De-Stalinization - The Fall of the Most Powerful

de-Stalinization

noun

1.

the policy, pursued in most Communist areas and among most Communist groups after 1956, of eradicating the memory or influence of Stalin and Stalinism, as by alteration of governmental policies or the elimination of monuments, place names, etc., named for Stalin.

Source: "de-Stalinization." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. 

     <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/de-stalinization>. 

Stalin Denounced by Nikita Khrushchev

Khrushchev denounced Stalin, the cult of personality he had fostered and the crimes he had perpetrated, including the execution, torture and imprisonment of loyal party members on false charges. He blamed Stalin for foreign policy errors, for the failings of Soviet agriculture, for ordering mass terror and for mistakes that had led to appalling loss of life in the Second World War and the German occupation of huge areas of Soviet territory.

Above is an image of Nikita Khrushchev, who denounced Stalin 
and told the people of his horrible acts to the people; like the gulags. 

Khrushchev’s audience heard him in almost complete silence, broken only by astonished murmurs. The delegates did not dare even to look at each other as the party secretary piled one horrifying accusation on another for four solid hours. At the end there was no applause and the audience left in a state of shock.

Source: Cavendish, Richard. "Stalin Denounced by Nikita Khrushchev." History Today. 
     History Today Volume 56 Issue 2 February 2006, n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. 
     <http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/ 
     stalin-denounced-nikita-khrushchev>. 

The End of the Gulags                                                           

de-Stalinization of the Gulags

THE GULAG

Conditions in the camps were extremely harsh. Prisoners received inadequate food rations and insufficient clothing, which made it difficult to endure the severe weather and the long working hours; sometimes the inmates were physically abused by camp guards. As a result, the death rate from exhaustion and disease in the camps was high. After Stalin died in 1953, the Gulag population was reduced significantly, and conditions for inmates somewhat improved. Forced labor camps continued to exist, although on a small scale, into the Gorbachev period, and the government even opened some camps to scrutiny by journalists and human rights activists. With the advance of democratization, political prisoners and prisoners of conscience all but disappeared from the camps.

Above is an image of the statue of Stalin being taken down. 

Works Cited 

Cavendish, Richard. "Stalin Denounced by Nikita Khrushchev." History Today.      History Today Volume 56 Issue 2 February 2006, n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.      <http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/      stalin-denounced-nikita-khrushchev>. "de-Stalinization." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.       <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/de-stalinization>."De-Stalinization of the Gulags." Matt's Russian History Blog. N.p., n.d. Web.       11 Dec. 2014. <http://blogs.lt.vt.edu/vthistory/2013/11/02/       de-stalinization-of-the-gulags/>. "The Gulags." Revelations From the Russian Archives. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec.       2014. <http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/gula.html>. "Nikita Khrushchev." New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.       <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Nikita_Khrushchev>.

Communism in Russia

Communism in Russia 

        

         Communism evolved under Lenin's leadership from the Bolshevik faction, which was created in 1903. The Communist movement started after Russia blamed Czar Nicholas and his wife, Alexandra for their bad decisions involving the military and government. Alexandra was originally from Germany and many Russians were suspicious that she purposely sabotaged Russia and making sure they lost the war. Soon riots started due to Czar Nicholas's subjects. Czar Nicholas was at Mogilev during this time and when he tried to get home, the Duma prevented him from getting onto the train. After the Duma elected their own committee and the soldiers were sent to end the St. Petersburg riots, Czar Nicholas had stepped down from the monarchy. Later that year, he renounced the throne. Czar Nicholas and his family were placed under house arrest in the Ural Mountains. In the fall of that year, the Bolsheviks took over the government which led to a civil war that spring. Nicholas and his family were eventually murdered by the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin. The Bolsheviks, also known as the Communist Party, fought for power against another political group, The Mensheviks. After Lenin came back to Russia, the communists gained power rapidly and took control of the capital, arresting many officials and government. Soon the Communist Party was in charge of the central government and started the secret police or the Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counterrevolution and Sabotage. To feed the Red Army, they also took away all of the food from the peasants and if any of them resisted, they would immediately be executed. Any Russian or non-Russian who held any opposition with Russia was either killed or sent to a prison camp. Since the communists were atheistic, they removed the Orthodox church from being the state religion and murdered 6,775 priests and 28 bishops.The Communist Party killed at least ten million people.Boris Yeltsin suspended communism in August 1991 coup and banned it on November 6, 1991.  


Link to video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k_R9bpdndE




"Lenin and the Communists Impose the 'Red Terror,' 1917-1924." Historic World Events. Detroit: Gale,         2014. World History in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. 

MARCH, LUKE. "Communist Party of the Russian Federation." Encyclopedia of Russian History. Ed.             James R. Millar. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 305-306. World History in                Context. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

Eliav, Binyamin, Moshe Mishkinsky, and Jacob M. Landau. "Communism."Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed.        Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007.                91-101. World History in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.
"Nicholas II." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Joseph Stalin: A Totalitarian Dictator

Early Life:

Joseph Stalin, given the name Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili was born on December 21^st, 1879 in Gori, Georgia. Stalin was the only son of his father, a cobbler, who later died in 1891, and his mother, an illiterate peasant, who sent Stalin to a seminary as a teen. Stalin was then kicked out of the seminary before graduating for his destructive views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_2of8pmHYU

            After being expelled from the seminary, Stalin became part of the Marxist movement and became a member of the Tpilisi committee. Consequently, Stalin was imprisoned and banished to Siberia. Stalin escaped banishment in Siberia and rejoined the Marxist movement and identified himself with the Bolsheviks. Lenin, an existing member of the Bolshevik party, brought Stalin into the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party.

" The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic." - Joseph Stalin

http://www.tomatobubble.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/stalin-bio.jpg

Start of Soviet Rule:

            During the civil war Stalin established himself as a powerful military commissar and eventually rose to the most powerful man in Soviet Russia behind Lenin. Seemingly, Lenin valued Stalin for his accomplishments and talents. During Lenin’s final illness Stalin took control of Lenin’s medical care and was basically in charge of Lenin’s life. When Lenin died Stalin took control, eliminated any other power figures and rulers and had complete dictatorial control over Soviet Russia. 

            After gaining complete control Stalin proposed the “Five Year Plan” in order to industrialize Russia and advance the, in comparison to other countries around the world. Part of this plan was to change the job network in Russia and anyone that did not agree or take part in this change was sent the gulags, labor camps created by Stalin.  This plan got out of hand and Stalin started sending innocent people to the gulags and publically killing innocent people, this time was known as “ The Reign of Terror”. During this time it is estimated that 1 million people were executed and another 7 million died in the gulags.

http://itmakessenseblog.com/files/2011/04/Gulag-4.jpg

* Link to video about the gulags and Stalin's purges

 http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-stalin/videos/stalins-purges

Decline of Rule:

            Germany, under Hitler’s rule, surprised Stalin with an attempt to invade Russia. This eventually led to the start of World War II, Russia, the United States, Great Britain along with other countries fighting against Germany, Italy and Japan. After endless fighting Stalin defeated Hitler and Germany and was rewarded with admiration in Russia and other countries. Soon after Stalin was the first to invade and take over the capital of Germany, this then led to Stalin’s control over most of Eastern Europe.

           

            Stalin saw his final days in a state of extreme paranoia. Most people hoped that after defeating Germany and Eastern Europe Stalin would change his ways of ruling Russia but nothing changed he went directly back to his harsh control. Stalin died from a stroke in 1953 after just starting a new series of killings. Stalin’s death left the Soviet Union in a state of long and brutal recovery from his rule.

*Link below to a timeline of Stalin's life

http://www.softschools.com/timelines/joseph_stalin_timeline/126/

Works Cited:

"Joseph Stalin." Encyclopedia of World Biography. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. 

     World History in Context. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ 

     ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ 

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     n_results=&p=WHIC%3AUHIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7C 

     K1631006207>. 

"Stalin, Joseph." Encyclopedia of World Biography. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. 

     World History in Context. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ 

     ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ 

     ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=WHIC&windowstate=normal&conten 

     tModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&u=meri7541 

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     n_results=&p=WHIC%3AUHIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7C 

     CX3411800073>. 

Surviving the Frigidness of the Gulags

ATTENTION IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE THE GULAGS!!!!!!!

A ZEK’S GUIDE: SURVIVING THE FRIGIDNESS OF THE GULAGS

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.com/2013/07/exhuming-dirty-secrets-of-holodomor.html


As soon as the frigid hair hits your face, your body will begin to respond to the bitter temperature of the gulags. As the air hits your body your body immediately begins to vasoconstrict. This is the process of your body trying to insulate itself, by moving blood away from extremities, such as fingers and toes, and toward its core. At this point you might start to feel goosebumps. The second reaction that the body has is shivering. At first it is a little shivering; major shivering doesn't start happening until the core body temperature start to decrease. Older people are at greater risk because there ability to vasoconstrict and shiver is not as prominent, so look out for your older squad members.

http://vasoconstriction.net
                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                         https://twitter.com/hashtag/vasoconstriction
When the body is exposed to cold weather there are many injuries, diseases, or negative physical effects that could happen to you. These effects vary from things such as hypothermia to things such as trenchfoot. These effects are usually classified into either freezing injuries or nonfreezing injuries. In order to survive your sentence, you need to learn how to avoid getting these types of injuries. 

The most common is hypothermia. This is when your body’s normal temperature of about 98.6 degrees, drops to below 95 degrees F. Once it starts to decreasing from there, only bad things can happen. At about 82 degrees F an average human will lose consciousness. If you core body temperature reaches 70 degrees F you will be dead or on the verge of death. A very severe case of hypothermia is considered to be when the body temperature can drop to below 86 degrees. The symptoms of hypothermia can start with symptoms as minor as shivering, to symptoms as serious as memory loss, slurred speech, and unconsciousness. If you see any zeks in your squad unconscious or in a haze of confusion, tell your squad leader and get him to the dispensary immediately.  

                                                                    http://www.skinsight.com/firstaid/firstAidHypothermia.htm

Frostnip is considered the mildest form of a freezing injury.  The skin-affected areas start to turn white and will most likely be numb. Frostbite, however, is more serious. This occurs when tissue temperature falls below the freezing point (0°C/32°F). In severe cases, there could be  damage to your body without pain, resulting in blisters. Frostbitten skin is highly susceptible to infection. When an area has been severely impacted with frost bite, it often turns black. In some cases, zeks have been taken to the dispensary and have returned with one less limb because of the need to amputate affected areas. If you see any black or infected body parts you should report to the dispensary. Otherwise, keep working!

There are also several non-freezing injuries one can acquire from being in the cold for too long. One example of this is trenchfoot. Trenchfoot is sometimes referred to as the "wet cold disease". When working in the snow, snow often gets into your valenki. If your feet (or foot) stay wet and cold for too long, that is when trenchfoot occurs. To significantly lower the chances of this happening to you while working in the gulags, we suggest tucking your pants into your valenki. 

For more on trenchfoot, click here.

 

https://puncturerepairkit.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/trench-foot/

Wind is a huge factor when it comes to your body temperature dropping. The wind chill factor makes it feel much colder than it actually is. For instance in calm conditions at -29°C a well clothed person is in little danger; but at the same temperature, a light wind of 10 mph gives the same effect as a temperature of -44°C where exposed flesh can freeze in a minute.




ATTENTION!: STAY DRY AT ALL TIMES! 
The body loses body heat 25 times faster in water than in air. If you are working on a construction site near water, steer clear from it. If you do end up falling in, get out of the water as fast as you can because it is extremely dangerous to your body.

 I hope you follow these instructions in order to survive your sentence in the gulags. By the way, the longer you stay here, the more you will adapt to the frigid temperatures, producing and retaining heat more effectively.

For a much broader summary of the effect of cold on the human body watch this video:

WORKS CITED

Karriem-Norwood, Varnada. "What Is Hypothermia?" WebMD. WebMD, 11 Oct. 2012. 
     Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ 
     what-is-hypothermia?page=2>. 

"Cold Environments- Health Effects and First Aid." Canadian Centre for      Occupational Health and Safety. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health &      Safety, 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/      phys_agents/cold_health.html>. 

Rettner, Rachael. "Can a Person Freeze to Death?" livescience. livescience, 7 
     Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/ 
     6008-person-freeze-death.html>. 

Anderson, Morgan L. "How Humans Deal with and Survive Extreme Cold." Cool 
     Antarctica. Cool Antarctica, 2001. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. 
     <http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/ 
     cold_humans.htm>. 


Frostbitten fingers photo url:http://u.osu.edu/buckmdblog/2014/01/26/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-frostbite/ 

Moscow Trials

The Moscow trials were three trials during the 1930's period of "the Great Terror" in which Stalin used his power to remove members of the Old Bolshevik party in order to solidify his totalitarian authority. The main goal of the trials was to purge Stalin's political opponents from power in order to fortify his control. In each one, members of the Old Bolshevik party were put on trial for crimes such as murder, terrorism, espionage, and political conspiracy. Rather than being indicted due to specific evidence of crime, the defendants were abused, blackmailed, and given false promises until they confessed. These trials were extremely biased and demonstrated Stalin's ability to manipulate others through threats and violence.

"Stalin required not only submission but complicity."
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386999/Stalin-Joseph-Mengele-Nazi-jet-fighter-New-book-Annie-Jacobsen-reveals-real-story-alien-landing-Roswell.html

The period of "the Great Terror" began following the assassination of Bolshevik leader Sergei Kirov. During this time Stalin framed communist party members with the murder of Kirov, plots to murder others, and betrayal against the party. Stalin did not only target political opponents, he also arrested civilians and sent them to gulags or killed them. As a result of this period the work camps in A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich were formed. According to Gale World History, "The historian Robert Conquest puts at 3 million the number who were executed or died in the camps during the height of the terror, 1936-38. Estimates of the total number of Stalin's victims--by execution, by illness and overwork in prison camps, by starvation as a result of failed economic policies--have ranged upward to 20 million."

"One by one, the defendants agreed to admit their guilt in open court in return for Stalin's guarantee that their lives and those of their families would be spared."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_trial

The first of the three trials took place in August 1936 in the Trade Union House in Moscow. Stalin's main goal was to arrest Old Bolsheviks Lev Kamenev and Grigori Zinoviev. These two men stood in the courthouse accompanied by other party members having already been deprived of sleep and beaten in order to lower their morals and encourage their submission to Stalin's accusations. The men were charged with taking part in Kirov's assassination, plots to kill Stalin and other leaders, and connections with the exiled Trotsky. Most confessed right away due to promises that their lives and those of their families would be spared. However, one man named Smirnov would not accept the accusation and fought to prove that the trial was unfair and did not provide any evidence. The other defendants testified against Smirnov due to the persuasion and abuse of Stalin's men and he was ultimately declared guilty as long with the others. The defendants all new from the start that they had no chance at a fair trial so most complied with Stalin in hopes to spare their lives. Despite his promises, the Old Bolsheviks on trial were all killed along with many of their family members because according to Stalin, their relation to the guilty was considered a crime. 

"I demand that these dogs gone mad should be shot--every one of them," -Andrey Vyshinsky (Chief Prosecutor)
Source: http://themoscownews.com/news/20101004/1880965333.html

Following the first trial, Stalin replaced the head of his police force with Nikolai Yezhov. Under his lead "the Great Terror" developed into its most brutal phase which was named Yezhovshchina. It was during this time period that the second Moscow trial took place beginning January 23, 1937. In this trial only 17 men were accused. They had all been members of the Bolshevik party but Stalin gave them a new label, "The Anti-Soviet Trotskyite Center." These men were accused of attempting to destroy Russia's economy and spying for Japan and Germany all under the command of Trotsky. The men admitted to multiple terrorists acts that weakened the agricultural and industrial economies. It is unclear whether any of this is true or not due to Stalin's powers of persuasion through threats and abuse. At the close of the trial, all the men were shot except two who were sent to work camps and died there. 

"In a few hours, you will pass your sentence. And here I stand before you in filth, crushed by my own crimes, bereft of everything through my own fault, a man who has lost his party, who has no friends, who has lost his very self." -Grigori Pyatakov (A chief target in the second Moscow Trial)
Source: http://codoh.com/library/document/2703/

The third and final trial was said to be more of a grand finale or victory parade for Stalin. He had already purged all political threats from the country and "the Great Terror" was running so wild and powerfully that Stalin's police force could arrest people anywhere. The men on trial included Stalin's chief of police during the first phase of the terror and members of Lenin's Politburo. The crimes were similar to those before including plans to assassinate Stalin, espionage, attempting to restore capitalism, and working with Trotsky. The economic problems and agricultural failure in Russia was blamed on the defendants and they willingly accepted the guilt. All but one man, Nikolai Krestinsky, pleaded guilty of all charges. However, at the end of the second day of trail he caved in and confessed after a suspected night of beatings and torture in the Lubyanka prison. A witness present at the trial described the way he looked as, "more than ever like a small bedraggled sparrow." Without surprise, all the defendants were again found guilty and 19 out of the 22 men were killed right away while the others were banished to gulags. 

"The purge left a legacy of state-sponsored terror in the Soviet Union as well as a permanent system of labor camps--the Gulag--to which dissidents of all types could be banished."
Source: https://roadtrippers.com/blog/gulag-themed-holidays-are-all-the-rage-in-sunny-siberia

Moscow trials relate to A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich because the period in which they took place lead to the rise of gulags as a punishment for those against Stalin and communism. They demonstrate how anyone can be found guilty of a crime even if there is no concrete evidence and they are innocent. For example, Shukov was sent to the work camps because he was captured while fighting for his country. This shows how Stalin was ruthless in his accusation and felt no guilt sending people to gulags. The trials display how no one was safe from punishment in the Communist environment as even men who were powerful political figures were arrested and killed.  In the novel, despite Tsezar's wealth, he is not protected and is sentenced to life in a gulag. The trials were a way for Stalin to get rid off his political enemies while covering up the murders by accusing them of crime.               
                   
                       



External Links:
http://soviethistory.macalester.edu/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1936terror&Year=1936

http://www.wsws.org/exhibits/1937/lecture1.htm 

"The Moscow Purge Trials: 1936 and 1937-38." Great World Trials. Detroit: Gale Research, 1994. World History in Context. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

Marrin, Albert. "Stalin, Joseph." Academic World Book. World Book, 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_trial