WHY BY 1939, STALIN WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH HIS TOTALITARIAN RULE ON RUSSIA?
Stalin, a Russian dictator who gradually build up power after Lenin’s death. After a series of power struggle between his rival, Trotsky, he eventually rose up thus establishing his Totalitarian Rule in Russia. Stalin’s totalitarian rule on Russia were defined as a political structure which subordinates the individual totally to the needs of the states as defined by those on power, relies on a mixture of exhortation, propaganda and force to keep the population in line. For Stalin, the only thing that matters is what is good for the states. Individual rights and freedom are not very important.
After Lenin’s death in 1924, there had been a power struggle between Stalin and his potential rival, Trotsky and others such as Kamenev and Zinoviev. At that time there had been serious clashes between Stalin; who believed in Socialism in one country and Trotsky; who believed in permanent revolution. In 1925, Trotsky was totally isolated and was dismissed from his post as War Commissar. In 1926, Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev were expelled from the Politburo. This was followed by the removal of Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky – his former allies. Thus by 1929, Stalin was fully in controlled with the Politburo and was simply addressed as “Vozhd” which mean the leader.
Stalin also introduced collectivisation in order to export more grain for his industrialisation programme’s fund. The collective farms (Kolkhoz) were introduced to produce more food. In December 1929, mass collectivisation and Dekulakisation began. Dekulakisation referred to a policy to destroy the class of Kulaks. Secret police and army units surrounded villages and threat the people to surrender, transporting those who left alive to remote regions where many died of hunger. By March 1930, half of the peasants joined the collective farms. By 1935, 94 percent of the crop areas of land were collectivised. By 1940, the wheat crop was 80...