Guiding questions:
Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.
Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
MWH p.415-420
How successful was Mao Zedong in dealing with China's problems?
a. Problems facing Mao in 1949 (after long civil war and war with Japan)
1. railways, roads, canals and dykes had been destroyed and there were chronic food shortages
2. agriculture was inefficient and incapable of feeding the poverty-stricken masses
3. inflation seemed out of control
b. the constitution of 1950
1. who/what had authority for all the main decisions?
the Politburo (chosen by the State Council elected by the Congress)
2. who was eligible to be elected?
only communist party members could stand for election
c. Agricultural changes - what were the two steps taken to collectivize Chinese peasants?
1. land was taken from large landowners and redistributed among peasants
2. peasants were persuaded to join together in co-operative farms in order to increase food production
d. Industrial changes
1. who helped and was the model?
The russians (helped with cash, equipment and advisors)
2. what evidence of success was there?
i. full communications had been restored
ii. inflation was under control and economy was looking much healthier
e. the Hundred Flowers campaign
i. what was a cadre?
a group who organized the masses politically and economically (e.g. carried out collectivization)
ii. why might the cadres be threatened by technicians and engineers?
because the experts might be smarter than cadres and suggest other ways of doing their duties
iii. what was the solution?
Mao decided to allow open discussion and the blooming of "a hundred ideas"
iv. how did that work out for the government?
critics attacked the cadres, government, and Communist Party, so Mao stopped campaign and clamped down on critics
f. Summarize the two main features of the Great Leap Forward:
1. the introduction of communes - larger than collective farms (up to 75,000 people); divided into brigades with elected councils (performed functions of local government).
2. A complete change of emphasis in industry - much smaller factories, and backyard steel furnaces set up. Communes also undertook building roads, canals, dams, reservoirs and irrigation channels.
3. what was the short term effect of the Great Leap Forward?
i. opposition to the communes
ii. a series of bad harvests (1959-61)
iii. withdrawal of all Russian aid (following breach b/w china and russia)
4. what was the long term effect of the Great Leap Forward?
i. agricultural and industrial production increased substantially
ii. by mid 1960s china was managing to feed massive populations without famine
iii. communes resulted in good government control while supplying jobs for everyone, spread of education and welfare services, and an improvement in the position of women in society
g. the Cultural Revolution
1. briefly summarize the differences between the right wing and left wing views within the Party:
RIGHT- thought that incentives for the workers were necessary if the communes were gunna function efficiently and that there should be expert managerial class to push forward with industrialization on the russian model instead of relying on cadres.
LEFT- (included Mao) wanted to avoid all capitalism and keep revolution on a pure Marxist-Leninist course
2. who carried out the Cultural Revolution?
Mao used his position as chairman to stir the masses (propaganda)... his supporters the Red Guards toured the country arguing his case
3. briefly describe the activities which made up the Cultural Revolution:
Red Guards started touring the country uplifting Mao's ideas -> Some of them got out of hand and they started attacking anyone in authority, not just Mao critics -> tons of people were disgraced -> Mao calls in army to restore order -> April 1969 revolution ended
4. what was the impact of the Cultural Revolution?
It caused great disruption, ruined millions of lives, and probably held up China's economic development by 10 years... BUT they recovered in the mid-1970s
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
IRL #8
http://www.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=34630
This is a news article about China's past 60 years of censorship; it was published on October 1, 2009 by 'Reporters Without Borders', although no one author is specified. It connects to what we're learning in class because it's about Mao's imposing of stringent censorship regulations in the time of his rule, and the Communist government's continuance of that for the past 60 years into modern day China. It enhances what we've learned by providing details about which agencies/newspapers (for example, People's Daily) continue to be directly controlled by the government, a sort of timeline of the editorial/journalistic loss of freedom in China, and a visual (picture) of a propaganda poster. A limitation when using this source is that it does not cite the quotes and information it uses, so it is difficult to place full trust in their claims.
This is a news article about China's past 60 years of censorship; it was published on October 1, 2009 by 'Reporters Without Borders', although no one author is specified. It connects to what we're learning in class because it's about Mao's imposing of stringent censorship regulations in the time of his rule, and the Communist government's continuance of that for the past 60 years into modern day China. It enhances what we've learned by providing details about which agencies/newspapers (for example, People's Daily) continue to be directly controlled by the government, a sort of timeline of the editorial/journalistic loss of freedom in China, and a visual (picture) of a propaganda poster. A limitation when using this source is that it does not cite the quotes and information it uses, so it is difficult to place full trust in their claims.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SGQ #7
IBSL2 SGQ7
QWs:
Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.
Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
In what ways did one ruler of a single-party state try to use education to support his regime?
MWH 369-378
4. What was everyday life and culture like under Stalin?
a. Why was life hard?
i. food - shortage due to concentration on heavy industry, famine and bad harvests. Amount of bread eaten by average worker in 1933 was half what it was in 1900, and average wages were 3/5 what they had been in 1928.
ii. housing - shortage caused by rapid urban population growth (31 mill increase b/w 1926-39). local Soviets controlled housing -> Middle class families had to share their homes, and workers lived in barracks.
iii. the nomenklatura - the existence of special elite groups such as government officials made ordinary people angry that they were suffering while the elite had all these privileges (bread delivered to their house, a country house...); there was a "them and us" attitude.
b. What signs of improvement were there?
i. food supplies improved and all rationing was abolished in 1936 (provision of free meals in factory canteens and free work clothes helped)
ii. education and healthcare were free, and the # of schools and medical centers was increasing
iii. more recreation facilities-by the end of the 1930s there were almost 30,000 cinemas
iv. 'culturedness' spread its way into the workplace and shops; workers were made to take care of hygiene, and sanitation regulations were introduced into bread shops etc.
c. The state, women, and the family
i. Why was life hard for women?
1. so many men had disappeared during collectivization, the famine, and the Purges -women were left to work + parent
2. by 1940 about 2/3 of the workforce in light industry was women and many did men's work such as construction
ii. What two goals did the government have for women?
1. provide much of the workforce for the industrialization drive
2. encourage and strengthen the family unit
iii. What policies did the government adopt towards women?
1. build daycares and nurseries (# doubled in 2 years 1929-30)
2. mid 1930s: laws were passed encouraging women to have as many babies as possible; abortion made illegal except if woman's life was in danger
3. maternity leave up to 16 weeks was allowed and there were various subsidies and other benefits for pregnant women
iv. What was life like for upper-class or well-educated women?
they had professional jobs and were seen by the state as part of the campaign to 'civilize' the masses... their main duty was to make a comfortable home life. The Wives' Movement eventually encouraged them to learn to drive lorries, shoot, and fly planes so they could be ready to take men's places if they had to go to war.
d. Education
i. What improvements were made to education?
1. January 1930 law passed that all 8-11 yr. olds have to be enrolled in school -> # of students increased from 14-20 million
2. by 1940 there were 199,000 schools, and many new training colleges were set up for teachers
3. literacy rate went up from 94->99 (towns) and 86->98 (rural)
ii. What were some of the goals of education?
1. turn the younger generation into good, orthodox soviet citizens; religion and 'bourgeois' practices were presented as superstitious
2. strict discipline enforced by teachers with emphasis on science and math
e. Religion
i. Was was the Communist view of religion?
they were atheists who accepted Marx's claim that religion was invented by ruling classes to keep people under control. Bolshevism is only religion; people should worship communist state not god.
ii. What actions did the government take towards religious organizations?
-lenin had attacked Orthodox church: seizing of all property, arresting of priests -church/state relations were bettering but then when some priests opposed collectivization, Stalin started secretly organizing destruction of thousands of priests, muslim/jewish leaders, and churches (by 1941 barely any churches left)
iii. What was the people's reaction to those policies/actions?
outrage, esp. in rural areas where priests were popular parts of the community. But then in 1942 when they were losing the war, Stalin decided they could use the church, and allowed them all to re-open
f. Literature and theater
-1928-1931 'Cultural Revolution' (rise of writers etc, against 'Bourgeoise' intellectuals)
-government dissolved AUV (All-russian union of writers) for being accused of publishing anti-soviet works, then Stalin passed law saying no material could be published portraying Party in bad light, so RAPP writing group was dissolved too
-in late 1930s many writers and theatre people were arrested and sent to labour camps or even executed
g. Art, architecture, and music
-strict rules on what artists could produce as well (mainly paintings/busts of Lenin/Stalin), architecture was boring (classical)
-Western music was condemned until mid 1930s
h. The cinema
-Stalin loved films and demanded that soviet films should be 'intelligible to the millions'
-films makers had a hard time because there were so many different languages in russia and the regime wanted so many (sometimes contradictory) themes incorporated into the movies (e.g. the glorious communist future)
-increase in movies and cinemas from 1933-40
QWs:
Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.
Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
In what ways did one ruler of a single-party state try to use education to support his regime?
MWH 369-378
4. What was everyday life and culture like under Stalin?
a. Why was life hard?
i. food - shortage due to concentration on heavy industry, famine and bad harvests. Amount of bread eaten by average worker in 1933 was half what it was in 1900, and average wages were 3/5 what they had been in 1928.
ii. housing - shortage caused by rapid urban population growth (31 mill increase b/w 1926-39). local Soviets controlled housing -> Middle class families had to share their homes, and workers lived in barracks.
iii. the nomenklatura - the existence of special elite groups such as government officials made ordinary people angry that they were suffering while the elite had all these privileges (bread delivered to their house, a country house...); there was a "them and us" attitude.
b. What signs of improvement were there?
i. food supplies improved and all rationing was abolished in 1936 (provision of free meals in factory canteens and free work clothes helped)
ii. education and healthcare were free, and the # of schools and medical centers was increasing
iii. more recreation facilities-by the end of the 1930s there were almost 30,000 cinemas
iv. 'culturedness' spread its way into the workplace and shops; workers were made to take care of hygiene, and sanitation regulations were introduced into bread shops etc.
c. The state, women, and the family
i. Why was life hard for women?
1. so many men had disappeared during collectivization, the famine, and the Purges -women were left to work + parent
2. by 1940 about 2/3 of the workforce in light industry was women and many did men's work such as construction
ii. What two goals did the government have for women?
1. provide much of the workforce for the industrialization drive
2. encourage and strengthen the family unit
iii. What policies did the government adopt towards women?
1. build daycares and nurseries (# doubled in 2 years 1929-30)
2. mid 1930s: laws were passed encouraging women to have as many babies as possible; abortion made illegal except if woman's life was in danger
3. maternity leave up to 16 weeks was allowed and there were various subsidies and other benefits for pregnant women
iv. What was life like for upper-class or well-educated women?
they had professional jobs and were seen by the state as part of the campaign to 'civilize' the masses... their main duty was to make a comfortable home life. The Wives' Movement eventually encouraged them to learn to drive lorries, shoot, and fly planes so they could be ready to take men's places if they had to go to war.
d. Education
i. What improvements were made to education?
1. January 1930 law passed that all 8-11 yr. olds have to be enrolled in school -> # of students increased from 14-20 million
2. by 1940 there were 199,000 schools, and many new training colleges were set up for teachers
3. literacy rate went up from 94->99 (towns) and 86->98 (rural)
ii. What were some of the goals of education?
1. turn the younger generation into good, orthodox soviet citizens; religion and 'bourgeois' practices were presented as superstitious
2. strict discipline enforced by teachers with emphasis on science and math
e. Religion
i. Was was the Communist view of religion?
they were atheists who accepted Marx's claim that religion was invented by ruling classes to keep people under control. Bolshevism is only religion; people should worship communist state not god.
ii. What actions did the government take towards religious organizations?
-lenin had attacked Orthodox church: seizing of all property, arresting of priests -church/state relations were bettering but then when some priests opposed collectivization, Stalin started secretly organizing destruction of thousands of priests, muslim/jewish leaders, and churches (by 1941 barely any churches left)
iii. What was the people's reaction to those policies/actions?
outrage, esp. in rural areas where priests were popular parts of the community. But then in 1942 when they were losing the war, Stalin decided they could use the church, and allowed them all to re-open
f. Literature and theater
-1928-1931 'Cultural Revolution' (rise of writers etc, against 'Bourgeoise' intellectuals)
-government dissolved AUV (All-russian union of writers) for being accused of publishing anti-soviet works, then Stalin passed law saying no material could be published portraying Party in bad light, so RAPP writing group was dissolved too
-in late 1930s many writers and theatre people were arrested and sent to labour camps or even executed
g. Art, architecture, and music
-strict rules on what artists could produce as well (mainly paintings/busts of Lenin/Stalin), architecture was boring (classical)
-Western music was condemned until mid 1930s
h. The cinema
-Stalin loved films and demanded that soviet films should be 'intelligible to the millions'
-films makers had a hard time because there were so many different languages in russia and the regime wanted so many (sometimes contradictory) themes incorporated into the movies (e.g. the glorious communist future)
-increase in movies and cinemas from 1933-40
SGQ #6
IBSL2 SGQ6
QWs:
Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.
Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
In what ways did one ruler of a single-party state try to use education to support his regime?
MWH 361-368
1. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's economic problems?
a. What were Russia's economic problems?
Production from heavy industry was still surprisingly low, there was a lack of capital to finance the industrial progress Stalin wanted since foreign countries wouldn't invest in a communist country; Russia would need to produce more food for feeding workers and exporting.
b. What were the Five Year Plans?
i. How were they carried out?
The cash was provided from grain export money, charging peasants heavily for using government equipment, and "ploughing back of all profits and surpluses". Education was improved to make a whole generation of skilled workers, and some capitalist methods such as pay differentials were used in the workplace to encourage production.
ii. How successful were they? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
In terms of getting production numbers up they were mostly successful: from 1929-1940 coal increased from 40.1 (million tons) to 164.9 (higher than Britain in 1940), pig-iron from 8.0 to 14.9, and steel from 4.9 to 18.4. However, since the focus was on heavy industry, the people's standard of living did not successfully develop; there were "primitive" housing conditions, a severe shortage of consumer goods, and severe punishments for bad workers.
c. What does collectivization mean? The idea that small farms and holdings belonging to the peasants should be merged to form large collective farms jointly owned by the peasants.
i. How was it carried out?
Policy was passed in 1929. Collectivization was carried out by brute force; armies of party members forced unwilling peasants to join, encouraged poorer peasants to seize the property of richer unwilling peasants, and arrested/sentenced to labor camps/shot any peasants who refused to join.
ii. How successful was it? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
Production rose; amount of grain exported and taken by government rose significantly in 1930+1. However, much livestock had been slaughtered, AND total grain production did not really increase - in fact it was less in 1934 than it had been in 1928. There was a famine in 1932-3, especially in Ukraine, and over 5 million peasants died of starvation while 1 3/4 tons of grain were exported. So, collectivization was a failure.
2. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's political problems?
a. What were Russia's political problems?
i. decrease of gov't popularity/growing opposition to Stalin in the Party (circulated document called 'Ryutin Platform' calling for removal of Stalin and slow-down of procedures.
ii. a new constitution was needed to consolidate Stalin/communist hold on country
iii. some non-Russian parts of country wanted to become their own nation; Stalin said no.
b. The Purges and Great Terror
i. What were the "purges"?
They were the political "cleansing" (expelling and sentencing - no killing) of "dissident" party members..
ii. How were the purges justified?
1. The "dissidence" of party members
2. Kirov had been killed by a party member and a supposed plot to kill Stalin and the prime minister was "discovered"
iii. What was the Great Terror? How was it carried out?
The intense campaign from 1936-8 led by Stalin to eliminate anyone he distrusted after the murder of Kirov and the supposed plan of murder for Stalin and Molotov. Total executed and sent to labour camps in 1937-8 alone: more than 3 million. Hundreds of officials were arrested, tortured, and made to confess for crimes they (most of the time) hadn't committed, and they were forced to go to 'show trials'.
c. What was the purpose of the 1936 constitution? How did it work in practice?
The supposed purpose was to establish a more democratic government and let the people have a voice in electing members of the national assembly called the Supreme Soviet. However, in practice it was not democratic because there was only one candidate (the Communist choice) for each position, and their job was to elect members of 2 other groups, one of which Stalin was the secretary.
d. What was Stalin's two part approach for holding the union together? (since 47% of russia's population was non-russian and wanting independence)
i. National cultures an languages were encouraged and republics had certain amount of independence
ii. However, Moscow had the final say in all important decisions! Force would be used if necessary.
QWs:
Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.
Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.
In what ways did one ruler of a single-party state try to use education to support his regime?
MWH 361-368
1. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's economic problems?
a. What were Russia's economic problems?
Production from heavy industry was still surprisingly low, there was a lack of capital to finance the industrial progress Stalin wanted since foreign countries wouldn't invest in a communist country; Russia would need to produce more food for feeding workers and exporting.
b. What were the Five Year Plans?
i. How were they carried out?
The cash was provided from grain export money, charging peasants heavily for using government equipment, and "ploughing back of all profits and surpluses". Education was improved to make a whole generation of skilled workers, and some capitalist methods such as pay differentials were used in the workplace to encourage production.
ii. How successful were they? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
In terms of getting production numbers up they were mostly successful: from 1929-1940 coal increased from 40.1 (million tons) to 164.9 (higher than Britain in 1940), pig-iron from 8.0 to 14.9, and steel from 4.9 to 18.4. However, since the focus was on heavy industry, the people's standard of living did not successfully develop; there were "primitive" housing conditions, a severe shortage of consumer goods, and severe punishments for bad workers.
c. What does collectivization mean? The idea that small farms and holdings belonging to the peasants should be merged to form large collective farms jointly owned by the peasants.
i. How was it carried out?
Policy was passed in 1929. Collectivization was carried out by brute force; armies of party members forced unwilling peasants to join, encouraged poorer peasants to seize the property of richer unwilling peasants, and arrested/sentenced to labor camps/shot any peasants who refused to join.
ii. How successful was it? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
Production rose; amount of grain exported and taken by government rose significantly in 1930+1. However, much livestock had been slaughtered, AND total grain production did not really increase - in fact it was less in 1934 than it had been in 1928. There was a famine in 1932-3, especially in Ukraine, and over 5 million peasants died of starvation while 1 3/4 tons of grain were exported. So, collectivization was a failure.
2. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's political problems?
a. What were Russia's political problems?
i. decrease of gov't popularity/growing opposition to Stalin in the Party (circulated document called 'Ryutin Platform' calling for removal of Stalin and slow-down of procedures.
ii. a new constitution was needed to consolidate Stalin/communist hold on country
iii. some non-Russian parts of country wanted to become their own nation; Stalin said no.
b. The Purges and Great Terror
i. What were the "purges"?
They were the political "cleansing" (expelling and sentencing - no killing) of "dissident" party members..
ii. How were the purges justified?
1. The "dissidence" of party members
2. Kirov had been killed by a party member and a supposed plot to kill Stalin and the prime minister was "discovered"
iii. What was the Great Terror? How was it carried out?
The intense campaign from 1936-8 led by Stalin to eliminate anyone he distrusted after the murder of Kirov and the supposed plan of murder for Stalin and Molotov. Total executed and sent to labour camps in 1937-8 alone: more than 3 million. Hundreds of officials were arrested, tortured, and made to confess for crimes they (most of the time) hadn't committed, and they were forced to go to 'show trials'.
c. What was the purpose of the 1936 constitution? How did it work in practice?
The supposed purpose was to establish a more democratic government and let the people have a voice in electing members of the national assembly called the Supreme Soviet. However, in practice it was not democratic because there was only one candidate (the Communist choice) for each position, and their job was to elect members of 2 other groups, one of which Stalin was the secretary.
d. What was Stalin's two part approach for holding the union together? (since 47% of russia's population was non-russian and wanting independence)
i. National cultures an languages were encouraged and republics had certain amount of independence
ii. However, Moscow had the final say in all important decisions! Force would be used if necessary.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Kirov Murder (Activity p. 210)
I find Source 13.6 hard to believe because the speaker seems very disorganized with her evidence, which seems lacking (all her testimonies have been "destroyed"), and it was during a time when Stalin was attacked, so I find it improbable that her last statement is true: "It has been irrefutably proved that the murder of Kirov was organized by Stalin". Source 13.7 also does not present any specific evidence to back up the claims made. However, the thing written in Nikolayev's diary about personal revenge seems pretty clear that he was not doing on account of Stalin's orders, so I think I am leaning towards the theory that Stalin was not involved. I think it is 'certain' that Nikolayev was indeed the murderer since there is no evidence whatsoever against that fact and a substantial amount for it, and judging from what I read in the sources, I think it is highly likely that the biggest motive he had was personal reasons, but probable that the NKVD also encouraged/inspired/aided him in his assassination of Kirov because of their interests in preserving the strong role of the NKVD, etc.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Essay Outline
Question: Compare and Contrast the economic policies of two single-party state rulers.
Thesis: Because Hitler and Stalin had different economic goals in mind for Germany and Russia, their economic policies in the 1920s-30s were mostly different. Although they both incorporated a drive for industrialization and Plans with set targets for outputs, Autarky-seeking Nazi Hitler focused less on agriculture than did the Collectivization-striving Socialist Stalin who also developed a Centrally-planned economy.
I. General/Economy goals:
1. Germany:
A. Autarky (self-sufficiency)
B. unify industry for state support
B. industrial preparation for war
2. Russia:
A. Establish Socialism
B. feed Russia
II. Methods for achieving goals:
1. Germany/Hitler
A. four year plan (emphasis on heavy industry):
a. fix prices
b. control raw materials
c. control investment / demand specific production from farmers/factory owners
B. Reich Entailed Farm Law of May 1933 -> farms may not be mortgaged
2. Russia/Stalin
A. Five Year Plan(s)
B. Collectivization (emphasis on agriculture for the economy) -> Canceling of collectivization -> Re-collectivization
C. Continued grain requisitioning and export of grain
a. 1.73 million tons of grain exported in 1932 (during the worst part of the famine)
-grain was left rotting in railways sometimes, un-accessable to the starving people
D. CENTRALLY-PLANNED ECONOMY
a. state decides:
- what to produce, how much, by whom, at what priority, how it's done
b. production broken down into categories such as heavy industry, then a Commissariat was put in charge
c. instructions would be handed down from
Party -> Commissariat -> regional administrator -> manager of specific industrial enterprise
Thesis: Because Hitler and Stalin had different economic goals in mind for Germany and Russia, their economic policies in the 1920s-30s were mostly different. Although they both incorporated a drive for industrialization and Plans with set targets for outputs, Autarky-seeking Nazi Hitler focused less on agriculture than did the Collectivization-striving Socialist Stalin who also developed a Centrally-planned economy.
I. General/Economy goals:
1. Germany:
A. Autarky (self-sufficiency)
B. unify industry for state support
B. industrial preparation for war
2. Russia:
A. Establish Socialism
B. feed Russia
II. Methods for achieving goals:
1. Germany/Hitler
A. four year plan (emphasis on heavy industry):
a. fix prices
b. control raw materials
c. control investment / demand specific production from farmers/factory owners
B. Reich Entailed Farm Law of May 1933 -> farms may not be mortgaged
2. Russia/Stalin
A. Five Year Plan(s)
B. Collectivization (emphasis on agriculture for the economy) -> Canceling of collectivization -> Re-collectivization
C. Continued grain requisitioning and export of grain
a. 1.73 million tons of grain exported in 1932 (during the worst part of the famine)
-grain was left rotting in railways sometimes, un-accessable to the starving people
D. CENTRALLY-PLANNED ECONOMY
a. state decides:
- what to produce, how much, by whom, at what priority, how it's done
b. production broken down into categories such as heavy industry, then a Commissariat was put in charge
c. instructions would be handed down from
Party -> Commissariat -> regional administrator -> manager of specific industrial enterprise
Saturday, November 7, 2009
IRL #7
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/b2bukhar.html
This is a "Speech of Bukharin", which turns into more of a recorded conversation between Bukharin and others, including Stalin, that was translated from the Russian and published online by the Library of Congress. It connects to what we're studying in class because we are learning about the denunciation of Bukarin and those considered "enemies of the state", and in this "speech" Bukharin denies the claims about his "differences of opinion with the party", and later on explains his ideas of membership in the party in accordance with the member's agreeing with the party leaders/ how points of view not in accordance with the leaders are "terroristic". It adds value to what we learned in class by providing a first-hand explanation of the Soviet view of terrorism and the connected goings-on in the party.
The source of this source, as I call it, seems very reliable since the Library's reported purpose is: "to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations." However, using this particular source (Bukharin's speech) has several limitations because A) the source does not give any specific dates for when the speech was made or information about how it was obtained or in what context it was given, and B) there are several "intervening pages of transcript missing", as well as blank spots in the text that were "illegible", so the "speech" is very choppy and does not make much sense when reading through it as a whole.
This is a "Speech of Bukharin", which turns into more of a recorded conversation between Bukharin and others, including Stalin, that was translated from the Russian and published online by the Library of Congress. It connects to what we're studying in class because we are learning about the denunciation of Bukarin and those considered "enemies of the state", and in this "speech" Bukharin denies the claims about his "differences of opinion with the party", and later on explains his ideas of membership in the party in accordance with the member's agreeing with the party leaders/ how points of view not in accordance with the leaders are "terroristic". It adds value to what we learned in class by providing a first-hand explanation of the Soviet view of terrorism and the connected goings-on in the party.
The source of this source, as I call it, seems very reliable since the Library's reported purpose is: "to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations." However, using this particular source (Bukharin's speech) has several limitations because A) the source does not give any specific dates for when the speech was made or information about how it was obtained or in what context it was given, and B) there are several "intervening pages of transcript missing", as well as blank spots in the text that were "illegible", so the "speech" is very choppy and does not make much sense when reading through it as a whole.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
IRL #6
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-02-1563257295_x.htm
This is a news story from USA Today, written by "Mansur Mirovalev, Associated Press Writer". It also includes a piece of an interview from Nikolai Baibakov, who served as Josef Stalin's oil commissar. It connects to what we're studying in class by its discussion of Baibakov's role in Stalin's Centrally-Planned Economy and in Gosplan, "the huge Soviet central planning agency"... It enhances what we've learned by giving more general information and examples about how the central-planning system worked, and some specific details about Baibakov's duties as Commissar of oil and head of Gosplan as well as Stalin's use of terror and violence to motivate lower Commissars etc. to get the jobs done that he wanted them to (it even quotes Stalin specifically telling Baibakov to control the oil just right or he would be shot). A limitation faced when using this source (for our class) is that the article is only about events in the 1940s and after, so it doesn't tell us much about the beginning of the centrally planned economy or how it came about... and also the article is structured pretty poorly in my opinion, so if you are looking for a certain piece of information, it's kind of confusing...
This is a news story from USA Today, written by "Mansur Mirovalev, Associated Press Writer". It also includes a piece of an interview from Nikolai Baibakov, who served as Josef Stalin's oil commissar. It connects to what we're studying in class by its discussion of Baibakov's role in Stalin's Centrally-Planned Economy and in Gosplan, "the huge Soviet central planning agency"... It enhances what we've learned by giving more general information and examples about how the central-planning system worked, and some specific details about Baibakov's duties as Commissar of oil and head of Gosplan as well as Stalin's use of terror and violence to motivate lower Commissars etc. to get the jobs done that he wanted them to (it even quotes Stalin specifically telling Baibakov to control the oil just right or he would be shot). A limitation faced when using this source (for our class) is that the article is only about events in the 1940s and after, so it doesn't tell us much about the beginning of the centrally planned economy or how it came about... and also the article is structured pretty poorly in my opinion, so if you are looking for a certain piece of information, it's kind of confusing...
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