The Soviet state was the actual predecessor of the modern Russian Federation. It existed from 1922 to 1991. During this period, it occupied a significant area of Eastern Europe, parts of Eastern, Central and Northern Asia. It is worth noting that the country has gone through many upheavals, increasing the national we alth by more than 50 times. The number of university students increased by 40 times. At the beginning of perestroika, the national income was 66% of that in the United States. However, in the period from 1985 to 1991, perestroika was announced in the country. The political and economic changes that have taken place have led to the destabilization of society and undermined the economy. This was one of the key factors that contributed to the collapse of the country.
Backstory
Before the formation of the Soviet state, the Russian Empire was located approximately on the same territory. It was a monarchy, which at the beginning of the 20th century was ruled byNicholas II.
The country was very conservative, society demanded changes, but the authorities did not dare to change them. The revolution of 1905 was the first wake-up call. Its main causes are violations of the rights of workers, lack of land for peasants, lack of a constitution and a parliament. The monarchy by 1907 managed to cope with the unrest in the country. The king had to make concessions. The State Duma appeared, reforms began in the empire, and autocracy was limited.
The First World War, which began in 1914, worsened the already unstable situation in the state. It had important consequences for Europe, as four empires ceased to exist at once. In addition to Russian, these are Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German.
Revolutions of 1917
In 1917, the people, dissatisfied with the low efficiency of reforms and protracted participation in the war, went to the February Revolution. It is believed that it was she who became the direct beginning of the Soviet state. The monarchy was overthrown, Nicholas II was arrested. Subsequently, he would be shot with his family in the summer of 1918.
After the overthrow of the emperor, the Provisional Government was established in the country. But he failed to fix it. This led to the activation of various political movements, all ending with another revolution in October. Power passed into the hands of the Bolsheviks. According to their philosophy, the leadership of the country should have been with the lower classes, the executive functions were controlled by people's commissars. The first steps of the Bolshevik government were decrees on withdrawal from the war and land reform,depriving the landowners of their property.
Civil War
The coup d'état that took place led to a serious split in society. In 1918, the Civil War began.
Its main participants were "whites" - supporters of the old system, who tried to return the old system of government. They sought to overthrow the Bolsheviks.
The "Reds" acted as a counterbalance to them. Their goal was the establishment of communism, the complete elimination of the monarchy. The latter emerged victorious from this confrontation.
Formation of the USSR
The creation of the Soviet state officially took place on December 29, 1922, when the corresponding treaty was signed. Already on December 30, the first All-Union Congress was held, which ratified it. The Soviet state paid great attention to law. In 1924, the first constitution was adopted.
After the creation of the Soviet state, power was concentrated in the hands of the Communist Party. The Central Committee and the Politburo became the supreme governing bodies. It was the latter who made decisions that were binding on everyone. Legally, all its members were equal, but in fact, the leader of the Bolsheviks, Vladimir Lenin, took over the leadership, who made the most important decisions.
Shortly after the formation of the state of the Soviet Union, Lenin fell seriously ill. A struggle for power began, since he himself could no longer fully lead the country. Trotsky, Stalin, Tomsky, Rykov, Kamenev and Zinoviev were members of the Politburo at that time. Exactlyin the period from 1922 to 1925, in fact, they ruled the Soviet state.
Struggle for influence
The power struggle has led to a split. Stalin, Kamenev and Zinoviev opposed Trotsky. By the end of 1923, he actively criticized this trinity, demanding equality among party members. As a result, he was declared an enemy of the people. He was sent into exile, and then completely expelled from the USSR. In 1940, he was killed in Mexico by an NKVD agent.
In 1924 Lenin dies. At the 13th Congress, Krupskaya wants to publish the "Letter to the Congress", written by her husband shortly before his death. However, it is decided that it will be read only in closed session. In it, Lenin gives characteristics to each of his associates. In particular, he notes that Stalin concentrated too much power in himself, which he could not dispose of. He called Trotsky's candidacy Soviet Russia the most preferable for governing the state.
Having gotten rid of Trotsky, Stalin accused Zinoviev and Kamenev of distorting Lenin's ideas, doing everything to declare them enemies of the people. He himself criticizes capitalism, preaching the ideas of socialism. There are more and more supporters in society who support development plans.
In 1927, the opposition of Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev was finally eliminated. By 1929, Stalin had concentrated all power in his hands.
Industrialization and collectivization
In the 1920s, the era of industrialization began in the history of the Soviet state. For this they neededsignificant funds that it was decided to receive through the export of wheat and other goods abroad. Because of this, unbearable plans were set for the collective farmers to harvest the crop, which had to be given to the state. This led to the impoverishment of the peasantry, the famine in 1932-1933. After that, the authorities switched to a more benign regime, which became a continuation of the NEP.
At that time, the country experienced significant economic growth. GDP grew by 6% between 1928 and 1940. Soon the Soviet Union became the leader in terms of industrial output. Chemical, metallurgical and energy enterprises were built one after another. At the same time, the standard of living was extremely low, especially among the peasants.
Since the 1930s, the domestic policy of the Soviet state has been based on collectivization. It was an association of peasant farms into centralized collective farms. This has led to a reduction in livestock and agricultural production. There were even armed uprisings in the regions, which were brutally suppressed.
The number of products is strictly limited. They are issued on cards. Partial abolition of cards occurred only in 1935.
The end of the 1930s was the bloody period of the Soviet state, when mass repressions took place in the country. The destruction of political opponents, the Bolsheviks began immediately after the Civil War. The victims of repression were the landlords, Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries. The greatest scale of repression was reached in 1937-1938.
Historians believe that hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens were killed at that time,millions went to the camps. Most were accused of counter-revolutionary activities and treason.
Foreign policy
In the foreign policy of the USSR, the course changed dramatically after Hitler came to power in Germany. If before that there were close relations with this country, now the Soviet Union with France and England began to join forces to resist fascism. At the same time, Stalin did not enter into an open confrontation with the German government.
Before World War II, the leader of the Soviet state urged all countries to improve relations among themselves. In August 1939, a non-aggression pact was concluded with Germany, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
When the Second World War began, the Soviet Union began to occupy the territories of Belarus and Western Ukraine, which were part of Poland. The USSR also annexed Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, placing its military bases. Following the agreement, Germany turned a blind eye to this. At the same time, it was the Nazis who initiated the Second World War, which began with their invasion of Poland.
The Soviet Union started a war with Finland. For 4 months, the USSR suffered significant technical and military losses.
Historians believe that it was after this failure of Stalin in Finland that Hitler decided to attack the Soviet Union, believing that the Red Army did not pose a threat to him.
War against fascism
On June 22, 1941, Germany violated the non-aggression pact by invadingterritory of the USSR without declaring war. In a short period, they occupied significant territories in the west of the Soviet Union, by that time the fascist regime had been established almost throughout Europe.
The Red Army under the leadership of Marshal Zhukov near Moscow launched a counteroffensive. The battles of Kursk and Stalingrad became turning points, in which the Germans were defeated. After that, for many, the outcome of the war became clear.
On May 8, 1945, Germany capitulated. Hitler had killed himself about a week before.
This war claimed the lives of between 55 and 70 million people.
After the victory of the Soviet Union in many countries of Eastern Europe, the regime of the Communist Party was established. There has been a bipolarity in the world, as the main enemy of the USSR, the USA, was gaining more and more weight. The Cold War began, which was expressed in the industrial, military and space race.
The overthrow of the cult of personality and stagnation
Stalin's death in 1953 was a tragedy for many Soviet citizens who lived under a personality cult. Khrushchev became the new ruler. At the XX Congress of the CPSU, he published documents that confirmed Stalin's crimes against his people, in particular, it was about repression. The process of debunking the cult of personality has begun.
The reign of Khrushchev in the history of the Soviet Union is associated with the "thaw". Much attention was paid to the agricultural question, and a course was announced for peaceful relations with the capitalist powers. In 1961, the Soviet state was the first in the world to send a person tospace. The flight was made by Yuri Gagarin.
At the same time, already in 1962 the situation worsened. Due to the Caribbean crisis, relations between the USSR and the USA escalated to the limit. The world is on the brink of nuclear war. Khrushchev and US President Kennedy were on the verge of open confrontation, but the issue was settled through diplomatic methods.
In 1964, Khrushchev was removed from power, and Leonid Brezhnev took his place. His reign began with economic reforms that proved ineffective. There was stability, which soon grew into an era of stagnation.
After Brezhnev's death in 1982, Yuri Andropov became the new general secretary. Remaining head of state for less than a year, he passed away. About a year before his death, the Soviet Union was led by Konstantin Chernenko. The so-called "Kremlin Elders" era ended when Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary in 1985.
Restructuring
In 1985, Gorbachev announced a policy of perestroika.
Soviet citizens have many freedoms. If earlier the political system was totalitarian, now it was approaching democracy.
The collapse of the USSR
Many of Gorbachev's reforms led to negative consequences. Since 1989, national conflicts have begun throughout the country. The economic crisis has led to the return of the card system.
December 8, 1991, the Belavezha Agreement was signed, which officially ended the history of the USSR.
