After the Russian Civil War Lenin was faced with the economic challenges that a newly communist society brings. As a solution to the challenges he brought in a new economic policy which allowed a tiny bit of capitalism in the ideally equal society. This NEP allowed for some recovery in certain industries. However once Lenin died two men fought for his power. Stalin and Trotsky fought for the leadership position, although Stalin was victorious due to the political advantage he had. Stalin had the ability to appoint his electoral council as well as control all propaganda in the nation. After Stalin took power I believe that by implementing things such as a quota system in factories he restricted the modernization of Russia. Due to the simplicity of Russia's economy they were unable to progress with technology, therefore making Russia's society fairly "Old Fashioned".
During 1917 Russia under went two revolutions. Power was shifted twice in a time span of only a few months. In the feb/mar revolution Nicholas II was abdicated from power and Russia adopted a Provisional Government. The Provisional Government was at first led by Prince Lvov, however shortly after he was replaced by Alex Kerensky. The next revolution was in that october/november and this time a party called the Bolshevik Party used the common desire for equality to implement Karl Marx's communist ideals into Russia. After events such as the riot in Petrograd it was clear people would be unified with this ideals and that this type of leadership was there to stay. Russia faced two revolutions in a short time, with only the second succeeding. The failure of the first revolution was due to the continuation of involvement in WWI. For the past three history classes we have watched the hollywood blockbuster, Enemy at the Gates. Jude Law plays a Russian war hero who helps Russia make the final stand for Stalingrad during WWII. Vasily Zaytsev a farm boy who learned to shoot at a very young age, is transformed into a Russian legend through propaganda. He story was used to motivate the other Russian soldiers attempting to stop the Germans from taking Stalingrad. Vasily kills dozens of Germans, until the German army sends a veteran sniper to take him down. Vasily battles with this sniper for weeks until Vasily eventually kills him. The story is an intriguing depiction of the battle of Stalingrad where thousands died, and the film was very exciting. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys an interesting story.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |