characterised by show trials, arrests and interrogation, widespread police surveillance and executions.
4.) SHOW TRIALS
Stalin's political rivals such as Kamenev, Zinoviev and Bukharin were accused of conspiring with Trotsky to overthrow the government, and were tried in public show trials before being executed. Many other soon followed. Those who were tried often confessed to crimes they did not commit, after being tortured or having their families threatened.
5.) PROPAGANDA: Cult of the leader
Stalin also used propaganda extensively to build up his own profile as the rightful successor to Lenin. Like the Tsars before him, he claimed to be a father to his people. Loyal or intimidated artists praised the leader in films, books, posters, paintings and musicals, giving rise to a new style of art called 'Soviet Realism'. Stalin also carefully policed how he was represented. For example, he made sure that he was pictured wearing ordinary clothes and retaining the modest title of Secretary-General. Pictures and propaganda posters of Stalin were placed everywhere. All offices, factories and classrooms in the Soviet Union were required to have a picture of Stalin. All the achievements and successes of the Soviet Union were credited to Stalin's leadership.
Source: Ling, J., & Paul, A. (2013). To what extent did Stalin's dictatorship devastate the Soviet Union? In Unit 2 The World in Crisis (pp. 30 -63). Singapore, Singapore: Pearson Education South Asia Pte.