The Soviet Union - Stable or Unstable? Analysis of History
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of Soviet Union history. Specifically it will discuss whether the Soviet Union was a relatively stable dictatorship that lasted seven decades or a primarily unstable system that collapsed of its own weight. Communist, democratic, autocratic, the history of the Soviet Union is as diverse as the country itself. Many factors contributed to the instability of the country, from dictatorial leaders, corrupt political parties, and oppression to poor economic policies and social unrest.Socially, the Soviet Union began on extremely shaky roots. The Bolshevik Revolution took place in 1917, and disposed the monarchy, creating instead a Communist state. However, civil wars plagued the new Communist regime until the 1920s, and there were many who fought the overthrow of the Tsar and his family. Before the Revolution, peasants worked the land for the nobles and ultimately the Tsar. Author Suny notes, "Tsar and noble supported each other, maintaining a stable political regime that could defend the realm against foreign threats, keep the various nobles from fighting each other, collect taxes and keep order over the immense spread of the Russian lands, and preserve
Writer Shelia Fitzpatrick writes of this period, "The process, I believe, was essentially completed with the end of the First Five-Year Plan in 1932. While there were periods of relative stability in the country's history, the Revolution built a country of workers from a country of peasants, many of whom were stable in their relationships with the nobles and their own roles in society. Another writer, Geoffrey Hosking, is even blunter in his assessment. He writes, "The economic deficiencies are merely part of a deeper crisis which permeates the whole society" (Hosking 2). Politically, Russia has experienced many periods of instability throughout its history. Writers Davies and Harris note, "The inner membership core [of the cabinet] was stable and of long duration, working with him from the early 1920s until his death in 1953" (Davies and Harris 105). In the 1950s and 60s, economic growth slumped. Thus, the people were bound to their land and their master. The struggle was over, but dictators like Stalin and those who followed, along with corrupt political party leaders, would rule the Soviet Union with an iron fist, often with their own political interests and power in mind, rather than the good of the country. There was still unrest and inequality, although the Bolsheviks had hoped to create an equal and balanced society. The Soviet Union made great strides during the 20th century, but it could not keep pace with the west in economic, political, or social arenas, and so, the Soviet Union gave up Communism, returned to democracy, and became even more unstable as it broke up into smaller entities. Thus, the economy was another factor in the instability and ultimate fall of the Soviet Union, but it was not the only factor. Labor productivity, as well as the productivity of capital, also declined. After the Revolution, not much changed, because the people had to pay back their "redemption" payments to the state, and they were still bound to the land, so their lives did not dramatically change.
Common topics in this essay:
Soviet Union,
Author Suny,
Davies Harris,
Five-Year Plan,
Bolshevik Revolution,
Politically Russia,
Geoffrey Hosking,
Soviet Union's,
soviet union,
Union Communism,
Khrushchev Gorbachev,
20th century,
davies harris,
throughout 20th century,
author suny,
stalin's regime,
country politically,
economic policies,
corrupt political,
factors contributed,
economic growth,
|
Acceptance Essays
