Lenin-Stalin Comparison Essay, Research Paper
Social Science 201
16.10.2000
A great luck for Russia was that at the times of hardships she was
headed by such a genius and talented commander as Joseph Stalin.
Stalin was a man of extraordinary energy, erudition and a powerful
will. Him even I, a person taught by the Parliament, could not counter.
W. Churchill
“Stalin is the Lenin of today,” said a popular propaganda slogan of the thirties and the forties. The situation has changed drastically since that time; people’s opinion of Stalin has changed in light of the new facts that came out during the course of history. One of such influencing factors was the “secret” speech given by Khrushchev during the Twentieth Congress of KPSS. This speech, however, does not give a real picture of either Stalin or Lenin: Khrushchev denounces the idolization of Stalin but supports the cult of Lenin. He also does not pay attention to Stalin’s deeds that do deserve to be criticized (from an non-Communist point of view), but looks sharply onto something that Stalin should be thanked for. Khrushchev puts Stalin in opposition to Lenin and fails to recognize that those leaders were in many ways similar.
The first blame that Khrushchev puts on Stalin is idolization. To be honest Khrushchev never says that Stalin created it himself, but he never denounced it either. Khrushchev puts Lenin as an example of modesty. However, the cult of Lenin has been created as well, and though, Lenin did denounce it, his denunciation never had much result. Stalin’s personal modesty is known as well. He had never concerned himself with having many awards, as, for example, did Brezhnev with Five Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Stalin only had one, but never wore it (the only award we see him wearing is the Star of Hero of Socialist Labor). At his fiftieth birthday, to all the panegyrics Stalin answers: “ To all the organizations and comrades congratulating me… Your greetings I refer to the great party of the working class, which gave me birth and taught me.” (Radzinsky, 262) Stalin did not care for the pleasant words. His concern was real power. Stalin also wanted to look good in the eyes of history. That is why all the history books were rewritten.
Khrushchev also indicts him of fabricating cases against honest Bolsheviks. That is his major blame of Stalin. How could he destroy the party that brought him to power? Khrushchev gives Lenin as an example of a leader who forgave people even if they made mistakes (Revolutions, 81). However, it was Lenin who said that by the age of 50 revolutionaries should be sent to their ancestors (Radzinsky, 341). The honest Bolsheviks “murdered” by Stalin were Tukhachevsky, Blucher, Frinovsky, Yagoda, Kosior, Kamenev, Zinoviev, Bukharin, Radek, and many others who were a part of Stalin’s 1934 Congress of the Victors. There are, however, sound reasons for Stalin’s destruction of the Party. Reason one: most of those leaders still dreamt of the World Revolution, which would “bring freedom and prosperity to the oppressed.” Instead of concerning themselves with the industrialization and planning of the economy, they wrote about the “World proletariat, which through the class struggle disrupts the imperialists’ intentions to conquer the Soviet Union…” (Tukhachevsky, 166) Reason two: they were not professionals in economics, military affairs, or anything but the party life. The quote above is from Tukhachevsky’s book on strategy. There is no strategic teaching in it; only political activity. In 1937 Malenkov, who was an engineer at the time gave a speech where he said that 70% of secretaries of obkoms and 80% of secretaries of raikoms have primary education (Radzinsky, 341). And those people were in charge of industrialization. Most of the old party members got to the top not through hard work but through oppression of their own people during the Civil War. Tukhachevsky, Yakir and Blucher received their Red Banner orders for suppressing the Kronshtadt and Tambov Rebellions. Even the right-winged Bukharin talked about mass shooting as means of achieving Communism.
According to Khrushchev, Stalin had created an enormous beurocratic apparatus in the country, which was against Lenin’s principles and the Communist ideals in general. He says that Lenin was preached for the “indissoluble unity [of the Party] with the masses (Revolutions, 76). It was during Stalin’s times that the party nomenklatura started having its own shops, resorts, personnel, dachas, and plains. He “forgets” that Trotsky one of the “outstanding leaders” had his own train and enormous personnel over 250 people in it: the Latvian Red Guards, machinegun unit, cooks, secretaries, chauffeurs, and many others (Volkogonov, 269). The tendency started during the Civil War when the party bosses received everything separately from the people and there is no evidence that Lenin did anything to stop it (I do not want to mention any of the official propaganda). When Stalin achieved absolute power, this tendency continued with a major development. The nomenklatura had to pay a high price for all the luxury. This price was a constant fear. Stalin kept them all under control; something Lenin never achieved. He made sure that virtually everything they owned belonged to the state. Everything could be taken away in an instant. In fact everything was taken away from those arrested in 1937-38. Families of those arrested were left with nothing.
Nevertheless, it should be credited to Stalin that despite the terror, he had created a sort of leaders that could stand up for their views and were not afraid to oppose Stalin himself. Ezhov, Zinoviev, Yakir, all of them did not have any principles and did not have pride even when their fate was decided. When arrested Yakir wrote to Stalin a letter saying, “I will die with the words of love to you.” (Suvorov, 177) Replacing Yakir and Tukhachevsky came Apanasenko, Zhukov, Rokossovsky, and Vasilevsky. These people were professional at what they did, but most importantly, they stood up for their opinions even facing the risk of being arrested. In May of 1944 the greatest attack of the Second World War was launched on the Germans: the Belorussian offensive (Sorry, no D Day). Stalin, Zhukov, and Vasilevsky planned it. General Rokossovsky (who just returned from the camps before the war) had his own plan, which was better. He faced the opposition of all three and still defended his point and won. And beat the Germans. Would those destroyed by Stalin do anything like it? Those whose will was destroyed by Stalin did not deserve to be in power.
Khrushchev says that the NKVD fabricated cases against the people (Revolutions, 83). His real concern, however, was not with the people, but with the Party members. At the same time when he criticizes Stalin for suppressing the freedom of opinion within the Communist Party, Khrushchev fails to see anything wrong with oppression of those non-Bolsheviks who criticized Stalin and were sent to GULAG because of it. This is not a surprise. Such a policy comes from Lenin and is continued by Stalin and Khrushchev himself. During the time of Lenin’s leadership the CHEKA (GPU) was committing atrocities on a similar scale, but that was normal, because it was fighting the counterrevolution.
One of the few true things that Khrushchev says about Lenin and Stalin is that Lenin actually called for the Party Congresses to address problems and issues, which Stalin never did. He only called for Congresses when he needed them, not the Party. They were more like staged performances then real meetings. The same is true concerning the Politburo meetings. They all new what Stalin wanted and followed his will. I only have one explanation for it. Stalin, as an ambitious person, always wanted to be right. He never voted at the meetings unless he was sure of victory. Lenin, as a chairman of Sovnarkom, was outvoted (or close to it) many times. An example of it would be the case of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, when Lenin had to threaten to quit in order to influence the rest of the Bolsheviks. Stalin came up with a more efficient way to get his opinion to prevail.
Therefore, when Khrushchev talks about Stalin deceiving Lenin’s principles, he is mistaking most of the time. Stalin was politically raised the same way Lenin was and only diverted from Lenin’s ways achieving goals by developing and improving them. Stalin was successful in many areas where Lenin failed
Bibliography
Radzinsky, Edward. “Stalin.” Moscow
Vagrius, 1997
Suvorov, Viktor. “The Cleansing.” Moscow
AST, 1998
Volkogonov, Dmitrij. “Trotsky.” Vol. 1 Moscow
AST, 1998
Khrushchev, Nikita. “De-Stalinization speech.” Revolutions in Russia and China. 4th ed Ed. June Grasso et al. New York: McGaw-Hill. 2000. 75-90
Другие работы по теме:
What Is Science Essay Research Paper What
What Is Science Essay, Research Paper What is Science? Several dictionary definitions of science in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary define science as a system of knowledge about a specific topic. The systems come from systematic, or precise, observations of natural events; a random example would be the study of the movement of a caterpillar.
Comparison Contrast Essay Research Paper When one
Comparison Contrast Essay, Research Paper When one is deciding to purchase new furniture there are many options that one can take. One can buy furniture unassembled and assemble it themselves, or you can buy it pre-assembled. But which way is the most efficient way? I feel that buying pre-assembled furniture is a much more efficient method.
Eugenics Essay Research Paper In the 1920s
Eugenics Essay, Research Paper In the 1920?s there was a movement, called the melting pot, to solve the social problems of the time with the use of technology. Eugenics is the use of science to solve social problems. A major leader in eugenics at the turn of the century was a man named Davenport. Kallikak studied eugenics too.
Science And War Essay Research Paper Schopenhauer
Science And War Essay, Research Paper Schopenhauer had an understanding of the Will, which has to separate parts. The Will to Life and Human Will. The Will to Life, was the over all striving that
Social Ills Essay Research Paper Every society
Social Ills Essay, Research Paper Every society of every civilization known to man has had its share of social ills. Even dating back to biblical times people have struggled with an ever-increasing number of hardships. All of which have led to the downfall of its social structure. As we all know, nothing lasts forever, but with the help of strong minds and able bodies, societies can curb their ills and ?clean up their act?.
Apply The Budget Surplus To Science Essay
, Research Paper For years, everyone has opined on what to do with the budget surplus: fund new educational programs, cut taxes, and so on. Science needs the money. In some technologies, we are beginning to fall behind other countries. We must not allow this to happen. Everyone reaps the benefits of science; increasing funding for research programs would only enhance these benefits.
Chaos Making A New Science Essay Research
Paper Chaos: Making A New Science Chaos by James Gleick presents to its readers the idea of a new science. Gleick shows this new science as a deviation of old conventional science; which gives rise to new ideas and new ways to look at old problems. In order to make his point; Gleick traces the lives of many different scientists throughout history.
Multi Strand Science Essay Research Paper NAME
Multi Strand Science Essay, Research Paper NAME: DUE DATE: YEAR 12 MULTI-STRAND SCIENCE Choose ONE of the following local industries and prepare a resource management case study for that industry.
Charles Darwin Essay Research Paper Charles DarwinOne
Charles Darwin Essay, Research Paper Charles Darwin One of the most famous names in science and in the economy today, is Charles Darwin. Darwin is best known for his contributions in science; his famous theory of evolution. He also contributed to the market and command economy with his belief, “survival of the fittest.”
Social Security 2 Essay Research Paper Social
Social Security 2 Essay, Research Paper Social security is very essential for most of today s older Americans. Since it was begun, it has been a sort of protection for retired workers, and for disabled workers. Social Security allows people to live independently and still have their dignity. There are about 150 million workers protected by Social security and more then 44 million people receive Social Security benefits.
Crimonology Essay Research Paper If you look
Crimonology Essay, Research Paper If you look up the word criminology in the dictionary it would be defined as a scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon. Social phenomenon? Say what?
Positivism Essay Research Paper PositivismPositivism is the
Positivism Essay, Research Paper Positivism Positivism is the belief that “scientific naturalism” is the foundation of knowledge and truth. Leszek Kolakowski wrote “Positivism is a normative attitude, regulating how we are to use such terms as knowledge , science , cognition , and information . Positivism rejects the theories of theology and metaphysics because they don t have proof that they are true.
Archeo Essay Research Paper A Cross Cultural
Archeo Essay, Research Paper A Cross Cultural Perspective of Polygyny As an institution, polygyny, the social arrangement that permits a man to have more than one wife at the same
Comparison Essay Essay Research Paper Comparison EssayThere
Comparison Essay Essay, Research Paper Comparison Essay There are many different ways to explain the beginning and creation. Genesis and Edith Hamilton?s ?Mythology,? are two of many literary works you can find. Both show how characters were created and formed. They give detailed understanding and examples of creation.
The Invisble Man Essay Research Paper The
The Invisble Man Essay, Research Paper The Invisible Man In The Invisible Man, H.G. Wells both demonstrates and criticizes man?s tendency to become moral or immoral with the acquirement of power. Like many books of the same era, he uses science as the instrument of retribution for the social crimes that have been committed.
Philosophy Of Science Essay Research Paper When
Philosophy Of Science Essay, Research Paper When I was a young student I never thought of science as being significant enough to have a personal philosophy on the subject. However as a future teacher I have realized that it is a subject of great importance which needs to be contemplated. When I began to think about what science is, I realized that science is in our everyday lives and all around us.
Social Work Essay Research Paper Social Workers
Social Work Essay, Research Paper Social Workers in the United States have many roles and needs to fill in society. They are seen as the people that nurse the homeless, unemployed, hunger-stricken, and destitute back to life. It is their choice to help those more unfortunate than themselves, and although it is considered a “job”, it is really a way of life.
Social Security Essay Research Paper Social securityThe
Social Security Essay, Research Paper Social security The issue I am addressing today is what to do about social security. There is going to be a large problem with our social security in years to come. Both Al Gore and Bush
Get In Essay Research Paper Click Here
Get In Essay, Research Paper Click Here If YOU Have Friends! Can’t find the paper you need? Try Collegiate Care Comparing Casablanca to 1984 Charlie Parker at Storyville
Religion Vs Astronomy Essay Research Paper Religion
Religion Vs Astronomy Essay, Research Paper Religion and science have always been in direct competition with one another. The ultimate goal of science is to prove the inexistence of God with facts, while the existence in God is simply based on belief and faith. While 95% of the people living on Earth believe in a superior being of some sort, some might say that religion clouds the minds of otherwise logical individuals and makes it impossible for them to pursue the truth of the Universe.
Comparison Essay Essay Research Paper Comparison EssayTwo
Comparison Essay Essay, Research Paper Comparison Essay Two individuals dominate the late night airwaves, Jay Leno and David Letterman. Leno uses a conservative humor and Letterman’s humor is progressive. While the two shows claim to be different, they both follow the same format. Both shows include a ten-minute stand up routine, strange co-hosts and interviews with celebrity guests.
Miller Spring Essay Essay Research Paper Miller
Miller Spring Essay Essay, Research Paper Miller Springs Essay My science class and I went to Miller Springs to learn about sediments and nature a few days ago. The good and bad sides of the trip I will explain below.
Social Role Essay Research Paper About Its
Social Role Essay, Research Paper About Its Social Role Waxing eloquent about stakeholder management and corporate social responsibility is in some circles the surest way to stifle a business conversation, if not a business career. Corporate philanthropy brings satisfaction to those who give and receive, the argument goes, but let us not get carried away by talk of give-aways.
American Dream Essay Research Paper scribes the
American Dream Essay, Research Paper scribes the defeat of the American dream, and that the American ideals differ with the actual social conditions that exist in society. For the American constitutions stands for the freedom, and equality among people, but the truth of the matter is that social discrimination still exists and the grouping among the classes can never be overcome.
Government Essay Research Paper 2 We know
Government Essay, Research Paper 2. We know that the fundamental difference between ancient political science and modern political science has to do with the relationship of the individual to the state. For Aristotle, a person was an inherently political animal. For modern political philosophers (social contract theorists), individual rights existed prior to the formation of government.
Suicide Essay Research Paper Social Problem Teen
Suicide Essay, Research Paper -Social Problem: Teen Suicide -Social Problem- Any problem that may cause pain and may affect a person?s life. ? Teen Suicide- Intentional and self-inflicted death.
Magic Vs Science Essay Research Paper Magic
Magic Vs. Science Essay, Research Paper Magic vs. Science What is magic and science? These two subjects have been around for several hundred years and many controversies have come about when the
Impact Of Economics And Science During The
19Th Century Essay, Research Paper Steve Dohl 3/13/01 Pre IB His/Geo The impact of Economics and Science during the 19th Century In the period from c. 1850-1914 economics and science were changing the world and lifestyles. Adam Smith introduced the idea of capitalism and gave the idea that mercantilism is bad (‘lessie faire’).
Religion And Science Essay Research Paper Religion
Religion And Science Essay, Research Paper Religion and Science Is Science and Religion really such an adversary? I believe that it is a very touchy subject, in which it can go either way. Some people may claim that science and religion are two very similar subjects, while other may view it as two very different subjects of life.
Volcanoes Essay Research Paper My Report is
Volcanoes Essay, Research Paper My Report is on Volcanoes. For a starter, I have a lay out of the plan for my report. Also I would like to follow a volcano in it’s path. Right now here is part of my report.
Social Realism Essay Research Paper Social Realism
Social Realism Essay, Research Paper Social Realism In Art Social realism, in art, describes both a specific stylistic approach and an overall attitude toward the subject. Social realism aims toward the not so lovely part of life. Its goal is not to amuse but to show the observer the evils of poverty , immorality and war.
Social Darwinism Essay Research Paper Social DarwinismSocial
Social Darwinism Essay, Research Paper Social Darwinism Social Darwinism was a late nineteenth-century social theory that was based on the theories of evolution of scientist Charles Darwin. The ideas and behind Social Darwinism came directly from his theories of evolution and, ?survival of the fittest.? The theory was used to explain how the economic growth of America was coming along.