The Russian coup d'état of 1917 was caused by various circumstances, with the event in itself labeled as a “major political upheaval” (). The people of Russia were unsatisfied with the oppressive autocratic rule of Nicholas II and the loss of a vast amount of men and resources
Stalin resisted Trotsky’s policies and the two had a bloody clash over what would be Stalingrad. When the communist forces won the Russian Civil War of 1920, Trotsky focused on economic reconstruction. Most of his ideas were unsuccessful. In the winter of 1920-1921 there was an issue about the future role of trade unions. The crisis came to a head in 1921, and at this point Trotsky sided with Lenin, backing the suppression of open factional activities within the party.
6). Even though important figures in the government did not join ranks with the Bolsheviks, many workers and soldiers began to support the Bolshevik party after the February Revolution when Vladimir Ilich Lenin protested for peace and insisted that Soviets, workers’ councils, should take authority and could improve the country. Months after the February Revolution, in October, the Bolsheviks officially ruled Russia, (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica par. 4). After the October Revolution in 1917, As dictator, Lenin fought in a civil war against the White Army, an anti-Bolshevik force.
1. What were the differences between the reign of Paul I and the reign of Alexander I? Paul I receded from the coalition who were fighting Napoleon and this may be one of the starkest differences between Paul I and Alexander I as Alexander I reenlisted Russia into the efforts being made to fight Napoleon when he became czar. Additionally, Paul I ruled more like his father than his mother, Catherine, however, Alexander I determined and announced to rule like Catherine.
The October Manifesto 1905 was a political reform in response to Bloody Sunday which allowed freedom of speech and creation of the Duma, a parliamentary body. The Duma gained control over laws and created hope and expectation for further reforms. However, Nicholas II, the Tsar, still referred to himself as an autocrat in the October Manifesto document. The Fundamental Laws 1906 contributed to growing grievances in Russia as the people were denied a political voice and reaffirmed the Tsar’s power with the use of ‘veto’ meaning ‘I forbid.’ Moreover, Nicholas appointed Stolypin in 1906 as Prime Minister to address protestors and peasant poverty.
The opposition first started with Trotsky when he underestimated Stalin. Additionally, Trotsky believed Stalin was mediocre and a blur whereas Lenin wanted Stalin replaced and had various doubts about him and the loyalty to the communist party. When Lenin died, the first line of opposition collapsed and soon Trotsky would fall beginning with edited photos to manipulate people into believing Stalin was more involved with Lenin than Trotsky. Also, Stalin giving the eulogy at the funeral but outmaneuvering Trotsky by telling him the wrong day of the funeral to make people believe Trotsky didn’t care about Lenin or the party. On Stalin’s way up to becoming the head of the party, he encountered Kamenev, Zinoviev, and Bukharin.
After Lenin’s death in 1924 and rivalry amongst the Communist Party to take his place , only two candidates stood out from the others . Trotsky and Stalin both wanted supreme power but Stalin’s ability and determination to undermine his opponents led him to become in 1929 the undisputed party leader . To continue , Stalin once in power was about to set new policies , especially economical and social in order to modernize the USSR . Knowing that Russia was as backward in certain area as it used to be one hundred years earlier . It was indeed going to be a huge challenge for Stalin , who was willing to do anything to accomplish his ideas .
The Cold War soon begins after the end of WW2 when Truman, the successor of Roosevelt became president in 1945 due to ideological differences between the two superpowers, United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War had a massive impact on US politics as could be seen through the creation of political consensus between the Republican and Democrats in relation to the policy of containment that includes the Marshall plan, the establishment of the NATO, the NSC-68 report and also the Truman Doctrine as the response of George Kennan’s containment theory, which caused US politics to be specifically targeted at the Soviet Union. While there are political consensus to contain Communism, the Cold War had primarily polarised politics when McCarthy
At a time in Russian history when life seemed to fall apart for many low-class Russians, Tolstoy addressed the problems with Russian society, using a completely new style in his literature at the same time. Russia in the 1800s seemed like an out-of-place, backward nation relative to the rest of Europe. Beginning in the late 1700s, nearly all of Europe, excluding Russia, began leaning toward liberal views of
Totalitarianism is a form of government where the government can do what ever they want, and the government can make anyone do what ever the government wants. During the Russian Revolution a dictator by the name of Stalin used this form of government. Stalin used totalitarianism for a couple reasons. The first reason was to stop protests and the second one, was to make sure that there wasn’t going to be another civil war in Russia. While using totalitarianism, Stalin had complete dominance over Russia.
As a former Vice President, Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Commerce, Henry A. Wallace, a strong proponent of the New Deal and advocate of a more lenient Soviet Union policy which ultimately became controversial within the Democratic Party. Although Wallace’s criticism of President Harry S. Truman’s resulted in his dismissal, he nevertheless, actively voiced his criticisms during the Cold War. In “The Path to Peace with Russia,” Wallace criticized America’s foreign policy, while asking to judge the Soviet Union interests against those of the United States. Henry believed the United States involvement in the reconstruction of the Soviet Union could have helped the economies of both countries only if the mentality of international affairs could have been shifted. Wallace’s private letter, primarily to influence President Trumans’ thinking was achieved by creating a world where the United States was without their air bases, weapons and the atomic bomb and a Soviet Union who had “[created] a level of armed strength far exceeding anything in their previous history.”
Kennan proposed that the United States aid in the development of democratic countries by giving them economic and political support, military equipment and training, and also waging war against communist regimes if necessary. Rebels would be given support so that they could overthrow the ruling communist governments. Kennan 's ideas were heavily criticized by newspapers, but his idea of blocking the expansion of Soviet influence remained a key interest and main strategy of the United States throughout the Cold War. Containment was first used during the Korean War in which NATO forces intervened and fought off North Korean and Chinese forces from taking over all of Korea and creating a communist government. The Korean War ended
The result of the Russian Revolution was increased tension between the two groups. The Russian Revolution did nor affect the Canadian economy a lot, aside from creating tension between Russia and Canada because of their two clashing political
Although the Soviet Union, which was also based on a totalitarian system, fought with the United States was part of the Allied Powers at first, the United States strived to end their communist system during the Cold War. These are examples of countries based on hate being destroyed by others. As shown by this real life case, societies made of friendship and love are able to distinguish right from wrong, unlike societies made of cruelty and
Imagine if you lived in a place where you had no freedom, and you were ruled by a man like Joseph Stalin. That is what it would be like in many countries if it weren’t for the United States’ policy of containment. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union wanted to take over other countries and make them have the government system of Communism. The United States didn’t like that, because they thought their governmental system of Democracy was better. As a result, the U.S. adopted a policy of “Containment”.