Evan Mawdsley and Stephen White
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198297383
- eISBN:
- 9780191599842
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198297386.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Russian Politics
The purges were followed by a very high turnover of members of the Central Committee and in effect a new generation of leaders appeared, younger and more from the mass of workers and peasants than ...
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The purges were followed by a very high turnover of members of the Central Committee and in effect a new generation of leaders appeared, younger and more from the mass of workers and peasants than their predecessors. Members of this ‘second generation’ would dominate Soviet politics until the 1980s. The job‐slot system continued in the form it had reached in 1934, although there was now more stability and personal security. Examples of a new Stalinist generation were N. S. Baibakov and N. K. Patolichev, one a technocrat, the other a party generalist. The Central Committee was also much larger now, but had less real influence in politics, compared to the supreme leader and the Politburo/Presidium.Less
The purges were followed by a very high turnover of members of the Central Committee and in effect a new generation of leaders appeared, younger and more from the mass of workers and peasants than their predecessors. Members of this ‘second generation’ would dominate Soviet politics until the 1980s. The job‐slot system continued in the form it had reached in 1934, although there was now more stability and personal security. Examples of a new Stalinist generation were N. S. Baibakov and N. K. Patolichev, one a technocrat, the other a party generalist. The Central Committee was also much larger now, but had less real influence in politics, compared to the supreme leader and the Politburo/Presidium.
Archie Brown
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780192880529
- eISBN:
- 9780191598876
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0192880527.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Russian Politics
When Gorbachev moved to Moscow in November 1978, he became – at the age of 47 – the youngest member of the predominantly elderly Soviet top leadership team. He received rapid promotion, becoming a ...
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When Gorbachev moved to Moscow in November 1978, he became – at the age of 47 – the youngest member of the predominantly elderly Soviet top leadership team. He received rapid promotion, becoming a candidate member of the Politburo in 1979 and a full member in 1980, while retaining the Secretaryship of the Central Committee he had been accorded in 1978. It was only after the death of Leonid Brezhnev in November 1982, however, and the choice of Andropov to succeed him, that Gorbachev entered the inner circle of the leadership. He was unusual for a Politburo member in consulting widely among social scientists and in taking full advantage of Moscow's cultural life. Andropov, when he was dying, tried to elevate Gorbachev above Konstantin Chernenko and make him his heir apparent, but the old guard in the Soviet leadership prevented this. There was also an attempt to prevent Gorbachev becoming de facto ‘second secretary’ after Chernenko succeeded Andropov in March 1984, but Gorbachev eventually became the clear number two within the party hierarchy and the obvious, and in the end unanimous, choice to succeed Chernenko as General Secretary when the latter died in March 1985. Meantime, Gorbachev had begun to show that he was a potential leader of a different kind by impressing Margaret Thatcher and the British public on a visit to the UK in December 1984 and, in the same month, making a speech in Moscow which castigated Soviet stereotypical thinking and introduced some of the new ideas that were to become so important during his years as General Secretary.Less
When Gorbachev moved to Moscow in November 1978, he became – at the age of 47 – the youngest member of the predominantly elderly Soviet top leadership team. He received rapid promotion, becoming a candidate member of the Politburo in 1979 and a full member in 1980, while retaining the Secretaryship of the Central Committee he had been accorded in 1978. It was only after the death of Leonid Brezhnev in November 1982, however, and the choice of Andropov to succeed him, that Gorbachev entered the inner circle of the leadership. He was unusual for a Politburo member in consulting widely among social scientists and in taking full advantage of Moscow's cultural life. Andropov, when he was dying, tried to elevate Gorbachev above Konstantin Chernenko and make him his heir apparent, but the old guard in the Soviet leadership prevented this. There was also an attempt to prevent Gorbachev becoming de facto ‘second secretary’ after Chernenko succeeded Andropov in March 1984, but Gorbachev eventually became the clear number two within the party hierarchy and the obvious, and in the end unanimous, choice to succeed Chernenko as General Secretary when the latter died in March 1985. Meantime, Gorbachev had begun to show that he was a potential leader of a different kind by impressing Margaret Thatcher and the British public on a visit to the UK in December 1984 and, in the same month, making a speech in Moscow which castigated Soviet stereotypical thinking and introduced some of the new ideas that were to become so important during his years as General Secretary.
Yoram Gorlizki and Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195165814
- eISBN:
- 9780199788811
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195165814.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, World Modern History
This introductory chapter begins with a description of Stalin's relationship with his entourage in the years after World War II. It tells the story of an aging and distrustful despot who habitually ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a description of Stalin's relationship with his entourage in the years after World War II. It tells the story of an aging and distrustful despot who habitually picked on and humiliated his companions, and sought to infect the ruling circle with the suspicions and insecurities that characterized his own mental world. Such actions seem to confirm a widespread perception of Stalin in these years as a vain, capricious, and highly unstable individual, who was bent on petty revenge and short-term personal domination. However, this book argues that Stalin's behavior after the war followed a clear political logic. This was, in part, the logic of a dictator seeking to preserve his power in conditions of old age and chronic ill health. An overview of the succeeding chapters is presented.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a description of Stalin's relationship with his entourage in the years after World War II. It tells the story of an aging and distrustful despot who habitually picked on and humiliated his companions, and sought to infect the ruling circle with the suspicions and insecurities that characterized his own mental world. Such actions seem to confirm a widespread perception of Stalin in these years as a vain, capricious, and highly unstable individual, who was bent on petty revenge and short-term personal domination. However, this book argues that Stalin's behavior after the war followed a clear political logic. This was, in part, the logic of a dictator seeking to preserve his power in conditions of old age and chronic ill health. An overview of the succeeding chapters is presented.
Yoram Gorlizki and Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195165814
- eISBN:
- 9780199788811
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195165814.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, World Modern History
This chapter looks at the political structures and decision-making procedures under which the postwar leadership operated. Through an examination of the Politburo and the Council of Ministers, the ...
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This chapter looks at the political structures and decision-making procedures under which the postwar leadership operated. Through an examination of the Politburo and the Council of Ministers, the chapter describes the peculiar blend of personal rule and modern, regular, committee-based government that Stalin achieved in this period.Less
This chapter looks at the political structures and decision-making procedures under which the postwar leadership operated. Through an examination of the Politburo and the Council of Ministers, the chapter describes the peculiar blend of personal rule and modern, regular, committee-based government that Stalin achieved in this period.
Yoram Gorlizki and Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195165814
- eISBN:
- 9780199788811
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195165814.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, World Modern History
This chapter begins with a discussion of the Leningrad and Gosplan Affairs of 1949. Although, in many respects, aberrations in the postwar period — these were the only occasions on which a Politburo ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of the Leningrad and Gosplan Affairs of 1949. Although, in many respects, aberrations in the postwar period — these were the only occasions on which a Politburo member was expelled and senior politicians executed — it is argued that Stalin's charges, though contrived, did rest on a rational basis. In addition to demonstrating that it was Stalin who orchestrated these affairs, the chapter describes how he took action to fill the vacancies created by these scandals and reestablish a balance within the leadership.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of the Leningrad and Gosplan Affairs of 1949. Although, in many respects, aberrations in the postwar period — these were the only occasions on which a Politburo member was expelled and senior politicians executed — it is argued that Stalin's charges, though contrived, did rest on a rational basis. In addition to demonstrating that it was Stalin who orchestrated these affairs, the chapter describes how he took action to fill the vacancies created by these scandals and reestablish a balance within the leadership.
Yoram Gorlizki and Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195165814
- eISBN:
- 9780199788811
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195165814.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, World Modern History
This chapter shows how, despite his frailties, Stalin used the XIX Party Congress as a means of exercising his dominance over the party by, among other things, restructuring “offices” and reassigning ...
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This chapter shows how, despite his frailties, Stalin used the XIX Party Congress as a means of exercising his dominance over the party by, among other things, restructuring “offices” and reassigning his colleagues' duties. It argues that Stalin's final offensive against Molotov and Mikoian starting in October 1952 was part of a rational bid on his part to stave off any thoughts of a succession. The attack on his Politburo colleagues was accompanied by a final lunge at a group of Jewish “doctor-murderers”.Less
This chapter shows how, despite his frailties, Stalin used the XIX Party Congress as a means of exercising his dominance over the party by, among other things, restructuring “offices” and reassigning his colleagues' duties. It argues that Stalin's final offensive against Molotov and Mikoian starting in October 1952 was part of a rational bid on his part to stave off any thoughts of a succession. The attack on his Politburo colleagues was accompanied by a final lunge at a group of Jewish “doctor-murderers”.
Fred C. Abrahams
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814705117
- eISBN:
- 9781479841189
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814705117.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
In the early 1990s, Albania, arguably Europe’s most closed and repressive state, began a startling transition out of forty years of self-imposed Communist isolation. Albanians who were not allowed to ...
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In the early 1990s, Albania, arguably Europe’s most closed and repressive state, began a startling transition out of forty years of self-imposed Communist isolation. Albanians who were not allowed to practice religion, travel abroad, wear jeans, or read “decadent” Western literature began to devour the outside world. They opened cafés, companies, and newspapers. Previously banned rock music blared in the streets. This book offers a vivid history of Albania’s transition from communism to democracy. It provides an in-depth look at the Communists’ last Politburo meetings and the first student revolts, the fall of the Stalinist regime, the outflows of refugees, the crash of the massive pyramid schemes, the war in neighboring Kosovo, and Albania’s relationship with the United States. It weaves together personal experience from more than twenty years of work in Albania, interviews with key Albanians and foreigners who played a role in the country’s politics since 1990—including former Politburo members, opposition leaders, intelligence agents, diplomats, and founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army—and a close examination of hundreds of previously secret government records from Albania and the United States.Less
In the early 1990s, Albania, arguably Europe’s most closed and repressive state, began a startling transition out of forty years of self-imposed Communist isolation. Albanians who were not allowed to practice religion, travel abroad, wear jeans, or read “decadent” Western literature began to devour the outside world. They opened cafés, companies, and newspapers. Previously banned rock music blared in the streets. This book offers a vivid history of Albania’s transition from communism to democracy. It provides an in-depth look at the Communists’ last Politburo meetings and the first student revolts, the fall of the Stalinist regime, the outflows of refugees, the crash of the massive pyramid schemes, the war in neighboring Kosovo, and Albania’s relationship with the United States. It weaves together personal experience from more than twenty years of work in Albania, interviews with key Albanians and foreigners who played a role in the country’s politics since 1990—including former Politburo members, opposition leaders, intelligence agents, diplomats, and founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army—and a close examination of hundreds of previously secret government records from Albania and the United States.
David Wingeate Pike
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203155
- eISBN:
- 9780191675751
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203155.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses the ‘Antwerp Conference’: the PSUC versus the PCE; the PSUC applying to the Comintern for admission; the Politburo meeting in Toulouse following the Casado coup; the Cortes ...
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This chapter discusses the ‘Antwerp Conference’: the PSUC versus the PCE; the PSUC applying to the Comintern for admission; the Politburo meeting in Toulouse following the Casado coup; the Cortes meeting in Paris: the Negrín government discredited; the communists forced to withdraw from Cortes; the evacuation of communists from the French concentration camps; the selection of refugees to the USSR; and the Spanish communists left behind in the French camps.Less
This chapter discusses the ‘Antwerp Conference’: the PSUC versus the PCE; the PSUC applying to the Comintern for admission; the Politburo meeting in Toulouse following the Casado coup; the Cortes meeting in Paris: the Negrín government discredited; the communists forced to withdraw from Cortes; the evacuation of communists from the French concentration camps; the selection of refugees to the USSR; and the Spanish communists left behind in the French camps.
David Wingeate Pike
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203155
- eISBN:
- 9780191675751
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203155.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses war and its opportunities; exploits of the Spaniards: the case and cult of Rubén Ruiz; the PCE leadership rent by scandal; the Politburo reduced to a troika; the death of Diaz; ...
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This chapter discusses war and its opportunities; exploits of the Spaniards: the case and cult of Rubén Ruiz; the PCE leadership rent by scandal; the Politburo reduced to a troika; the death of Diaz; the problem of the succession: Hernández versus Pasionaria; the departure of Hernández for Mexico; Hernández expelled from the Party; the fate of the Republican pilots and seamen; and rendezvous at Karaganda.Less
This chapter discusses war and its opportunities; exploits of the Spaniards: the case and cult of Rubén Ruiz; the PCE leadership rent by scandal; the Politburo reduced to a troika; the death of Diaz; the problem of the succession: Hernández versus Pasionaria; the departure of Hernández for Mexico; Hernández expelled from the Party; the fate of the Republican pilots and seamen; and rendezvous at Karaganda.
Paul Gregory and Norman Naimark (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300134247
- eISBN:
- 9780300152227
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300134247.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
In this book, Western and Russian scholars examine the “lost” transcripts of the Soviet Politburo, a set of verbatim accounts of meetings that took place from the 1920s to 1938 but remained hidden in ...
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In this book, Western and Russian scholars examine the “lost” transcripts of the Soviet Politburo, a set of verbatim accounts of meetings that took place from the 1920s to 1938 but remained hidden in secret archives until the late 1990s. Never intended for publication or wide distribution, these records (known as stenograms in Russia) reveal the actual process of decision making at the highest levels of the Soviet communist party. The transcripts also provide new, firsthand records of the rise of Stalin's dictatorship. The contributors to the book explore the power struggles among the Politburo members, their methods of discourse and propaganda, and their economic policies. Taken as a whole, the chapters shed light on early Soviet history and on the individuals who supported or opposed Stalin's consolidation of power.Less
In this book, Western and Russian scholars examine the “lost” transcripts of the Soviet Politburo, a set of verbatim accounts of meetings that took place from the 1920s to 1938 but remained hidden in secret archives until the late 1990s. Never intended for publication or wide distribution, these records (known as stenograms in Russia) reveal the actual process of decision making at the highest levels of the Soviet communist party. The transcripts also provide new, firsthand records of the rise of Stalin's dictatorship. The contributors to the book explore the power struggles among the Politburo members, their methods of discourse and propaganda, and their economic policies. Taken as a whole, the chapters shed light on early Soviet history and on the individuals who supported or opposed Stalin's consolidation of power.
Mikhail Prozumenshikov
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781503610187
- eISBN:
- 9781503611016
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9781503610187.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, World Modern History
After the Soviet Union’s successful second-place result in the 1952 Olympic Summer Games, its sports officials began to dream of hosting the great mega-event in Moscow. Able leaders like Konstantin ...
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After the Soviet Union’s successful second-place result in the 1952 Olympic Summer Games, its sports officials began to dream of hosting the great mega-event in Moscow. Able leaders like Konstantin Andrianov and Nikolai Romanov repeatedly pushed the party leadership to go along with their plans but to no avail. Joseph Stalin, who departed the world in 1953, had little interest in sport, and his successor, Nikita Khrushchev, was hostile. Everything changed when Leonid Brezhnev came to power. He was an ardent fan of sport who had supported teams and clubs in all the localities through which he passed on the way to the top of the Soviet hierarchy in 1964. Ten years later, after numerous false starts, the Soviet capital was awarded the Games. In this case, a single individual in an authoritarian state had a profound effect.Less
After the Soviet Union’s successful second-place result in the 1952 Olympic Summer Games, its sports officials began to dream of hosting the great mega-event in Moscow. Able leaders like Konstantin Andrianov and Nikolai Romanov repeatedly pushed the party leadership to go along with their plans but to no avail. Joseph Stalin, who departed the world in 1953, had little interest in sport, and his successor, Nikita Khrushchev, was hostile. Everything changed when Leonid Brezhnev came to power. He was an ardent fan of sport who had supported teams and clubs in all the localities through which he passed on the way to the top of the Soviet hierarchy in 1964. Ten years later, after numerous false starts, the Soviet capital was awarded the Games. In this case, a single individual in an authoritarian state had a profound effect.
Chak Kwan Chan, King Lun Ngok, and David Phillips
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861348807
- eISBN:
- 9781447303411
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861348807.003.0004
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter examines the nature and organisational structure of the Chinese Communist Party. It also explains the key policy players in China's politics, including the Politburo Standing Committee, ...
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This chapter examines the nature and organisational structure of the Chinese Communist Party. It also explains the key policy players in China's politics, including the Politburo Standing Committee, the National People's Congress and the State Council. Moreover, it discusses the process of policy making, and the key government departments responsible for making Chinese social policy such as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Construction. During the formulation of the Labour Contract Law, the most controversial issue was the guiding principle of the Law. The final version of the Law is a compromise between the interests of the employees and the employers. Many social policies cannot achieve their policy goals as originally proclaimed. As the pace of marketisation and decentralisation intensifies, Chinese civil society is also developing.Less
This chapter examines the nature and organisational structure of the Chinese Communist Party. It also explains the key policy players in China's politics, including the Politburo Standing Committee, the National People's Congress and the State Council. Moreover, it discusses the process of policy making, and the key government departments responsible for making Chinese social policy such as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Construction. During the formulation of the Labour Contract Law, the most controversial issue was the guiding principle of the Law. The final version of the Law is a compromise between the interests of the employees and the employers. Many social policies cannot achieve their policy goals as originally proclaimed. As the pace of marketisation and decentralisation intensifies, Chinese civil society is also developing.
Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300110661
- eISBN:
- 9780300161281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300110661.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter examines the crisis years of 1931–1933. At the same time that the Stalinist leadership was turning to terror, it was also making inconsistent attempts at reform. The swings between ...
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This chapter examines the crisis years of 1931–1933. At the same time that the Stalinist leadership was turning to terror, it was also making inconsistent attempts at reform. The swings between liberalization and terror, which had their origins in the Politburo, provide an opportunity to study the alignment of forces at the highest echelons of political power.Less
This chapter examines the crisis years of 1931–1933. At the same time that the Stalinist leadership was turning to terror, it was also making inconsistent attempts at reform. The swings between liberalization and terror, which had their origins in the Politburo, provide an opportunity to study the alignment of forces at the highest echelons of political power.
Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300110661
- eISBN:
- 9780300161281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300110661.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter examines the factors behind the move toward more moderate policies in 1934 and considers the role played by Sergei Kirov in these initiatives. It suggests that foreign policy ...
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This chapter examines the factors behind the move toward more moderate policies in 1934 and considers the role played by Sergei Kirov in these initiatives. It suggests that foreign policy considerations—the threat from Fascist Germany and the desire to conclude an anti-Fascist pact with France and its allies—largely determined the direction of Stalinist policy. On 19 December 1933 the Politburo adopted a highly classified resolution concerning the possibility of membership in the League of Nations and concluded regional mutual defense pacts with a number of Western countries in case of German aggression.Less
This chapter examines the factors behind the move toward more moderate policies in 1934 and considers the role played by Sergei Kirov in these initiatives. It suggests that foreign policy considerations—the threat from Fascist Germany and the desire to conclude an anti-Fascist pact with France and its allies—largely determined the direction of Stalinist policy. On 19 December 1933 the Politburo adopted a highly classified resolution concerning the possibility of membership in the League of Nations and concluded regional mutual defense pacts with a number of Western countries in case of German aggression.
Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300110661
- eISBN:
- 9780300161281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300110661.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses changes in the makeup and activities of the Politburo, as well as political trends following Sergei Kirov's murder, which Stalin used as an excuse to eliminate his former ...
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This chapter discusses changes in the makeup and activities of the Politburo, as well as political trends following Sergei Kirov's murder, which Stalin used as an excuse to eliminate his former political opponents—the leaders and members of the opposition movements active in the 1920s and early 1930s. Between 1935 and 1938 a large number of oppositionists were destroyed. In almost every case, the accusations of terror leveled against them included allegations of involvement in plans to kill Kirov.Less
This chapter discusses changes in the makeup and activities of the Politburo, as well as political trends following Sergei Kirov's murder, which Stalin used as an excuse to eliminate his former political opponents—the leaders and members of the opposition movements active in the 1920s and early 1930s. Between 1935 and 1938 a large number of oppositionists were destroyed. In almost every case, the accusations of terror leveled against them included allegations of involvement in plans to kill Kirov.
Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300110661
- eISBN:
- 9780300161281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300110661.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter examines the consolidation of Stalin's dictatorship. It considers changes in the fundamental institutions of power during the final weeks before the war with Germany, which established ...
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This chapter examines the consolidation of Stalin's dictatorship. It considers changes in the fundamental institutions of power during the final weeks before the war with Germany, which established precedents that greatly influenced the model of power which took shape after the war. The discussions cover repression within the Politburo; Stalin's old and new comrades-in-arms; and the breakdown of the old decision-making system and the creation of a new one.Less
This chapter examines the consolidation of Stalin's dictatorship. It considers changes in the fundamental institutions of power during the final weeks before the war with Germany, which established precedents that greatly influenced the model of power which took shape after the war. The discussions cover repression within the Politburo; Stalin's old and new comrades-in-arms; and the breakdown of the old decision-making system and the creation of a new one.
Oleg V. Khlevniuk
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300110661
- eISBN:
- 9780300161281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300110661.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter summarizes the main themes covered and presents some concluding thoughts from the author. By 1941, Stalin had consolidated his dictatorship and established one of the most brutal regimes ...
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This chapter summarizes the main themes covered and presents some concluding thoughts from the author. By 1941, Stalin had consolidated his dictatorship and established one of the most brutal regimes that ever existed in Russia or indeed the world. It is argued that archival materials do not support the theory that there were factions within the Politburo. The conduct of both large-scale repressive measures and reforms was based on Stalin's proposals (or, in most cases, on his orders).Less
This chapter summarizes the main themes covered and presents some concluding thoughts from the author. By 1941, Stalin had consolidated his dictatorship and established one of the most brutal regimes that ever existed in Russia or indeed the world. It is argued that archival materials do not support the theory that there were factions within the Politburo. The conduct of both large-scale repressive measures and reforms was based on Stalin's proposals (or, in most cases, on his orders).
R. W. Davies
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300134247
- eISBN:
- 9780300152227
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300134247.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter analyzes the transcript of the December 10, 1925 Politburo meeting, and suggests that the political struggle between Joseph Stalin and the Left is linked to the problem of grain ...
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This chapter analyzes the transcript of the December 10, 1925 Politburo meeting, and suggests that the political struggle between Joseph Stalin and the Left is linked to the problem of grain production. It explains that Central Statistical Administration chief statistician P. I. Popov became a target for removal during the meeting for his publication of material about potential grain sales in 1925 and 1926, which was used by Lev Kamenev as evidence of increasing social differentiation among the peasantry.Less
This chapter analyzes the transcript of the December 10, 1925 Politburo meeting, and suggests that the political struggle between Joseph Stalin and the Left is linked to the problem of grain production. It explains that Central Statistical Administration chief statistician P. I. Popov became a target for removal during the meeting for his publication of material about potential grain sales in 1925 and 1926, which was used by Lev Kamenev as evidence of increasing social differentiation among the peasantry.
David M. Woodruff
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300134247
- eISBN:
- 9780300152227
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300134247.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter analyzes three sets of Soviet Politburo transcripts from October 26 and November 2, 1925, and February 22, 1926 that focus on macroeconomic policies. It explains that during these ...
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This chapter analyzes three sets of Soviet Politburo transcripts from October 26 and November 2, 1925, and February 22, 1926 that focus on macroeconomic policies. It explains that during these meetings, People's Commissar of Finance Grigory Sokol'nikov proposed a combination of import restrictions and tight monetary policy to ensure a favorable trade balance and increase the supply of gold. The chapter also suggests that macroeconomic policy making devolved too easily into discussions of penalizing the microeconomic behavior of specific groups and classes.Less
This chapter analyzes three sets of Soviet Politburo transcripts from October 26 and November 2, 1925, and February 22, 1926 that focus on macroeconomic policies. It explains that during these meetings, People's Commissar of Finance Grigory Sokol'nikov proposed a combination of import restrictions and tight monetary policy to ensure a favorable trade balance and increase the supply of gold. The chapter also suggests that macroeconomic policy making devolved too easily into discussions of penalizing the microeconomic behavior of specific groups and classes.
Mark Harrison (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300134247
- eISBN:
- 9780300152227
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300134247.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter analyzes the transcript of the January 2, 1927 Politburo meeting that focused on the setting of prices, and explains that discussion revolved around the so-called scissor crisis, which ...
More
This chapter analyzes the transcript of the January 2, 1927 Politburo meeting that focused on the setting of prices, and explains that discussion revolved around the so-called scissor crisis, which involved relatively high industrial prices that inhibited the production of agricultural goods and the grain supply. It also describes how Joseph Stalin sought microeconomic solutions to macroeconomic problems by attacking the ability of the cooperatives and trading agencies to resist price controls.Less
This chapter analyzes the transcript of the January 2, 1927 Politburo meeting that focused on the setting of prices, and explains that discussion revolved around the so-called scissor crisis, which involved relatively high industrial prices that inhibited the production of agricultural goods and the grain supply. It also describes how Joseph Stalin sought microeconomic solutions to macroeconomic problems by attacking the ability of the cooperatives and trading agencies to resist price controls.