USSR Float Historical Precedents Leading

USSR Float

Historical precedents leading to the fall of socialism in Soviet Union

At the dawn of 20th century, modern society had witnessed a radical shift in the social order of human society. The influence of Karl Marx's discussion on social conflict in capitalist societies led to the implementation of his proposed socialist revolution, a path that, according to Marx, will lead to the marginalized society's emancipation and eventual attainment of power. This proposition was put into test with the creation of the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), the fusion of East European countries as a step towards the establishment of a socialist-Communist society.

Led by Vladimir Lenin, USSR in 1919 created and adopted policies that were drastically different from the principles and dynamics of capitalism. USSR's transition in becoming a Communist nation was achieved not only through Lenin's leadership, but also through Leon Trotsky's active participation in organizing the Communist military force, known as the Bolsheviks, in attaining power in Russia. Under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky, Soviet Union became a state-managed economic society, wherein private property was prohibited and given to the government. The transition of the Soviet Union from being a feudal to socialist economy was met with numerous conflicts and wars against nations that eventually became Communist, such as Ukraine and Belorussia. Lenin and Trotsky's reign was characterized as a period of attaining affiliations and peace pacts with Russia's neighbor countries, in its attempt to build a stronger Socialist Republic.

Economic policies implemented in Lenin's government were summarized through the New Economic Policy or NEP, an economic program that aimed to support agriculture and farmers in Russia. Under the NEP, agricultural practices, especially production, was liberalized. Though all properties are state-owned, agricultural products under the NEP were allowed to be sold commercially, thereby giving farmers freedom to control their produce and their agricultural land, not to mention their capability to hire manpower when they need it. NEP was implemented in order to spur food production and economic growth.

Lenin's death and Trotsky's assassination gave rise to Stalin's power as the next Communist leader of the U.S.S.R. Under Stalin, USSR assumed a different character: it abolished Lenin's NEP program and adopted instead a Five-Year Plans. This Five-Year Plans centered on the development of an economy focused on military and industrial development rather than agricultural development. While Lenin's economic program benefited the Russians, particularly its working class, Stalin's economic program was advantageous for military personnel and industrialists. In fact, Stalin had changed the nature of USSR economy from being socialist to pseudo-capitalist, a reversal of Lenin's objectives. Thus, Stalinism in the Soviet Union had destroyed the nationalistic objective that Lenin had originally created for the Russian people and the Soviet allies.

Nikita Khrushchev's leadership after the rule of the Stalin government included the abolishment of the Soviet Union. Russia gradually assumed a capitalist economy, although the immediate reform that Khruschev implemented was the destruction of Stalin's Communist regime and its institutions. His administration focused on the abolishment of any trace of Stalin's authoritarian rule in the Soviet Union right after World War II. Russian morale at this time was at its lowest, what with the fall of the 'socialist experiment' and prevalence of poverty and hunger in the country. After replacing Khruschnev, Leonid Brezhnev had only continued what his predecessor had started, and this was to abolish the tainted image of socialism in Russian society.